In this post I share what I still consider the best game of my life: my win with White against GM Murtas Kazhgaleyev (2619) in Solsona 2005, in a sharp Najdorf Sicilian. I’ll add the full PGN so you can replay it and follow my comments move by move.
After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6, we entered the Najdorf, and I chose the aggressive 6.Bg5, going straight for a complex, double‑edged battle. Black castled queenside late, kept his king in the center, and tried to hit back with …h6, …g5, and …b5, but that gave me exactly what I wanted: an unbalanced position with kings on opposite wings and a lot of tension around the f‑file and d6.
The first critical moment came after 14.f4! gxf4 15.Rxf4, when I sacrificed a pawn to open lines against the black king and seize the initiative instead of calmly defending my structure. A few moves later, after 17…b4, I realized Black’s king was too exposed in the center and I went all‑in with the spectacular sequence 18.Ba4+! followed by the double rook sacrifice 19.Rxf7!! and 20.Rxf7!!, tearing open the king and hunting it down with queen and minor pieces.
From there, the game became a pure attacking exercise: I gave up material, brought every piece into the attack, and kept Black’s king under fire with moves like Qh5, Qh3, Nc6+, e5, and c4, never letting him consolidate. In the final phase I calmly transitioned from a direct mating attack into a winning endgame, forcing favorable exchanges and finally capturing on b6, with my extra material and active pieces deciding the game.
I love this game because it shows exactly the kind of chess I enjoy playing: dynamic, initiative‑driven, and full of sacrifices against a much higher‑rated opponent. I hope you find it as instructive and inspiring as it was unforgettable for me back in 2005.