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The '''Peruvian Immortal''' is the name given to a  [[chess]] game played by the [[Peru]]vian [[Chess master|master]] (later [[International Grandmaster|grandmaster]]) [[Esteban Canal]] against an unknown amateur in a [[simultaneous exhibition]] he gave at [[Budapest]] in 1934.<ref>[[Efstratios Grivas]], ''The Tactics Bible: Magnum Opus'', Thinkers Publications, 2019, p. 389. {{ISBN|978-9492510433}}</ref><ref>[http://gameknot.com/annotation.pl?gm=9551&pg=0 The Peruvian Immortal Game at GameKnot]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo0PNO2pdXo Famous Chess Games: Peruvian Immortal]</ref><ref>Ben Johnson, ''Identifying Critical Moments in Chess'' course on [[Chess.com#Play_Magnus_Group|Chessable]], chapter 3, Puzzle #6.</ref> In just 14 moves, Canal sacrificed both his [[rook (chess)|rooks]] and his [[queen (chess)|queen]], finishing with [[Boden's mate]].

[[Julius du Mont]] calls it, "A charming game."<ref>J. du Mont, ''200 Miniature Games of Chess'', David McKay, 1965, p. 191.</ref> [[Irving Chernev]] writes, "In 13 moves, Canal sacrifices both Rooks and his Queen&mdash;and then mates on his 14th move! ... A man might play a million games of chess and never duplicate Canal's feat."<ref>Irving Chernev, ''Wonders and Curiosities of Chess'', Dover Publications, 1974, pp. 142-43. {{ISBN|0-486-23007-4}}. Chernev describes the game almost identically in his earlier book Irving Chernev, ''The 1000 Best Short Games of Chess: A Treasury of Masterpieces in Miniature'', Simon & Schuster, 1955, p. 96 (game 212).</ref> [[Fred Reinfeld]] writes, <blockquote>When [[Adolf Anderssen|Anderssen]] sacrificed two Rooks, the Queen etc. against [[Lionel Kieseritzky|Kieseritzky]], the finished product was described as {{'}}''the'' [[Immortal Game|immortal game]]'. It might be more accurate to call it {{'}}''an'' immortal game', for since that time there have been many claimants to the title. Not the least deserving is [this] little gem, on which Canal may have lavished something less than five minutes. The game has the blazing quality of a [[Franz Liszt|Liszt]] improvisation.<ref>Fred Reinfeld, ''Chess: Win in 20 Moves or Less'', Ty Crowell, 2000, p. 87. {{ISBN|0-690-18916-8}}</ref></blockquote>
{{AN chess|pos=toc}}

==The game==
White: Esteban Canal {{pad|2}} Black: {{chessgloss|NN}} {{pad|2}} [[Chess opening|Opening]]: [[Scandinavian Defense]] (''[[Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings|ECO]]'' B01) <br />Budapest 1934

{{Chess diagram
 |tright
 |
 |  |  |kd|rd|  |  |nd|rd
 |pd|pd|  |nd|  |pd|pd|pd
 |  |  |pd|  |pd|  |  |  
 |qd|  |  |  |  |  |  |  
 |  |bd|  |pl|  |bl|  |  
 |pl|  |nl|  |  |ql|  |pl
 |  |pl|pl|  |bl|pl|pl|  
 |rl|  |  |  |kl|  |  |rl
 |Position after 10...0-0-0??
}}
'''1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bf4 e6 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Bb4 9. Be2 Nd7 10. a3 0-0-0{{chesspunc|??}}''' (diagram) 
:Incredibly, [[castling]] queenside turns out to be a [[Blunder (chess)|blunder]] which at the least loses a piece. In another book, [[Fred Reinfeld|Reinfeld]] writes, "Black mistakenly thinks that [11.axb4] is out of the question. But White, seeing further ahead and relying on his excellent attacking position, has a stunning surprise continuation."<ref>Fred Reinfeld, ''How to Win Chess Games Quickly'', 1957, Barnes & Noble, Inc., p. 64. {{ISBN|0-389-00227-5}}</ref> [[Iakov Neishtadt]] writes, "Black is convinced that his opponent cannot take the Bishop. This would indeed have been the case if he had played not 10...0-0-0, but 10...Ngf6."<ref>[[Iakov Neishtadt]], ''Catastrophe in the Opening'', Pergamon Press, 1980, p. 172. {{ISBN|0-08-024097-6}}</ref> [[Yasser Seirawan|Seirawan]] and [[Nikolay Minev|Minev]] advise, "Motto: Think twice before castling on the Queenside!"<ref>Yasser Seirawan and Nikolay Minev, ''Take My Rooks'', International Chess Enterprises, 1991, p. 13. {{ISBN|1-879479-01-X}}</ref>

'''11. axb4{{chesspunc|!!}}'''
:If a6, b7, and c6 are unprotected by black pieces, then [[Boden's Mate]] would be possible, so White starts to [[Deflection (chess)|deflect]] the black queen from guarding these squares by force.
'''11... Qxa1+'''
:If Black plays 11...Qb6 in order to protect a6, b7, and c6, then (besides already being a piece up) White could continue to attack the black queen with 12.Na4.
'''12. Kd2{{chesspunc|!}}'''
:Another deflection. Black is doomed now, for after capturing the white rook at a1, Black loses the last chance to protect c6, and the black queen is unable to stay on the a-file to protect a6.

'''12... Qxh1''' 
:Reinfeld writes,<ref>Reinfeld's [[descriptive chess notation|descriptive notation]] has been converted to [[algebraic chess notation|algebraic notation]].</ref> "Microscopically preferable was 12...Ne5 13.Bxe5 Qxh1 14.Qxf7 Rd7 (amusing would be 14...Ne7 15.Qxe6+! Rd7 16.Bg4 Rhd8 17.Qd6! forcing mate) 15.Qe8+ Rd8 16.Qxe6+ Rd7 17.Qe8+ Rd8 18.Bg4{{chessAN|#}}!"<ref>''Chess: Win in 20 Moves or Less'', p. 87.</ref>

'''13. Qxc6+! bxc6 14. Ba6# {{chessAN|1–0}}'''

{{Chess diagram
 |tleft
 |
 |  |  |kd|rd|  |  |nd|rd
 |pd|  |  |nd|  |pd|pd|pd
 |bl|  |pd|  |pd|  |  |  
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
 |  |pl|  |pl|  |bl|  |  
 |  |  |nl|  |  |  |  |pl
 |  |pl|pl|kl|  |pl|pl|  
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |qd
 |Final position after 14.Ba6# (a [[pure mate]])
}}
{{clear left}}

==See also==
* [[List of chess games]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1264050 Game score] at [[Chessgames.com]]
*[https://lichess.org/study/t0ItUz6A Game] at [[Lichess]] 

[[Category:Chess games]]
[[Category:Chess in Hungary]]
[[Category:1934 in chess]]
[[Category:1934 in Hungarian sport]]
[[Category:Nicknamed sporting events]]