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

By default

Serafino Dubois – Joseph Henry Blackburne
International Chess Congress; Grand Tournament; London, June 30, 1862
Owen Defence B00

Notes by Johann Jacob Löwenthal, “The Chess Congress of 1862”, London, Henry G. Bohn, 1864, pages 60-61.

1. e4 e6 2. d4 b6 3. Nf3 Bb7. Bringing out the Bishop to g7 and b7, in close games, has recently been in vogue. This double “Fianchetto” may perhaps be safely adopted, but it has not received much attention at the hands of analysts, and it would therefore be difficult to pronounce definitely on its merits. 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. 0-0 g6 8. Nc3 Bg7 9. Re1 Ne7 10. Bf4 a6. Necessary to prevent White from playing Nc3-b5. 11. Qb3 0-0 12. Rad1 Nbc6 13. e5 d5 14. Na4 Nc8 15. Rc1 Na5 16. Qc3

16. ... Bc6. Black had a very cramped game, the move in the text was perhaps his best. 17. Qb4 Bxa4 18. Qxa4 b5 19. Qb4 Ne7 20. Bg5 Nec6. This part of the game is played by Mr. Blackburne with uncommon skill. 21. Qc5 Qd7 22. b3 Rfc8 23. Qa3 Ra7 24. Bd2 Bf8 25. Qb2 Rac7 26. Bxa5 Nxa5 27. Rxc7 Qxc7 28. Qd2 Qc3 29. Qxc3 Rxc3 30. Rd1 Ba3 31. Kf1 Nc6 32. Ke2 Rc1 33. Rxc1 Bxc1 34. Bb1 Bb2 35. Ke3 h6 36. a4 bxa4 37. bxa4 Kf8 38. Bd3 Nb4 39. Ne1 Ke7 40. Nc2 Nxd3 41. Kxd3 ½ : ½. Drawn by mutual consent.

Timothy David Harding wrote in his book “Joseph Henry Blackburne A Chess Biography”, Jefferson, North Carolina, McFarland & Company, 2015, page 36:

This rather uneventful against the Italian champion, whose arrival in London had been delayed, was played on the first day of the public sessions in the St. James’s Hall. It should have been replayed next day, when Steinitz beat Barnes and some other games were also played, but only the 5 July article in the Illustrated News of the World says what happened: “Mr. Blackburne was announced to play against Signor Dubois but the latter gentleman was to unwell to attend”. The article was written by Löwenthal, the tournament manager, who evidently was satisfied with the excuse provided by Dubois, but presumably this postponement was not properly communicated to Blackburne or the press. Boden wrote in The Field of 26 July that “Mr. Blackburne scored one by default of Mr. Dubois”, but ultimately the committee disagreed with that view. Boden had already complained on 12 July that regulations had not been strictly followed in some cases and made recommendations for more strict observance in future tournaments. Then on 9 August, after the committee had made its decisions, Boden (while admitting that they had acted “with perfect impartiality”) stated more explicitly that the tournament manager had perhaps mislaid Blackburne’s claim document: In first place, Mr. Dubois is allowed to score a game by default of Mr. Blackburne, although Mr. Blackburne had the prior, and therefore the only claim to that game, he having, as we understood from himself, handed in its printed form at the expiration of the time of the first appointmemt to play, indicating that he claimed the game by default.

Joseph Henry Blackburne
Image courtesy of Westminster Papers, April 1876

The Artist

Paul Charles Morphy – Johann Jacob Löwenthal
London, April 1859
Evans Gambit C51

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4!? Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. 0-0 d6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. d5. This used to be Adolf Anderssen’s favourite. 9. ... Ne5? A bad move that vivifies White’s attack. Correct was 9. ... Na5 10. Bb2 Ne7 11. Bd3 0-0 12. Nc3 Ng6 with a double-edged position. 10. Nxe5 dxe5 11. Bb2. Here 11. Ba3 could be still stronger, for if 11. ... Bd4 then 12. Nd2 Bxa1 13. Qxa1 f6 14. f4 with a terrific attack (Géza Maróczy’s analysis); for instance: 14. ... exf4 15. e5 f5 16. e6 Nf6 17. Rxf4 a6 18. Rxf5 b5 19. e7 Qd7 20. Rxf6 and wins. 11. ... Qe7. Löwenthal quite rightly opts for active defence. After 11. ... f6 12. Kh1 followed by f2-f4 White retains the initiative. 12. Bb5+. 12. Qh5 Nf6! leads nowhere. 12. ... Bd7. The ugly 12. ... Kd8 saves the Pawn, but 13. Nd2 would leave White a clear edge. 13. Bxd7+ Kxd7. Called by Maróczy a ”crucial mistake”. He recommends 13. ... Qxd7 14. Bxe5 f6 15. Bd4 Nh6 though even here White stands better. 14. Qg4+. White now gets his Pawn back and wins another as well. 14. ... f5. On 14. ... Ke8 15. Qxg7 Qf6 16. Bxe5 wins. 15. Qxf5+ Ke8 16. Bxe5 Nh6 17. Qf4 Kd7 18. Nd2. Morphy always knows where he is! After 18. Nc3? Rae8 the Bishop would be trapped. 18. ... Rae8 19. Nc4. Threatening to blow up Black’s position by d5-d6. 19. ... Bc5 20. Rad1 Bd6 21. Bxd6 cxd6 22. Rb1. Morphy’s play sounds like a symphony orchestra! 22. ... b6 23. Rfc1. With the threat of 24. Rxb6! axb6 25. Nxb6+ Kd8 26. Rc8 mate. 23. ... Qf6 24. Qe3 Ng4

A Pawn ahead, White could win with the quite prosaic 25. Qa3, but... 25. Nxb6+!! A brilliant sacrifice! White clears two open files for his Rooks and his Queen. 25. ... axb6. 25. ... Ke7 loses to 26. Rc7+ Kf8 27. Nd7+. 26. Rc7+!! Kd8. The Rook is taboo, for if 26. ... Kxc7 then 27. Qxb6+ Kc8 28. Qb8+ Kd7 29. Rb7 mate. 27. Qxb6 Qxf2+ 28. Qxf2 Nxf2 29. Ra7. Thanks to the threat of Rb1-b8 mate White wins back his piece. 29. ... Nh3+ 30. gxh3 Kc8 31. Kf2 1 : 0.

Paul Charles Morphy (left) & Johann Jacob Löwenthal

Signor Bonaventura

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Notes by Johann Jacob Löwenthal

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Johann Jacob Löwenthal – Gerolamo Tassinari
London
Sicilian Defence B20

Game played at the St. George’s Chess Club, London, between Signor Tassinari and Herr Löwenthal, Secretary to the Club.

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4. Some player prefer 2. d4, because White thereby liberates his pieces quickly; but we are of opinion that 2. Bc4 is an equally good opening; since, if well followed up, it becomes very attacking. See the games in the Tournament of 1851, as played by Anderssen, who certainly conducted this opening with great ingenuity. 2. ... e6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d3 Nf6. 4. ... Nge7 is the correct play. 5. Bg5 Be7 6. Nge2 0-0 7. f4 Na5. Considerable time is lost by this move. White has nothing to fear should Black capture the King’s Bishop, and thus double the Pawn. Experience has proved that White’s game is thereby much strenghtened, since it keeps back the Black’s Queen Pawn, which eventually becomes the aim of White’s attack. 8. Bxf6 Bxf6 9. e5 Bh4+ 10. Ng3 d5. Black very wisely declined to capture the Knight, as he would have liberated the adverse King’s Rook, which he must eventually have found disadvantageous. 11. exd6 Qxd6 12. Qg4 Bf6 13. Nce4 Qe7 14. 0-0-0 Nxc4 15. dxc4 Bd4 16. Qf3 Bd7. We should have preferred 16. ... f5. 17. c3 Bf6

18. Nh5. An ingenious variation arises from taking the Queen’s Bishop. Suppose, 18. Rxd7 Qxd7 19. Nh5 Bd8 [Or 19. ... Bh4 20. g3 f5 21. Nxc5 Qe7 (best) 22. Qe3 followed by Qe3xe6+ with a good game, having a Knight and two Pawns for the Rook. 19. ... Be7 (If 19. ... Qe7 Black loses the game immediately, as White moves 20. Qg4) 19. Qg4 and wins] 20. Rd1 Qc7 [Black’s only reply (:) 20. ... Qe7 21. Nef6+ Kh8 22. Rd7 gxf6 23. Rxe7 Bxe7 24. Qxb7 and we prefer White’s game] 21. Rxd8 Raxd8 22. Nef6+ Kh8 (It is clear that by capturing the Knight he is mated in two moves) 23. Qg4 g6 24. Qg5 Qd6 and wins. 18. ... Bc6 19. Nexf6+ Kh8 20. Qg3 g6 21. Qg5, and Black resigns. 1 : 0. (Johann Jacob Löwenthal, “The Chess Player’s Annual for the year 1856”, London, 1856, pages 28-29).

王翼棄兵 (King’s Gambit)

Paul Charles Morphy – N. N.
New Orleans, 1857
Double Muzio Gambit C37
(Remove White’s Queen Knight)
rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

Notes by Johann Jacob Löwenthal, “Morphy’s Games of Chess”, London, Henry G. Bohn, 1860, pp. 405-406.

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. 0-0. Ed. Note: The consequences of accepting the Muzio when receiving the odds of Nb1 might be deadly, because the Ra1 goes right into game. 5. ... gxf3 6. Qxf3. The best move according to the Handbooks (German and English). 6. ... Qf6. This has been pronounced the best move. 7. e5 Qxe5 8. Bxf7+!! A novelty; and an ingenious deviation from the ordinary line of play, which all the authors have recommended, viz.: 8. d3. The move made leads to positions of a most interesting nature. 8. ... Kxf7. 8. ... Kd8 would have been better, but even then White would have had a fine attacking game. 9. d4 Qxd4+ 10. Be3. With a strong offensive position. 10. ... Qf6. Taking the Pb2 with Queen would have been very ill-advised, because White would have checked with the Queen at d5, and then played his Bishop to d4, &c. 11. Qh5+. Ed. Note: In an orthodox game 11. Qh5+ would be a mistake, but because here there is no Knight on b1, this works because the Rook can enter immediatly into game. The right track in an orthodox game is 11. Bxf4 Ke8 12. Nc3 Nc6 13. Nd5 Qg6 14. Rae1+ Be7 15. Bd6 Kd8 16. Qf8+ Bxf8 17. Bxc7 mate, Shirov – Lapinski, Daugavpils 1990. 11. ... Qg6. There is nothing better on the board, for if the King go to e7 or g7, White captures Pawn with Rook, and wins with ease. 12. Rxf4+. Pursuing the game with his usual dash and spirit. 12. ... Nf6

13. Rxf6+ Kxf6 14. Bd4+ Ke7. Ed. Note: If 14. ... Kf7 then 15. Rf1+ Kg8 16. Qe5 Bg7 17. Qd5+ Qe6 18. Qg5 Qh6 19. Qd8+ Bf8 20. Qe8!! (a magnificent waiting move!) and White mates in four moves, Steinitz – van der Meden, London 1865. Apparently a “book” line! 15. Re1+ Kf7 16. Qd5+ Qe6 17. Qf3+ Ke8 18. Qh5+ Kd8 19. Rxe6 dxe6 20. Bxh8 And White eventually won the game.

内核错误 (Kernel panic)

Paul Charles Morphy – Johann Jacob Löwenthal

10ª del match; Londra, 6 agosto 1858

Francese C01

Il virgolettato è del Grande Maestro Géza Maróczy, ChessCafe.com.

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5. Sic et simpliciter. A Morphy basta il vantaggio del tratto! 3. ... exd5 4. Cf3 Cf6 5. Ad3 Ad6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Cc3 c6 8. Ag5 h6. “Migliore è l’immediata 8. ... Ag4”. 9. Ah4 Ag4 10. h3 Axf3 11. Dxf3 Cbd7 12. Af5 Dc7 13. Tae1 Tae8 14. Te3 Af4 15. Te2 Txe2 16. Cxe2 Ad6 17. Axd7 Cxd7 18. Cg3 Te8. L’Alfiere è tabù: 18. ... g5? 19. Cf5 gxh4?? 20. Dg4+ e matto alla prossima. 19. Cf5 Cf8 20. Ag3 Axg3 21. fxg3!? Te4. Karsten Müller considera anche 21. ... Ce6 22. Dg4 Rh7 23. Dh5 Rg8 24. Dg4 Rh7=. 22. c3 Ch7. “Il Cavallo mira a f6. A Löwenthal sfugge che il suo piano sarà confutato da 25. Cxg7. Era corretta 22. ... Ce6”. 23. h4 h5. “Ciò indebolisce solamente l’ala di Re. 23. ... Te6, seguita da ... Ch7-f6, è la logica continuazione. Anche 23. ... b5 è degna di considerazione”. 24. c4. “Benissimo! Il Bianco previene il trasferimento della Torre nera in g4”. 24. ... Cf6? Crash! Il solito Müller propugna 24. ... Dd8 25. cxd5 Dxd5 26. Dxh5 De6 27. Df3 Cf6 con equilibrio dinamico, nonché 24. ... Db6!?. 25. Cxg7! Cg4 26. Cxh5 Txd4 27. Cf6+. “Il Bianco persegue l’attacco con forza fino alla 31ª mossa”. 27. .... Cxf6 28. Dxf6 Txc4? (28. ... Tg4 29. Tf5 Tg6 30. Tg5 Txg5 31. Dxg5+±) 29. Tf5 Tg4 30. Te5 Dc8

31. Te7. Max Lange preferisce con ragione 31. Th5! Tg7 (31. ... Rf8 32. Th8+ Tg8 33. Dd6+ Rg7 34. Dh6 matto) 32. Dh6 Rf8 33. Tg5+-. 31. ... Df8 (31. ... Tg7 32. h5+-) 32. De5 Dg7? “Con 32. ... Te4 il Nero poteva sostenere la posizione per un po’, dal momento che il Bianco si sarebbe aggiudicato successivamente la vittoria (dopo 33. Dg5+ Rh8 34. Txe4 dxe4 35. De5+ Rg8 36. Dxe4) solo grazie alla postazione più vantaggiosa dei Pedoni. Il tratto del testo perde subito”. 33. Te8+ Rh7 34. Dh5+ 1 : 0. Perché se 34. ... Dh6 allora 35. Dxg4+-.

Paul Charles Morphy contro una misteriosa avversaria...

No Copyright

Serafino Dubois – Rev. W. Wayte
Londra, 1862
Gioco Piano C56

Il virgolettato è di Johann Jacob Löwenthal, The Chess Player’s Magazine, Volume 2, 1865, pp. 167-168.

“Una ben disputata partita giocata un po’ di tempo fa fra il Rev. W. Wayte e il Signor Dubois”.

1. e4 e5 2. Cf3 Cc6 3. Ac4 Ac5 4. 0-0 d6. 4. ... Cf6 5. d3 d6 6. Ag5? h6! 7. Ah4? g5! 8. Ag3 h5! con l’iniziativa, Dubois – Steinitz, Londra 1862. 5. c3. Controproducente 5. h3 Cf6 6. d3 Ae6 7. Ab3 Dd7 8. Rh2 h6! 9. Ae3 g5! 10. Axc5 dxc5 11. Aa4 0-0-0 12. Axc6 bxc6 13. g4? h5! 14. Cxe5 Dd6 15. f4 gxf4 16. g5 Cg4+! 0 : 1 Messemersten – Dubois, Gouda 1864. 5. ... Cf6. Interessante è 5. ... Df6 6. d3 h6∞ (analisi di Jussupow). 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 Ab6 8. d5. Più solita è 8. Cc3 da cui, per esempio, 8. ... Ag4 9. Ae3 De7!? 10. Ab5!?∞ (analisi di Honfi). 8. ... Ce5 9. Cxe5 dxe5 10. Cc3 0-0. Se 10. ... h6 allora 11. De2 0-0 12. Ae3 Axe3 13. Dxe3 De7 14. Tac1 Ad7 15. Ab5 a6 16. Axd7 Dxd7 17. b3 Dd6 18. Ca4 con preferenza per il Bianco, Gyimesi – Acs, Budapest 1996. 11. h3 h6 12. Rh1 Ad4 13. Ad3 a6 14. f4 Dd6 15. fxe5 Axe5 16. Ce2 Ch5 17. g4 Cg3+ 18. Cxg3 Axg3 19. Df3 Ae5 20. Af4. “La mossa appropriata, che rende il giuoco perfettamente pari”. 20. ... Ad7 21. Tad1 Ab5 22. Axb5 axb5 23. a3 Ta4 24. Td2 Axf4 25. Dxf4 Dxf4 26. Txf4. “Questi scambi semplificano notevolmente le combinazioni, e naturalmente conducono alla patta”. 26. ... g5 27. Tf6 Txe4 28. Txh6 Rg7 29. Th5 f6 30. d6 Td8 31. d7. “Se 31. dxc7 Txd2 ecc.”. 31. ... Te7. L’intermedia 31. ... Rg6! 32. Rg2 Te7 è a nostro avviso più vantaggiosa per il Nero. 32. h4 gxh4 33. Txb5 b6 34. Tbd5 ½ : ½.

The Chess Player’s Magazine, Volume 2, 1865, pp. 167-168