Flash fiction

Paul Charles Morphy – Johann Jacob Löwenthal
Match game 6; London, July 28, 1858
Sicilian Defence B32

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Nf3. This used to be Morphy’s favourite move order, as he himself explains in one of his articles for the New York Ledger: “The move of 2. Nf3, or still better, 2. d4, are those now generally recognized as the best. The latter move is, indeed, so strong that it has gone far toward disabusing the public mind of that pernicious fondness for the Sicilian Defence which was displayed during what may be called the period of close games, extending from about 1843 to some time after 1851. It was an epoch of uninteresting games and dreary analytical labours, and with the exception of the contests occurring between the great Prussian masters, afforded but comparitevely few specimens of brilliant play. It should be a subject of rejocing with every lover of the game that an age in which so much severe labour led to such unprofitable results has passed away. There is now a visible tendency to cultivate a higher style of chess art – to substitute for the false taste which has so long prevailed a more elevated standard of excellence”. 3. ... Nc6 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nxc6. In vogue at the time. 5. ... bxc6 6. Bc4 Nf6. Löwenthal suggests 6. ... Ba6, but after 7. Nd2 Bxc4 (or 7. ... Qa5 8. 0-0 Nf6 9. Qe2) 8. Nxc4 Qe7 9. 0-0 Qe6 10. b3 Nf6 11. Bb2 White keeps an edge (Kasparov’s analysis). 7. 0-0! A novelty at the time – and don’t doubt, Morphy never improvised! White is willing to sacrifice a Pawn rather than give up any hope of getting something out of the opening. If 7. Qe2 then 7. ... Be7 8. Nc3 0-0 9. Bg5 Nxe4 10. Bxe7 Nxc3 11. Qxe5 Re8 12. 0-0 Qxe7 13. Qxc3 d5 14. Bd3 Qd6 with equality, McDonnell – de la Bourdonnais, London 1834, match game 61. Else 7. Bg5 Bc5 8. 0-0 h6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Nc3 a5 11. Kh1 d6 12. Qd2 g5 13. Rad1 Ke7 14. Na4 Bd4 15. Qd3 h5 16. Qb3 h4∞ McDonnell – de la Bourdonnais, London 1834, match game 57.

7. ... d5? “Very ill played. He could not safely take the King’s Pawn though, for if 7. ... Nxe4 8. Re1 d5 9. Rxe4 dxe4 10. Bxf7+ and the Queen is lost”, writes Howard Staunton in his book “Chess Praxis”, London, Bell & Daldy, 1871, p. 462. But 10. ... f6!∞ (Steinitz) is a much more convincing reply, and it would have been interesting to find out what Morphy had prepared. 7. ... Bc5= is Nick de Firmian’s recommendation, while Garry Kimovich Kasparov suggests 7. ... Be7! 8. Nc3 0-0 9. Qd3 d6 with equality. 8. exd5 cxd5 9. Bb5+ Bd7 10. Bxd7+ Qxd7 11. Re1 Bd6? Géza Maróczy recommends 11. ... e4 12. Nc3 Be7 13. Bg5 Rd8, but 12. Bg5 is manifestly more promising for White. 12. Nc3. 12. Bg5! is stronger, according to Kasparov. 12. ... e4. “Black is now in some embarrassment, which may be attributed to his precipitate advance of the Queen’s Pawn at move 7; if he plays forward the attacked Queen’s Pawn, White apparently can take it with his Queen, and if he attempt to defend it, then by moving 13. Bg5, White will again place it in jeopardy directly”, says Staunton (ibidem). Kasparov confirms Staunton’s evaluation: after 12. ... Qe6 13. Bg5 Bb4 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Nxd5 0-0-0 16. c4 Bxe1 17. Qxe1 White keeps the initiative. 13. Bg5 Ng4 14. Qxd5 Bxh2+ 15. Kh1 Qxd5 16. Nxd5 0-0. This (bad) move loses a clear piece, but Black’s game was hopeless anyway. If 16. ... Be5 then 17. f3 with an overwhelming advantage. 17. f3 exf3 18. gxf3 Ne5 19. Re3 f6 20. Kxh2 Rad8. “Such a game is scarcely conceivable in a great match. The play of Black is hardly that of a third-rate amateur”, Staunton vitriolicly said (ibidem). 21. Rxe5! Beautifully played. 21. ... fxg5 22. Kg3 h6 23. c4 Rf7 24. Rae1 Kf8 25. c5 g6 26. c6 Rc8 27. c7 Rcxc7 28. Re8+ Kg7 29. Nxc7 1 : 0.

Paul Charles Morphy vs. Johann Jacob Löwenthal