After Hours

Paul Charles Morphy – S——r
Paris, March 1859
Two Knights Defence C56

“[Max Lange] gives the name [of the second player] as ‘S——r’. The game was played on the night of a dinner given to Morphy by August Ehrmann”, Philip Walsingham Sergeant wrote in his book “Morphy’s Games of Chess”, New York, Dover Publications, 1957, p. 292.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. Re1 d5 7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8. Nc3 Qh5 9. Nxe4 Be6 10. Neg5!? Bb4? A faux pas. Correct was 10. ... 0-0-0! 11. Nxe6 fxe6 as in the game von Kolisch – Urusov, Saint Petersburg 1862. 11. Rxe6+!? fxe6 12. Nxe6 Qf7. Géza Maróczy rightly recommends 12. ... Kd7! since after 13. Bf4 Qg4! 14. c3 Bd6 Black defends well. 13. Nfg5 Qe7 14. Qe2!? Threatening both Ne6xc7+ and Ne6xg7+. Much stronger, however, looks 14. Bf4! maintaining a powerful bind. 14. ... Bd6 15. Nxg7+ Kd7 16. Qg4+ Kd8

17. Nf7+? This is an unsound sacrifice, hardly justified by the circumstances attending the game. Maróczy suggests 17. N7e6+ when might have followed 17. ... Kc8 18. Ne4 with an edge for White. 17. ... Qxf7 18. Bg5+ Be7? Maróczy prefers 18. ... Ne7! as after 19. Ne6+ Ke8 Black easily escapes from all his difficulties; of course, White could play 19. Bxe7+ Qxe7 20. Ne6+ Kc8 21. Nc5+ Kb8 22. Nd7+ Kc8 drawing by perpetual check. 19. Ne6+ Kc8? A serious mistake that loses on the spot. Also after 19. ... Kd7 20. Re1! White’s attack continues. Best was 19. ... Ke8 when there is nothing better than 20. Re1 Rg8 21. Nxc7+ Kd8 22. Ne6+ Ke8 23. Nc7+ Kd8 forcing Black to accept a perpetual check. 20. Nc5+ Kb8 21. Nd7+ Kc8 22. Nb6+ Kb8 23. Qc8+ Rxc8 24. Nd7 mate. “Philidor’s legacy”.

The marble bust of Morphy created by the sculptor Eugène-Louis Lequesne in 1859.