Coming Down the Seine

Paul Charles Morphy – Jules Arnous de Rivière
Paris, January 8, 1863
Giuoco Piano C53

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6 6. 0-0 d6 7. h3 Nf6 8. Re1 h6 9. a4 a5. A bit too committal. For 9. ... a6 10. Bd5 0-0 11. Na3 Ba7 see Paoli – L. Kovács, 12th Lajos Asztalos Memorial, Baja 1971. 10. Na3. In spite of the friendly nature of the game, Morphy shows himself to be an innovator and anticipates most of Nicolas Rossolimo’s strategies and maneuvers. 10. ... Nd8. The reckless 10. ... g5 11. Bb5 Bd7 12. Nc4 doesn’t promise any good for Black, Klovans – Shishov, 3rd USSR Team Chess Championship, Riga 1954, whereas instead 10. ... 0-0 – suggested by Géza Maróczy – deserves consideration. 11. Nc2 Be6 12. Ne3 Bxc4 13. Nxc4 Nd7 14. Ne3. White got a clear advantage by classic means. 14. ... g6. No better is 14. ... c6 15. Nf5 Qf6 16. dxe5 dxe5 17. Nd6+ (Maróczy’s analysis). 15. Nd5 Qe6. Black knows this cannot be good, but the only other choice 15. ... Qf8 16. Be3 soonly followed by Nd5xb6 would lead him to a positional disaster.

16. Bxh6! f6. Not 16. ... Rxh6 on account of 17. Ng5 brilliantly trapping Her Majesty. 17. Bg7? Morphy unusually plays a careless move! Maróczy rightly recommends 17. Be3 which leaves White with a decisive advantage. 17. ... Rh5! The only move to survive! After 17. ... Rh7? 18. Bxf6! Nxf6 19. Ng5 White wins the Queen. 18. g4 Rxh3 19. Nxf6+ Nxf6 20. Ng5 Qd7? This is the losing move. With 20. ... Qxg4+ 21. Qxg4 Nxg4 22. Nxh3 Kf7 23. f3 Kxg7 24. fxg4 exd4 25. Kg2 Ne6 Black would have gotten enough compensation for the Exchange and therefore good drawing chances (Maróczy’s analysis). 21. Bxf6 Rh4 22. f3 exd4 23. cxd4 Rh6 24. Kg2 Nf7 25. Rh1 Nxg5. If 25. ... Rxh1 then 26. Qxh1 Bxd4!? 27. Qh7! with an irresistible attack. 26. Rxh6 Nh7 27. Qh1 Nxf6 28. Rh8+ Ke7 29. Rxa8 Bxd4 30. Qh6! Qc6 31. Rc1 Qb6. “This was the right moment for giving up the game”, says Maróczy. 32. Rxc7+ Ke6 33. Re8+ Nxe8 34. Qxg6+ Ke5 35. Qf5 mate.