10 Games from 2014

8. Carlsen vs Radjabov (Gashimov Memorial; E70) 0-1

I chose this game because I thought that Radjabov was magnificent. It was refreshing to see Radjabov score big against Carlsen. After the debacle at candidates, we all wondered if Radjabov could bounce back.  Particularly verbose notes by GM Jan Gustafsson for chess24.com:

9. Short vs Howell (PokerStars IoM Masters; E47) 1-0

I chose this game for many reasons. How often do we get to see one of the members of the “old guard” winning modern tournaments? This game is a fantastic attacking game that Short is known for. Joel Benjamin did a nice recap of this game on his show. Notes by Alina L’Ami for chessbase:

10. Shimanov vs Jobava (European Individual Championships; D16) 1-0

Compiling a list like this is time consuming and tedious, but finding games like the one below make it all worth it. I chose this game because I think it’s a thriller.  This game exemplifies fighting chess, neither player is willing to give an inch and both are out for blood. Notes by Jan Gustafsson for chess24.com:

Runner Up:

Gormally vs Granda Zuniga (PokerStars IoM Masters; D24) 1-0 – It isn’t very often that you see a strong GM demolished in the opening but in this game, Gormally shows a neat little trick that snares Granda Zuniga and forces his resignation on move 16. I’d call that a bad day at the office.

The Rest:

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