Midnight Rhapsody

Paul Charles Morphy – Daniel Harrwitz
Match game 4; Paris, September 1858
Spanish Game C62

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Bb5 Bd7 6. Bxc6 Bxc6 7. Bg5 f6 8. Bh4 Nh6 9. Nc3 Qd7 10. 0-0 Be7 11. Rad1 0-0 12. Qc4+ Rf7. “Black plays this game very creatively. He plans ... g7-g5, ... Rf7-g7, and attempts to provoke his young opponent into a tempting breakthrough”, Grandmaster Valeri Beim wrote in his book “Paul Morphy Una Prospettiva Moderna”, Roma, Prisma Editori, 2008, p. 155. 13. Nd4! “Morphy avoids the trap! In the event of 13. e5 Qg4 14. Rd4 Qg6 15. e6 Rff8 16. Nd5 Bxd5 17. Rxd5 c6 18. Rd3 Nf5 the game is level”, writes Beim, ibidem. 13. ... Ng4 14. h3 Ne5 15. Qe2 g5? “Very imprudent in such a position and against such an opponent. It must be admitted, however, that Black has no good move at this crisis”, Howard Staunton wrote in his book “Chess Praxis”, London, Bell & Daldy, 1871, p. 77. 16. Bg3 Rg7 17. Nf5 Rg6 18. f4! “Showing fine strategical genius. In spite of the preparation of the opponent on the King’s side, White proceeds with his own attack, well foreseeing that the adversary can do no harm on the open g-file”, Wilhelm Steinitz writes in his book “The Modern Chess Instructor”, New York, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1889, p. 161. 18. ... gxf4 19. Rxf4 Kh8 20. Rh4! Bf8 21. Bxe5!! The most difficult move of the whole game, far from obvious. 21. ... fxe5 22. Rf1 Qe6 23. Nb5! Qg8?! Harrwitz keeps playing actively. If 23. ... Qd7 then 24. c4 a6 25. Nc3 and White stands clearly better. 24. Rf2! “Morphy neutralizes Black’s counterplay on the g-file. Upon 24. Nxc7 Rc8 25. Nd5 Bb5! Black’s Bishop would be untouchable: 26. Qxb5? Rxg2+ 27. Kh1 Rh2+ 28. Kxh2 Rxc2+ 29. Kh1 Qg2 mate”, writes Beim, op. cit., p. 156. 24. ... a6?! So Black cedes a Pawn, but he had no good move. Not 24. ... Qxa2? on account of 25. c4! Bxb5? 26. Qh5! winning immediately, while 24. ... Bxb5 25. Qxb5 leaves White with a huge advantage. 25. Nxc7. “Perfectly sound, as the sequel shows”, says Staunton, ibidem. 25. ... Rc8 26. Nd5 Bxd5 27. exd5 Rc7. Harrwitz cannot win back the Pawn, for after 27. ... Qxd5 28. Rxh7+! Kxh7 29. Qh5+ Bh6 30. Ne7! Qe6 31. Nxg6 Kg7 32. Nh4! White wins. 28. c4 Be7 29. Rh5 Qe8. More tenacious was 29. ... Bf8, although after 30. Kh2 White dominates the board.

30. c5!! Morphy the magnificent. 30. ... Rxc5. On 30. ... Rd7 Géza Maróczy gives 31. cxd6 Bxd6 32. Nxd6 Rdxd6 33. Rxe5 Qd7 (or 33. ... Qb5 34. Re8+ Kg7 35. Qe7+ Kh6 36. Qh4+ and mate in two moves) 34. Re8+ Rg8 35. Qe5+ Qg7 36. Rff8 and mate in two moves. 31. Rxh7+! Kxh7 32. Qh5+ Kg8 33. Nxe7+ Kg7 34. Nf5+! Kg8 35. Nxd6 1 : 0. “In no single respect could Morphy’s play in this game be improved”, fifth World Chess Champion Max Euwe wrote.