The Artist

Paul Charles Morphy – Johann Jacob Löwenthal
London, April 1859
Evans Gambit C51

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4!? Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. 0-0 d6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. d5. This used to be Adolf Anderssen’s favourite. 9. ... Ne5? A bad move that vivifies White’s attack. Correct was 9. ... Na5 10. Bb2 Ne7 11. Bd3 0-0 12. Nc3 Ng6 with a double-edged position. 10. Nxe5 dxe5 11. Bb2. Here 11. Ba3 could be still stronger, for if 11. ... Bd4 then 12. Nd2 Bxa1 13. Qxa1 f6 14. f4 with a terrific attack (Géza Maróczy’s analysis); for instance: 14. ... exf4 15. e5 f5 16. e6 Nf6 17. Rxf4 a6 18. Rxf5 b5 19. e7 Qd7 20. Rxf6 and wins. 11. ... Qe7. Löwenthal quite rightly opts for active defence. After 11. ... f6 12. Kh1 followed by f2-f4 White retains the initiative. 12. Bb5+. 12. Qh5 Nf6! leads nowhere. 12. ... Bd7. The ugly 12. ... Kd8 saves the Pawn, but 13. Nd2 would leave White a clear edge. 13. Bxd7+ Kxd7. Called by Maróczy a ”crucial mistake”. He recommends 13. ... Qxd7 14. Bxe5 f6 15. Bd4 Nh6 though even here White stands better. 14. Qg4+. White now gets his Pawn back and wins another as well. 14. ... f5. On 14. ... Ke8 15. Qxg7 Qf6 16. Bxe5 wins. 15. Qxf5+ Ke8 16. Bxe5 Nh6 17. Qf4 Kd7 18. Nd2. Morphy always knows where he is! After 18. Nc3? Rae8 the Bishop would be trapped. 18. ... Rae8 19. Nc4. Threatening to blow up Black’s position by d5-d6. 19. ... Bc5 20. Rad1 Bd6 21. Bxd6 cxd6 22. Rb1. Morphy’s play sounds like a symphony orchestra! 22. ... b6 23. Rfc1. With the threat of 24. Rxb6! axb6 25. Nxb6+ Kd8 26. Rc8 mate. 23. ... Qf6 24. Qe3 Ng4

A Pawn ahead, White could win with the quite prosaic 25. Qa3, but... 25. Nxb6+!! A brilliant sacrifice! White clears two open files for his Rooks and his Queen. 25. ... axb6. 25. ... Ke7 loses to 26. Rc7+ Kf8 27. Nd7+. 26. Rc7+!! Kd8. The Rook is taboo, for if 26. ... Kxc7 then 27. Qxb6+ Kc8 28. Qb8+ Kd7 29. Rb7 mate. 27. Qxb6 Qxf2+ 28. Qxf2 Nxf2 29. Ra7. Thanks to the threat of Rb1-b8 mate White wins back his piece. 29. ... Nh3+ 30. gxh3 Kc8 31. Kf2 1 : 0.

Paul Charles Morphy (left) & Johann Jacob Löwenthal