Donald Byrne vs Robert James Fischer · Rosenwald Memorial Tournament, New York, 1956 · Gruenfeld Defense · 0-1
Bobby Fischer was 13 years old when he played this game at the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament in New York City. It was immediately recognised as something extraordinary. Chess journalist Hans Kmoch named it 'The Game of the Century' and the title has stuck ever since. Fischer sacrifices his queen on move 17 (Bxc4!) to gain a devastating positional advantage, using the open files and diagonals to coordinate his minor pieces with devastating effect. The young Fischer then conducts a precise endgame, converting his advantage through a series of forcing moves. Over the next 20 moves Fischer picks apart Byrne's position methodically, demonstrating a mastery of chess fundamentals far beyond his years. The game remains the most famous game ever played by a prodigy and established Fischer as a future world champion.