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Morphy's Opera Game
Mar. 29th, 2017 05:17 pm1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6
[This is Philidor's Defence, named after François-André Danican Philidor, the leading chess master of the second half of the 18th century and a pioneer of modern chess strategy. He was also a noted opera composer. It is a solid opening, but slightly passive, and it ignores the important d4-square. Most modern players prefer 2...Nc6, and 2...Nf6 (the Petrov Defence) is also popular at master level.]
3. d4 Bg4?!
[Though 3...Bg4 is considered an inferior move today, this was accepted theory at the time.[3] Today 3...exd4 or 3...Nf6 are usual. 3...f5 (Philidor's original idea) is a risky alternative.]
4. dxe5 Bxf3
[If 4...dxe5, then 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.Nxe5 and White wins a pawn and Black has lost the ability to castle. Black, however, did have the option of 4...Nd7 5.exd6 Bxd6, when he's down a pawn but has some compensation in the form of better development.]
5. Qxf3
[Steinitz's recommendation 5.gxf3 dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 7.f4 is also good, but Morphy prefers to keep the queens on. After Black recaptures the pawn on e5, White has a significant lead in development.]
5...dxe5 6. Bc4 Nf6
[This seemingly sound developing move runs into a surprising refutation. After White's next move, both f7 and b7 will be under attack. Better would have been to directly protect the f7-pawn with the queen, making White's next move less potent.]
7. Qb3 Qe7
[Black's only good move. White was threatening mate in two moves, for example 7...Nc6 8.Bxf7+ Ke7 9.Qe6#. 7...Qd7 loses the rook to 8.Qxb7 followed by 9.Qxa8 (since 8...Qc6? would lose the queen to 9.Bb5). Notice that Qe7 saves the rook with this combination: 8.Qxb7 Qb4+ forcing a queen exchange.
[Although this move prevents immediate disaster, Black is forced to block the f8-bishop, impeding development and kingside castling.]
8. Nc3
[Morphy could have won a pawn by 8.Qxb7 Qb4+ 9.Qxb4 Bxb4+. White can also win material with 8.Bxf7+ Qxf7 9.Qxb7, but Black has dangerous counterplay after 9...Bc5! and 10.Qxa8 0-0 or 10.Qc8+ Ke7 11.Qxh8 Bxf2+! In keeping with his style, Morphy prefers rapid development and initiative over material.]
8... c6
[The best move, allowing black to defend his pawn without further weakening the light-squares, which have been weakened by black trading off his light-square bishop.]
9. Bg5 b5?
[Black attempts to drive away the bishop and gain some time, but this move allows Morphy a strong sacrifice to keep the initiative. This move loses but it is difficult to find anything better; for example 9...Na6 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Bxa6 bxa6 12.Qa4 Qb7 and Black's position is in shambles.]
10. Nxb5!
[Morphy chooses not to retreat the bishop, which would allow Black to gain time for development.]
10... cxb5
[Black could have played 10...Qb4+ forcing the exchange of queens (11.Qxb4 Bxb4+ 12.Nc3), although White would retain a technically won game being a pawn up.
11. Bxb5+
[Not 11.Bd5? Qb4+, unpinning the knight and allowing the rook to evade capture.]
11... Nbd7 12. 0-0-0 Rd8
[The combination of the pins on the knights and the open file for White's rook will lead to Black's defeat.]
13. Rxd7 Rxd7
[Removing another defender.]
14. Rd1
[Compare the activity of the white pieces with the idleness of the black pieces. At this point, Black's d7-rook cannot be saved, since it is pinned to the king and attacked by the rook, and though the knight defends it, the knight is pinned to the queen.]
[This is Philidor's Defence, named after François-André Danican Philidor, the leading chess master of the second half of the 18th century and a pioneer of modern chess strategy. He was also a noted opera composer. It is a solid opening, but slightly passive, and it ignores the important d4-square. Most modern players prefer 2...Nc6, and 2...Nf6 (the Petrov Defence) is also popular at master level.]
3. d4 Bg4?!
[Though 3...Bg4 is considered an inferior move today, this was accepted theory at the time.[3] Today 3...exd4 or 3...Nf6 are usual. 3...f5 (Philidor's original idea) is a risky alternative.]
4. dxe5 Bxf3
[If 4...dxe5, then 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.Nxe5 and White wins a pawn and Black has lost the ability to castle. Black, however, did have the option of 4...Nd7 5.exd6 Bxd6, when he's down a pawn but has some compensation in the form of better development.]
5. Qxf3
[Steinitz's recommendation 5.gxf3 dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 7.f4 is also good, but Morphy prefers to keep the queens on. After Black recaptures the pawn on e5, White has a significant lead in development.]
5...dxe5 6. Bc4 Nf6
[This seemingly sound developing move runs into a surprising refutation. After White's next move, both f7 and b7 will be under attack. Better would have been to directly protect the f7-pawn with the queen, making White's next move less potent.]
7. Qb3 Qe7
[Black's only good move. White was threatening mate in two moves, for example 7...Nc6 8.Bxf7+ Ke7 9.Qe6#. 7...Qd7 loses the rook to 8.Qxb7 followed by 9.Qxa8 (since 8...Qc6? would lose the queen to 9.Bb5). Notice that Qe7 saves the rook with this combination: 8.Qxb7 Qb4+ forcing a queen exchange.
[Although this move prevents immediate disaster, Black is forced to block the f8-bishop, impeding development and kingside castling.]
8. Nc3
[Morphy could have won a pawn by 8.Qxb7 Qb4+ 9.Qxb4 Bxb4+. White can also win material with 8.Bxf7+ Qxf7 9.Qxb7, but Black has dangerous counterplay after 9...Bc5! and 10.Qxa8 0-0 or 10.Qc8+ Ke7 11.Qxh8 Bxf2+! In keeping with his style, Morphy prefers rapid development and initiative over material.]
8... c6
[The best move, allowing black to defend his pawn without further weakening the light-squares, which have been weakened by black trading off his light-square bishop.]
9. Bg5 b5?
[Black attempts to drive away the bishop and gain some time, but this move allows Morphy a strong sacrifice to keep the initiative. This move loses but it is difficult to find anything better; for example 9...Na6 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Bxa6 bxa6 12.Qa4 Qb7 and Black's position is in shambles.]
10. Nxb5!
[Morphy chooses not to retreat the bishop, which would allow Black to gain time for development.]
10... cxb5
[Black could have played 10...Qb4+ forcing the exchange of queens (11.Qxb4 Bxb4+ 12.Nc3), although White would retain a technically won game being a pawn up.
11. Bxb5+
[Not 11.Bd5? Qb4+, unpinning the knight and allowing the rook to evade capture.]
11... Nbd7 12. 0-0-0 Rd8
[The combination of the pins on the knights and the open file for White's rook will lead to Black's defeat.]
13. Rxd7 Rxd7
[Removing another defender.]
14. Rd1
[Compare the activity of the white pieces with the idleness of the black pieces. At this point, Black's d7-rook cannot be saved, since it is pinned to the king and attacked by the rook, and though the knight defends it, the knight is pinned to the queen.]
