The Snow Queen

Paul Charles Morphy – Adolf Anderssen
Paris, December 1858
King’s Gambit Accepted C39

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 Nf6 6. Nxg4 Nxe4 7. d3 Ng3 8. Bxf4 Nxh1. Best. If 8. ... Qe7+ then 9. Be2 Qb4+ 10. Qd2! (Baucher) which promises Black more than enough compensation for the Exchange. 9. Qe2+. Not 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Qe2 h5 11. Qe5 f6! 12. Nxf6+ Kf7 and Black wins (Steinitz’s analysis). 9. ... Qe7 10. Nf6+ Kd8 11. Bxc7+ Kxc7 12. Nd5+ Kd8 13. Nxe7 Bxe7. “And Black should win”, Bobby Fischer writes in his book “60 partite da ricordare”, Milano, Mursia, 1972, p. 114. He obviously foresees that the Black’s three pieces may overpower the White Queen.

14. Qg4. If 14. Nc3 there might follow 14. ... Re8 (Maróczy) that also deserves consideration after the text move. 14. ... d6 15. Qf4 Rg8 16. Qxf7. Morphy aims to improve on 16. Nc3 Be6 17. Be2 Nc6 (or 17. ... Ng3 18. Bf3 Nd7 19. 0-0-0 Nf5 20. Qa4 Bxh4 21. Bxb7 Rb8 22. Bc6 Bg5+ 23. Kb1 Ne7 24. Qa5+ Nb6 25. Bf3 Nec8 26. Nb5 Bf6 27. d4 Rg5 28. b3 Ke7 29. Bc6 Kf8 30. Qa6 Ne7 31. Bf3 Nbc8 32. Nxa7 Nxa7 33. Qxa7 Rgb5 34. c3 d5 35. Be2 R5b7 36. Qa5 Nc8 37. Qa3+ Kg7 38. Bd3 Ra7 39. Qc1 Rba8 40. Rh1 Kf8 41. a4 Rb7 42. Qf4 Bg7 43. Rxh7 Rxb3+ 44. Kc2 Rb7 45. Rxg7 Kxg7 46. Qg5+ ½ : ½ Hebden – P. E. Littlewood, 58th Hastings International Chess Congress, Hastings 1982/1983) 18. 0-0-0 Ng3 19. Bf3 Nf5 20. d4 Nxh4 21. Kb1 Nxf3 22. gxf3 d5 23. Nb5 Rc8 24. c4 Kd7 25. cxd5 Bxd5 26. Nc3 Bd6 27. Qf5+ Be6 28. Qb5 Kc7 29. Ka1 Bd7 30. Nd5+ Kb8 31. Nf6 Rgd8 32. d5 Ne5 33. Qe2 Bf5 34. Ne4 Bxe4 35. fxe4 Nc4 36. Rc1 b5 37. e5 Nxe5 38. Qxb5+ Ka8 39. Rd1 Rc2 40. Qa6 f5 41. Kb1 Rc7 42. Rf1 Nc4 43. Rf2 Rb8 44. b3 Ba3 0 : 1 Baucher – Morphy, Paris 1858. 16. ... Bxh4+. Géza Maróczy regards 16. ... Rf8 17. Qxh7 Ng3 followed by ... Bc8-f5 as worth considering. 17. Kd2 Re8 18. Na3 Na6!? Maróczy severely criticizes this move, to which he attributes the reason for Black’s defeat. He gives instead 18. ... Ng3 19. Nb5 Be7 and now it could follow 20. Qf4 (20. Nc7? loses to 20. ... Rf8) 20. ... Nf5 with Black still maintaining more than sufficient compensation for the Queen. 19. Qh5 Bf6 20. Qxh1 Bxb2? Indeed, this does seem to be Black’s decisive mistake! After 20. ... Bg5+ 21. Kc3 Be6 22. b3 Rc8+ 23. Kb2 Bf6+ 24. d4! Bxd4+ 25. Kb1 Re7 the situation is far from clear, though easier to play for White. 21. Qh4+ Kd7. Or 21. ... Kc7 22. Nb5+ Kb8 23. Rb1 and White wins. 22. Rb1 Bxa3 23. Qa4+ 1 : 0.