Grandmaster Chess Blunder: 10 of the Worst in History

Everyone blunders. This is true in life and in chess. Even the best players of all time still make mistakes! Now, their blunders are often more nuanced than those of your average beginner, but in chess history, there have been some draw-dropping blunders even by the very best players in the world. Grandmasters have earned the right to make a mistake every once in a while, but we can still learn from those moments and realize that even the best are still human. Take a look at this list, which spans from the 1800s to 2025, and chess players have been making mistakes for years, and will continue to do so into the future.

What Makes a Grandmaster in Chess Matches?

First, what makes a Grandmaster, exactly? A Grandmaster is someone who has reached specific milestones in chess, as defined by the International Chess Federation, FIDE. To become a Chess Grandmaster, a player must achieve a FIDE rating of at least 2500 and earn three GM norms. Once they have accomplished this, then they are considered a Grandmaster and one of the best players in the game!

What is a Chess Blunder?

In chess, we call big mistakes “blunders.” To be considered a blunder, at least by most computer engines as well as chess scholars, the result of the game is usually shifting. That means that if the game was likely going to be a draw, but then you made an error that now results in a loss instead, then that is a chess blunder. A significant mistake that significantly impacts the result and evaluation is usually considered a blunder. That doesn’t necessarily mean that someone has blundered, checkmated, or given away their queen. A grandmaster playing another grandmaster could blunder by simply allowing a passed pawn in an endgame, shifting the result of the game.

Magnus Carlsen vs. Vesly Ivanchuk, 2015

These games are in no particular order, but number ten is one of the biggest mistakes by one of the greatest players of all time, Magnus Carlsen. Magnus referenced this game recently in an interview when being asked about his biggest blunder, and he said that this one, more than any others, stuck out to him in his mind. I can see why. Look here and see if you can find the move that Ivanchuk found in their game. This was in the 2015 World Blitz Championship between Magnus Carlsen and Vesly Ivanchuk, with Magnus having just played Queen to d2. 

Did you spot the move for black? This was a blitz game where pieces are moving fast, but Magnus still blundered a mate in two! He resigned after Ivanchuk played queen to g1, with checkmate on g3 to follow. Magnus said that this move hit him out of nowhere, which is usually not the case for grandmasters, especially world champions like Magnus! Still, Ivanchuk is a great player, and showed his skill in the chess match.

Mikhail Chigorin vs. Wilhelm Steinitz, 1892

The first blunder involved modern players with a modern blitz time control, but this next example dates back to 1892, bringing huge stakes along with it. It was the 1892 World Chess Championship, with Mikhail Chigorin and Wilhelm Steinitz battling for the title. After twenty-three games, Chigorin faltered and allowed checkmate. Can you spot the follow-up to his blunder of Bb4?

Not only is this a relatively easy checkmate to find, with Rxh2+ followed by checkmate with the other rook on g2, but white was actually winning in the position right before this moment! This move epitomizes a blunder, the result of not only the game being shifted by the move, but also the world championship itself. Winning that game allowed Steinitz to defend his title against Mikhail Chigorin in Havana, Cuba. It was Steinitz’s fourth successful defense of the world championship. Blunders seem even bigger when there is that much weighing on the game!

Anatoly Karpov vs. Garry Kasparov, 1987

Nearly a hundred years later, grandmasters were still blundering during World Championship matches. This time, it was Anatoly Karpov vs. Garry Kasparov in the 1987 World Championship match. In this position, below Kasparov played Ra1, seemingly missing that Karpov could play Qxg6+.

The 1987 World Championship match between Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov was a highly dramatic close contest, with Kasparov retaining his title by a single point. This one chess blunder could have changed the match if Kasparov had not fought back in later games. After a back-and-forth battle, in the last game, Karpov needed a draw but cracked under pressure, allowing Kasparov to retain the championship.

Peter Heine Nielsen vs. Sergei Karjakin, 2005

Here is a position from a game with Peter Heine Nielsen playing against Sergey Karjakin in 2005. Karjakin made a big blunder when he played Kg5 and received the double question mark. Can you spot what he overlooks? Karjakin may have shown a lack of sound judgment.

Free pieces are the easiest way to win games at the beginner level, but it also helps to capture them as a GM.

Boris Spassky vs. Robert James Fischer, 1972

Fischer played a famous chess blunder in his first round against Spassky in 1972. While some argue that he had understood the problem with his move, he clearly missed something when he took this poisoned pawn. What can white play after black just captured a pawn on h2?

The classic way to trap a bishop here is by advancing the g pawn and preventing the bishop from escaping. Some say that Fischer thought he had a good position after taking both pawns, but either way, a beginner can learn to watch out for this kind of move if you don’t want to lose a bishop; not every pawn is as free as it seems.

Larry Christiansen vs. Anatoly Karpov 1993

Now it is Karpov’s turn to blunder. This is one of my favorite blunders to learn from. It shows that even grandmasters can have chess blindness. This blunder is understandable for most beginner or intermediate players, but it is surprising that a grandmaster makes this mistake. Karpov was the undisputed World Chess Champion from 1975 to 1985, but in 1993, he made a huge blunder against the American Larry Christiansen at the Wijk aan Zee tournament. Early in the game, he played the move Bd6 here, a reasonable move. That is, unless you see the opponent's response. Can you find the move?

After black moves their bishop to d6, the devastating and simple Qd1 forks the bishop and the knight. A huge early miss by Karpov.

Karpov vs Korchnoi, 1978

In another World Championship blunder, here Korchnoi makes a mistake that completely swings this game. Here he just played the rook check on a1. What did he miss?

Avoiding Chess Blunders

I always tell my students that in order to avoid a chess blunder, they need to scan a position for forcing moves and to calculate all of the checks. Here, if black finds the move Nf3+, opening up the g-file, then they will likely see the follow-up check with Rg6+ followed by Nf2#.

Carlsen vs. Ding, 2024

Ding had some trouble after becoming the World Champion. Those troubles were never clearer than in this game against Magnus Carlsen at Norway Chess, 2024. Still the top-ranked player in the world, Magnus was a grand opponent for the then-current World Champion. Unfortunately for Ding, the game went south for him. He had just played Rb2. How should white respond? 

Forcing moves! Magnus found the knockout mate-in-2 and won the game. Qxh7+ is followed up with the unstoppable Rh4#. It’s surprising that Ding would have blundered this move, but it happens to all of us! Chess blindness can hit anyone, especially if you are not looking through all your forcing moves and checks in any position. Ding took some criticism for losing in this fashion, but this is proof that anyone can make a mistake, and other grandmasters have also made big mistakes, as can be seen on this list!

Viswanathan Anand vs. Magnus Carlsen, 2013

2013 was the year that Magnus Carlsen became World Champion, and on his way there, he had to beat reigning champion Vishy Anand. During the ninth round of that tournament, Vishy blundered. This blunder is a much grandmaster-level blunder, though, than some on this list. Here, after Carlsen had promoted a pawn, he blocked the check with his knight. Unfortunately, that opened up the new queen to infiltrate and defend the important h4 square, where the rook wants to go.

Gukesh Dommaraju vs. Magnus Carlsen, 2025

This is our most recent blunder on this list. Similar to when Ding had to play Magnus, now we have a game where the new World Champion, Gukesh, is battling it out against Magnus. This blunder happened in a time scramble, but it is still a surprising move by someone of Magnus’ strength, and he was certainly not happy with himself.

Magnus had just played knight to e2 check, but he is not in time to get his other rook to safety with the simple tactic from Gukesh. The most famous part of this blunder is not the move itself, but the reaction of Magnus after the game. The former World Champion showed he is still just as passionate about the game as ever as he slammed his fist onto the table after the loss. Clips of the moment went viral online, but Magnus quickly apologized to Gukesh and congratulated him on the win. Magnus still won the tournament.

We All Have Chess Blindness

Looking through blunders by grandmasters can be a little cathartic. We all miss things on the board, even the best of the best. It is a good reminder to always look through forcing moves in the position. Consider all of your opponents' checks, captures, and checks when considering a move. You can practice this process by doing chess puzzles with this in mind, then you will be less likely to blunder during your games. Chess blindness is worst when you have tunnel vision on your ideas and don’t open your eyes to all the possible moves in the position.