Iupiter tonans

Paul Charles Morphy – Louis Paulsen
1st American Chess Congress; New York, October 29, 1857
Sicilian Defence B40

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Nf3! Morphy’s favourite move order against the Sicilian Defence. 3. ... e6 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3. 5. Be3! might be even stronger, since 5. ... Qb6 6. Nc3! Qxb2?? is refuted by 7. Ndb5!+- Morphy – Paulsen, New York, November 8, 1857. 5. ... Bb6 6. Nc3 Ne7 7. Bf4 0-0? This indifferent move leads to a very cramped position. Correct was 7. ... d5! 8. exd5 exd5 with a playable game for Black. 8. Bd6! f5 9. e5 a6. If 9. ... Nbc6 might follow 10. Qd2 f4 11. 0-0-0 Rf7 12. Bd3 Nf5 13. Rhe1 Qh4 14. Ne4 Bd8 15. g3 Qh6 16. gxf4 Nxd6 17. Nxd6 Rxf4 18. Kb1 Bc7 19. Bb5 Bb6 20. Nc1 Qh4 21. Nd3 Rf3 22. Re4 Qh5 23. c3 a6 24. Ba4 Ba7 25. Rg1 Qxh2 26. Qg5 g6 27. Rh4 Qxg1+ 28. Qxg1 Rxd3 29. Qh2 1 : 0 Timman – Basman, 49th International Chess Congress, Hastings 1973/1974. Géza Maróczy suggests instead 9. ... Bc7 10. Nb5 Na6. 10. Be2. Morphy plays nonchalantly. Grandmaster Valeri Beim rightly recommends 10. Qd2 Nbc6 11. f4 followed by Queenside castling. 10. ... Nbc6 11. 0-0. Again Beim prefers 11. f4, but Morphy probably didn’t suit 11. ... Be3. 11. ... Rf7 12. Kh1 f4!? Paulsen sharply speculates on the weakness of the White e-Pawn. A more circumspet way to play was 12. ... Bc7 13. f4 b6 followed by ... Bc8-b7 (Maróczy’s analysis). 13. Ne4 Nf5 14. Bh5 g6 15. Bg4 Ng7? This is a gross error. After 15. ... Nxd6! 16. exd6 (else 16. Nxd6 Rf8 and Black is fine) 16. ... Ba7 (or even 16. ... Ne5) Black’s position is perfectly playable. 16. Qf3 h5? This is already the decisive mistake. Nolens volens, Black now should have played 16. ... Bc7 17. Qc3 Ne8 (Beim’s analysis). 17. Bh3 Qh4. 17. ... g5 is met by 18. g4! (Beim’s analysis). 18. Nf6+ Kh8 19. Qe4 Qg5 20. g3 f3. If 20. ... fxg3 there follows 21. fxg3 Nf5 22. Bxf5 gxf5 23. Qe2 h4 24. Rf4! hxg3 25. hxg3+- (Beim’s analysis). 21. Nd2! Not difficult, but very pretty. 21. ... Bd8. Obviously 21. ... Qxd2?? 22. Qxg6 would lead to mate in short order. If, instead, 21. ... Nxe5 22. Bxe5 Rxf6 then 23. Rae1! d5 24. Nxf3 and White must win. 22. Nxf3 Qh6

23. Rg1!! Morphy’s way of bringing the Rook into play without open lines is a true flash of genius! More than a hundred years later, Robert James Fischer – a great admirer of Morphy – will employ the same idea in a partie sans façon: R. J. Fischer – U. Andersson, Siegen 1970. 23. ... Bxf6 24. exf6 Ne8. A little better is 24. ... Rxf6, though after 25. Bf4 d5 26. Qe2 Qh7 27. Ne5! White dominates the board (Beim’s analysis). 25. Bf4 Nxf6 26. Qxc6! Qxf4. 26. ... bxc6 fails to 27. Bxh6 Ne4 (or 27. ... Ng8 28. Bf4+-) 28. Ng5! Nxf2+ 29. Kg2 Rf6 30. Rgf1+- (Maróczy’s analysis). 27. Qxc8+ Rxc8 28. gxf4 Rxc2 29. Rac1! Morphy’s impressive technique triumphs. 29. ... Rxf2 30. Rc8+ Ng8 31. Ne5 Rg7 32. Nxg6+ Kh7 33. Nf8+ Kh6 34. Nxd7 Rxd7 35. Rcxg8 Rxf4 36. Bxe6 Re7 37. R8g6+ Kh7 38. Bg8+ Kh8 39. Rh6+ Rh7 40. Rxh7 mate.

Paul Charles Morphy (right) vs. Louis Paulsen
Photo: Chess.com