                      |
(The ratings are estimates. No reliable ELO exists for that period of time.)
Paul Morphy was one of the greatest
players who ever lived.
Here is one
of his games.
Both Reinfeld and Chernev have greatly praised and extolled this game.
The
'British Chess Magazine,'
(May, 1898); praised this as a fine
example of:
The Ruy Lopez. (The variation with all four Knights in play.)
The
great Emmanuel Lasker, in his,
"Chess Player's Scrapbook," said
that Black's 12th move: "began a
combination of rare originality."
A game for the ages.
***
This is a game I usually show to new students, and I have also shown it to countless friends over the years.
I also correct the multitude of bad and inaccurate things that have been written about this game!
1.e4
e5; 2.Nf3
Nc6; 3.Bb5
a6!;
3...a6 is today known as:
"The Morphy Defense."
(Others played it before Morphy,
but he was the FIRST to demonstrate
this
entire line as a powerful and coherent system.)
4.Ba4
Nf6; 5.Nc3!?,
This is solid development, so
therefore there is nothing
really wrong with it.
(Today it is "out of style.")
The game now actually is a type of a "Four Knight's Game."
(This particular variation was quite popular before the turn of the 20th Century.)
[ The "book" line ... (MAIN LINE) is as follows:
5.0-0
Be7; 6.Re1
b5; 7.Bb3
d6; 8.c3
0-0; 9.h3,
"+/=" etc. {Diagram?}
White retains a small, but secure
advantage in this position. ]
5...Bb4!?;
A little unusual, but there is
nothing really wrong with this.
[ The modern move today is: 5...b5!,
"~" {Diagram?}
followed by developing the
dark-squared Bishop.
(The position is about equal.) ]
6.Nd5!?, (Maybe - '!')
White plays a Knight leap that
was later popularized by the
great A. Rubinstein.
(This move is actually recommended by one of my newest books here.)
[ 6.0-0!? ]
6...b5;
A vigorous and energetic move.
[ Black can also play: 6...Be7; "~" {Diagram?} with
very close to equality.
Seigbert Tarrasch - Karl
Schlecter; Ostende, 1907. ]
7.Bb3
d6; 8.0-0
Bg4!?;
A little adventurous, and very
aggressive. (Typical Morphy.)
[ A modern book recommends
that Black play: 8...Bc5!?;
here,
but Morphy was never
one to back down or retreat! ]
9.c3
Ba5; 10.d4!?
exd4; 11.Nxf6+!?,
This is not bad, but I would
have preferred the simple
recapture on d4.
[ Probably better was:
>/= 11.cxd4
Bxf3; 12.gxf3
Nb8; 13.Bg5,
"~" {Diag?}
when White seems to be
no worse than Black. ]
11...Qxf6; 12.Bd5, ('!?')
{See the diagram just below.}
The first choice of Fritz 7.0.
---> And it was already too late too
back down, everything else looks
inferior for White.
(Several writers wrote that this was a bad move ... and the cause of White's loss. NOT!!!!)
(Sergeant wrote that Bg5 here was strong, but computer analysis completely refutes this.)
[ </= 12.Bg5?! Bxf3; "=/+" Or 12.cxd4? Bxf3; 13.gxf3 Nxd4; "/+" ]
|
|
***
12...Ne5!!; (Maybe
- '!!!/!!!!) {Diagram?}
A truly stunning move ...
that - at first glance - appears
to be a blunder.
Edge remarks that this was
obviously planned by Morphy
well in advance.
M. Lawson, (in his book on
Morphy); and GM A. Soltis give
this move one exclam.
I think
it obviously deserves two.
[ If 12...Bd7!?; 13.Nxd4, "+/" and White is clearly better. ]
Black continues with his truly
amazing and wonderful
combination.
13.Bxa8
Nxf3+; 14.gxf3
Bxf3; 15.Qd2,
This is forced.
[ Not 15.Qe1?? Qg6+; & mates. ]
15...dxc3; 16.Qg5!?,
Again, Barnes thought this
was forced. But maybe Bc6+
first would have given
him more
options than in the actual game.
[ 16.Bc6+!? ]
16...cxb2; 17.Bc6+
Ke7!?; 18.Qxf6+!?,
{Diagram?}
Barnes gets rid of the Queens,
but Morphy is still dangerous!
[ Fritz 7 says Rb1 is forced,
but apparently Black still
wins after the continuation of:
18.Rb1
bxc1Q; 19.Qxf6+
gxf6; 20.Rfxc1
Rg8+; 21.Kf1
Rg2; "-/+" {Diagram?}
Black has threats of both ...Bb6,
and ...Rxh2; with an unstoppable
mate threat!!
(I.e. ...Rh1#) ]
18...gxf6; 19.Bf4
Rg8+; 20.Bg3
bxa1Q; 21.Rxa1
f5;
Morphy now has a completely won
game on material.
**********
Barnes continues to try to
complicate matters, but Morphy
always finds the best move.
22.a4!?
Bb6!; 23.axb5!?
f4!; 24.bxa6
fxg3; 25.hxg3
Rxg3+; 26.Kh2
Rg6!;
27.Rf1, {Diagram?}
This looks to be nearly forced.
One writer wrote here that:
"This is a mistake, 22.P-R7,
(a7); was obviously preferable."
WRONG!!!!
(See the note below.)
Phillip W.
Sergeant notes that:
"R-R3, (Ra3); would have prolonged, but not saved the game." (He is basically correct.)
[ Not 27.a7?
Bxf2!; "-/+" Phillip W.
{D?}
and Black quickly mates.
Or 27.Ra3, d5!; "-/+"
{Diagram?} and Black should win. ]
27...Bd4!;
Now Black has the threat
of ...Be5+, with a quick mate.
28.Kh3
Be5; 29.Kh4
Bf4; 30.a7
Rh6#
Black's play was flawless.
Nearly 150 years later, I am unable to find any meaningful improvements ... even with a strong computer program.
A truly masterful game by the great Morphy. One of timeless beauty and unbelievable precision.
***
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
My primary source for this game
(score) was the book:
"Paul Morphy, ...
The Pride and Sorrow of Chess,"
by David Lawson. (Game Ten {10}, page # 344.)
[ (c) The author, 1976. Published by
David McKay Books of New York.
ISBN: 0-679-13044-6 ]
(I also verified the game score via
several other books, and also by
ChessBase's on-line database.)
I also consulted the book:
"Morphy's Games Of Chess,"
by Phillip W. Sergeant. (Reviewed and intro by F. Reinfeld.)
[ (c) 1957, by Dover Publications.] Game # 189.
(CLXXXVIII)
{There is a mis-numbering of the games in the book.} Page # 246.
***
Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby. (All rights reserved.)
(Code Initially) Generated with ChessBase 8.0
0 - 1
Several authors have raised questions concerning the authenticity of this game. (See the Lawson book for the details as concerns this game.)
Lawson's research looks to be extremely meticulous, at least on the surface. But when you analyze this particular matter in detail, you see comments like: "It appears that ..." or "It seems that ..." Many of the accounts are people trying to remember what happened in a chess game ... 20 or 30 years later. ---> This cannot be considered reliable! In any shape or form.
I wish to shed some new light on the situation.
Every time I have gone to New Orleans, I have done research on Paul Morphy. I have spent numerous hours going through records of old newspapers and magazines at several libraries there. Additionally, several of my Internet students have done research for me, some at the "John G. White" collection in the public library of Cleveland, Ohio.
#1.) There was a newspaper reporter who lived in New Orleans. He interviewed both Paul Morphy, and Morphy's personal secretary, F. Edge. (This reporter was to do a book on Morphy, but it was never published.) Apparently Morphy confirmed personally to Edge that he played this game.
# 2.) The (elected) Secretary of the St. George Chess Club was none other than J. Lowenthal. (After the club moved to James Street.) F. Edge recorded the moves of this great game, and then gave a copy to Lowenthal. (And others.) Lowenthal confirmed that Morphy played this game. He related these details to a reporter, and the entire account, (and the game); was published in the newspaper, "The London Illustrated News," in 1859. Q.E.D.
This is - pretty much - the same version of this game as it exists in my files on my computer. (I have not shortened it for publication.)
If you would like to obtain a copy of this game to study on your computer, please contact me.
***
This
game was first posted (on another server) - in pure text form only - in the mid
1990's. I posted it in November, 2001.
I redid it (for this site) almost a year
later.
***
Page last updated: Monday; June 30th, 2003. Last edit/save on: 12/27/2005 .
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Copyright, (c) A.J. Goldsby I
Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 1975 - 2005.
Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 2006. All rights reserved.
