Le Comte de Monte-Cristo

Paul Charles Morphy – Adolf Anderssen
Match game 3; Paris, December 22, 1858
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6. The Berlin Wall. 4. d4. The Barry Variation. 4. ... Nxd4. There is more than one good reason why 4. ... exd4 is much more popular. 5. Nxd4 exd4 6. e5 c6 7. 0-0! cxb5. Géza Maróczy’s suggestion 7. ... Nd5 8. Qxd4 Nc7 9. Bc4 d5 was well worth considering. 8. Bg5! Be7. On 8. ... h6?? 9. exf6 hxg5 10. Re1+ wins right off. 9. exf6 Bxf6. If 9. ... gxf6 then 10. Qxd4 Rg8 11. Bf4 with a clear advantage to White (Maróczy’s analysis). 10. Re1+ Kf8 11. Bxf6 Qxf6. As Morphy himself points out in his notes for The Chess Monthly, February 1859, p. 53, “Up to this move the game coincides with one played by Lange (Schachpartien, p. 56). That distinguished master now played 12. Na3 a6 13. Qe2 [...]”.

12. c3! Morphy’s powerful novelty: White pseudo-sacrifices a Pawn in order to enhance his development. If, instead, 12. Qe2 there might follow 12. ... g6 13. Nd2 d6 14. Qxb5 a6 15. Qd5 Bf5 16. Ne4 Bxe4 17. Rxe4 Kg7 18. g3 Rac8 with equality, Bird – Steinitz, London 1866, match game 14. 12. ... d5. The Pawn cannot be taken as after 12. ... dxc3 13. Nxc3 a6? 14. Ne4 Black can resign. 13. cxd4 Be6 14. Nc3 a6 15. Re5. Morphy’s apotheosys: powerful centralization, development advantage, control of the dark squares at the cheap cost of a Pawn. 15. ... Rd8 16. Qb3! “Morphy unsettles his opponent with positional threats, making his development more difficult”, Grandmaster Valeri Beim writes in his book “Paul Morphy Una Prospettiva Moderna”, Roma, Prisma Editori, 2008, p. 178. 16. ... Qe7 17. Rae1. Not 17. Nxd5? Qd6 and Black will end up winning at least a Pawn. 17. ... g5!? “Now after 17. ... g6 18. Ne2 Kg7 19. Nf4 Rhe8 20. Qg3 Rd6 21. h4 White creates long-lasting pressure. So Anderssen decides on this sharp, weakening thrust; other choises lose meekly”. (Beim, ibidem). 18. Qd1 Qf6 19. R1e3. “Morphy’s unfortunate habit resurfaces; upon achieving a most favourable position he loses focus. Much stronger was 19. Ne2! Rc8 20. Qd2 h6 21. f4 Bg4 22. fxg5 hxg5 23. Rxg5 Bxe2 24. Rxe2 with a great advantage”. (Beim, ibidem). With the text move White brutally threatens 19. Rxe6 fxe6 20. Rf3. 19. ... Rg8?? “Completely unmindful of the snare! He should have played 19. ... g4, and he would then have had at least as good a game as White”, Howard Staunton writes in his book “Chess Praxis”, London, George Bell and Sons, 1876, p. 489, but after 20. g3 followed by Nc3-e2-f4 White appears to stand much better. More solid looks 19. ... Kg7 20. h4 h6! although after 21. Ne2 White does keep the edge. 20. Rxe6! 1 : 0.