Don’t we all love to win once and a while within a couple of moves? Of course our love for this phenomenon fades slightly when we are at the wrong end off the stick.

But in some way or another we have to laugh when we see other players lose games within no time at all.

The Dutch grandmaster Jan Hein Donner was famous for his short games. At some moment in time he became the laughing stock of Dutch chess. He lost quite a lot of games within twenty moves or so. Here are some fine examples from his early career.*


Tactical oversight

In the first game Donner suffers from a clear case of a tactical oversight. In disgust he drops the ball even when he is not lost (10 moves). See game…


Somewhat longer, but not too long

The second game is, how do I put it nicely? Yes: somewhat more clear cut and lasts a tiny bit longer (16 moves). This is his reward for mishandling the French defense. See game…


A case of memory loss

I can’t remember ever losing a normal game within twenty moves. But maybe this is a clear case of blocked out memories? Or just plain old fashioned amnesia?

Of course I do remember my short wins. They are the jewels in the crown of every chessplayer.

I have to admitt my short wins are few and far between. Here is a recent example (played on chess.com). See game…


The romantics

In the 19th century nobody seemed to care about his defence. Everybody wanted to attack. This era is a rich playground for short games.

So we end with a final kicker from ancient times. See game…

Maybe the reader has some gems by him self to share with us?

*Maybe I am a bit too harsh. Donner was an excellent chess player and probably an even better writer. So I will very soon set the record straight!