Spanning more than a century of chess play, from McDonnell v. Labourdonnais in 1834 to Matanovich v. Rossolimo in 1951, this remarkable collection comprises 50 of the greatest games ever played.Included are fascinating examples of the masters in action - reacting when a combination goes wrong or when their opponents fight back. In these games neither player is content to be smothered by the brilliant imagination of the other, or to allow master technique to win a game by copybook methods; here is complicated, fighting chess. Few of the games will be old favourites, but many others will be less well known.All the immortals are here - Morphy, Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik, and many more - immersed in prodigious chess struggles that bring out their most courageous, resourceful, and tenacious play. Discover the greatness of such matches as Steinitz v. Lasker for the world championship in 1896; Capablanca v. Marshall in New York in 1918; Znosko-Borovsky v. Alekhine at Baden-Baden in 1925; Reshevsky v. Botvinnik at the AVRO Tournament in 1918, and many more. Any chess buff will enjoy and learn from these games, studded with brilliant combinations and astounding recoveries, which feature the greatest masters in some of their most inspired contests.