What is the shortest known GM level OTB game to end with checkmate?

Question

What is the shortest known on the board game played between GM rated players that ended with a checkmate? "Shortest" does not mean the game has to be very short.

Note: Edited this question twice clarifying some ambiguity.

Just to clarify, you are looking for the shortest game between two players who have official GM titles. Does the time control matter to you? Could the game be blindfold? — Akavall, Jan 03 '13 at 20:43

score 22 · Accepted Answer · edited Aug 19 '19 at 16:34

22

Keres-Arlamowski 1950, comes very close

[FEN ""]
[Event "Szczawno Zdroj"]
[Date "1950"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Paul Keres"]
[Black "Edward Arlamowski"]

1. e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qe2 Nbd7 6.Nd6# 1-0

I heard Mr Arlamovski was an IM at the time - but given Keres' level, and the fact that there were many fewer IM's back then - probably puts the game into the GM level category.

edited Aug 19 '19 at 16:34

Brian Towers

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answered Dec 31 '12 at 17:32

Joe

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Thanks, but what if we restrict to games that are "really" GM level? I was just curious. – Masked Man Jan 01 '13 at 02:45
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can't think of any; I suspect most GM's would actually resign before getting mated :) – Joe Jan 02 '13 at 21:24
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Note that Arlamowski fell into exactly the trap from this answer: http://chess.stackexchange.com/a/653/167, except that White has played Nf3 instead of d4. – ETD Jan 03 '13 at 22:43
What a sucker! Hah, but good find :D +1 – Travis J Jan 05 '13 at 08:44

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 12 '14 at 01:50

5

Reti-Tartakower, Vienna 1910, must be a good candidate, although Tartakower resigned one move before checkmate.

[FEN ""]
[Event "Vienna"]
[Date "1910"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Richard Reti"]
[Black "Savielly Tartakower"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Qd3 e5 6. dxe5 Qa5 7. Bd2 Qxe5 8. O-O-O Nxe4 9. Qd8+ Kxd8 10. Bg5++ (10. Bg5++ Ke8 (10... Kc7 11.Bd8#) 11.Rd8#) 1-0

answered Feb 12 '14 at 01:50

Dag Oskar Madsen

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Though this was a rapid game, I think. – BlindKungFuMaster Dec 30 '14 at 08:09
@BlindKungFuMaster: According to this link (http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/retitartakower.html) it was an off-hand game, but not rapid. – Dag Oskar Madsen Dec 30 '14 at 16:25
What I was remembering, probably from the same source: " The term ‘lightning game’ was used on page 23 of The Chess Player’s Bedside Book by R. Bott and S. Morrison (London, 1966), but on what grounds?" – BlindKungFuMaster Dec 30 '14 at 17:30
Tartakower played Kc7 and allowed the beautiful mate Bd8 instead of resigning. – Peter Mar 31 '15 at 08:15
@Peter Any source to document that Tatarkower played 10...Kc7 ? – Evargalo Jan 02 '19 at 09:40

What is the shortest known GM level OTB game to end with checkmate?

2 Answers2