Chessville - Annotated Games - The Unknown Legacy of Morphy

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The Unknown Legacy of Morphy
By Prof. Nagesh Havanur

Paul Morphy presented a paradox to his contemporaries. In an era of romance his games were suffused with the light of reason. They revealed a fine harmony of imagination and logic.

But the modern player finds Morphy’s games passé for several reasons. The opposition to Morphy was poor and pitiful. Where would one find an opponent like the Duke of Brunswick today and create a classic like Morphy?

Gambits dominated the play in Morphy’s day. Today many players do not even begin with the open game 1.e4 e5, let alone gambits.

It is also well-known that Morphy did not like to play the closed game 1.d4 d5. When he was obliged to defend it as Black, he played badly. Players like Harrwitz and Staunton were ahead of him in this respect. At best Morphy was a pioneer in a primitive era. So goes the argument.

Much of this criticism is valid. Yet we all know that it was Morphy who taught us how to play open positions. He underscored the importance of tempi in the opening with his blitzkrieg victories. He perfected the art of central breakthrough with a pawn sacrifice.

But there is something else he did. He formulated the concept of active defence and demonstrated how unsound attack on flanks could be refuted by powerful counterplay at the centre. Many young players today are not aware of this valuable contribution of Morphy at all. The following games are part of this unknown legacy of Morphy:

Marache – Morphy, 1857
Evans gambit [C52]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.e5?!

7.0-0 is the right move.

7...d5 8.exd6 Qxd6 9.0-0 Nge7 10.Ng5?

10.Ba3 and 11 Re1 should have been played.

10...0-0 11.Bd3 Bf5!

Black is two pawns up. But White has three active pieces. So Morphy exchanges the light-squared bishops first. The black knight that replaces the bishop will now target the vital squares d4 and e3.

12.Bxf5 Nxf5 13.Ba3 Qg6 14.Bxf8 Qxg5

The temptation to win the exchange has resulted in the elimination of the knight on g5. Unfortunately, White also loses a tempo with the retreat of the bishop.

15.Ba3 dxc3

Black wins one more pawn imprisoning White's QR and QN. Now he has three pawns for the exchange and a winning attack.

16.Bc1 Qg6 17.Bf4 Rd8 18.Qc2 Ncd4! 19.Qe4

Other variations also lead to spectacular mate. 19.Rd1? Ne3! 20.Qxg6 Ne2+! 21.Kh1 Rxd1#; 19.Qa4? b5! 20.Qxa5 Ne2+ 21.Kh1 Nxf4 22.Rg1 (22.g3 Qc6+ 23.f3 Qxf3+! 24.Rxf3 Rd1+ 25.Rf1 Rxf1#) 22...Rd1 23.g3 Qc6+ 24.f3 Qxf3#

19...Ng3!! 0-1.

If White plays 20.Qxg6, Black mates him with Nde2. Otherwise the white queen is lost.

Kennicott - Morphy, 1857
Giuoco Piano [C44]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Ng5?

This tempting move is a serious error. 5.0-0 or 5.c3 leading to Scotch Gambit are preferable.

5...Nh6 6.Nxf7 Nxf7 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxc5 d6

Black has lost his right to castle. But White has lost his active minor pieces. As the white queen is pushed around, Black will develop his pieces with a tempo.

10.Qb5 Re8! 11.0-0 Rxe4 12.Qd5+ Re6 13.Bg5 Qe8 14.f4?

This aggressive move leads to a fatal weakening of the kingside. 14.Nd2 is preferable.

14...Kg7 15.f5 gxf5!

Morphy plays with coolness under fire! Not falling for the trap 15...Re5?? 16.f6+ Kh8 17.f7+-

16.Qxf5 Rg6! 17.Bf6+ Kg8 18.Qf4 Bh3 19.Bg5 Qe3+!

This move demonstrates that White's attack has run out of steam.

20.Qxe3 dxe3 21.gxh3 Rxg5+ 22.Kh1 e2 23.Re1 Nd4 24.Na3 Re8 0-1

Thompson - Morphy, 1857
Evans Gambit [C51]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.0-0 d6 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.d5?!

Morphy proposed 9.Nc3! instead and it became the Main Line of Evans Gambit.

9...Nce7?!

An uncharacteristic retreat disabling development. 9...Na5! is preferable.

10.e5 Ng6 11.Ng5?!

White misses his opportunity in turn. He should have played 11.Bb2!

11...N8e7 12.Re1 0-0

Now White should develop his QN and QB. Instead he launches a premature attack.

13.Qh5? h6 14.Ne4 Nxe5! 15.Bxh6? gxh6!

Played with admirable sang-froid. Not 15...Nxc4? 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Nf6!

16.Nf6+ Kg7 17.Rxe5 dxe5 18.Qxe5 Kh8!

Not fearing ghosts!

19.Bd3

19.Nh5+? f6! 20.Nxf6 Ng6-+

19...Qd6 20.Qb2 Qf4?

Morphy misses 20...Qc5! 21.Ne4+ Qd4-+

21.Ne4+ f6 22.g3 Qe5 23.Qd2 Ng8!

Economical defence.

24.Nbc3 f5!

Underscoring White's helplessness. The knight has nowhere to go.

25.Re1 fxe4 26.Rxe4 Rxf2! 0-1

Morphy did not always follow the logic of the position. Consequently when he found himself in difficulties he provoked tactical complications. Here is a superb example of his speculative style:

Barnes – Morphy, 1858
Ruy Lopez [C77]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Nc3

A rare guest these days. The problem with this move is that it allows the Spanish bishop to be exchanged.

5...Bb4

The modest 5...Be7 6.0-0 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.Nd5 Na5 may be preferable.

6.Nd5 b5?!

6...Be7 is a reasonable alternative as played in Tarrasch-Schlecter 1907.

7.Bb3 d6 8.0-0 Bg4 9.c3 Ba5

9...Bc5? 10.Nxf6+ Qxf6 11.Bd5 Kd7 12.d4‚ is also bad for Black.

10.d4 exd4!?

Not 10...0-0? 11.Bg5!‚ with powerful pressure. So Morphy plays poker.

11.Nxf6+ Qxf6 12.Bd5 Ne5! 13.Bxa8?

Now 13.Bg5! should refute Black's counterplay altogether. But White thought he was winning anyway.

13...Nxf3+ 14.gxf3 Bxf3 15.Qd2 dxc3

16.Qg5

Capitulation. But the apparently powerful move 16.Bc6+!? is refuted by:

Not 16...Ke7? 17.e5! dxe5 (17...cxd2 18.exf6++-; 17...Qe6 18.Qg5++-) 18.Qd7+ Kf8 19.Qe8# #;

16...Kf8! 17.e5 (17.Qg5? cxb2!-+) 17...cxd2 18.exf6 Bxc6 19.fxg7+ (19.b4? gxf6!-+) 19...Kxg7 20.b4 dxc1Q 21.Rfxc1 Bxb4 22.Rxc6 Ba5-+

16...cxb2 17.Bc6+

Too late!

17...Ke7 18.Qxf6+ gxf6!-+ 19.Bf4 Rg8+ 20.Bg3 bxa1Q 21.Rxa1 f5!

Relentless play.

22.a4 Bb6 23.axb5 f4 24.bxa6 fxg3 25.hxg3 Rxg3+! 0-1