Despite the relative success of his opening play in his previous experience of the Petrov, against Johann Löwenthal seven years earlier (only poor endgame technique saw him held to a draw), Morphy chose a much sharper line for this game.
Morphy - Theodor Lichtenhein
Petrov Defence Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4!?
The Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit is often considered a line of the Bishop's Opening as it commonly arises from the move-order 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3!? Nigel Short is among strong modern players to have tried it from a Petrov move-order.
3...Nxe4 4.Nc3
White's most-popular choice, but the engines Stockfish10 and Komodo10 prefer 4.d3!? Their top-choice reply is 4...Nc5, when Stockfish10 continues 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.0-0 Ne6 7.Re1, with what Stockfish10 reckons is a large advantage for Black, but Komodo10 regards as dynamically equal. After 4...Nc5, Komodo10 gives 5.Bg5!? (not to be found in ChessBase's 2019 Mega database) Be7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.0-0, when both engines prefer Black.
4...d5!?
Löwenthal, in Morphy's Games Of Chess, wrote: "Mr Lichtenhein is justly considered the originator of this defence of …d5: the move is a good one and deserves the consideration of the chess analyst."
The main move, 4...Nxc3, will be covered later in this series.
5.Bxd5
This was to be Lichtenhein's choice when he twice had to face his own defence. He won both games.
5...Nf6 6.Bb3 Bd6 7.d3 0-0 8.h3 h6 9.Be3 Nc6 10.Qd2 Na5 11.g4 Nxb3 12.axb3 Bd7 13.Rg1 Nh7
This is condemned as "too passive" by an unnamed ChessBase commentator, but is liked by Stockfish10. Komodo10 prefers 13...Bc6 or 13...Re8.
14.Ne4 Kh8
"Again passive," according to the ChessBase commentator.
The engines want Black to sac a pawn with 14...a5!? 15.Rxa5 Qe7, the idea being that Black will get the open a file.
15.g5 h5 16.Nh4 g6 17.Qe2
The engines reckon White is better after opening the centre with 17.d4, or preparing such an opening with 17.0-0-0.
17...Bc6
Löwenthal: "It was injudicious of Black to abandon the diagonal commanded so effectively by the queen's bishop." On the other hand, the anonymous ChessBase commentator reckons "the black position looks still OK." The engines side with Lowenthal's verdict.
18.f4?
This was a good point to castle long, which will surely be necessary sooner rather than later.
18...exf4 19.Bd4+
The black king looks in danger but, as noted in ChessBase, the open e file is problematic for White's king.
19...Kg8 20.Nf5 Re8!
It seems Morphy missed this. White would be winning after 20...gxf5? 21.Nf6+ Kg7 22.Qxh5.
21.Nh6+
21.0-0-0 may have been a little better, but still good for Black.
21...Kf8 22.0-0-0 Bxe4?
Removing a piece menacing Black's king, but almost certainly winning was 22...Nxg5, which ChessBase describes as "easy to find and critical." Best play, as given by ChessBase and confirmed by the engines, runs 23.Nxf7 Kxf7 24.Nxg5+ Qxg5 25.Qxe8+ Rxe8 26.Rxg5 f3, "and Black has two strong pawns [and the bishop-pair] for the exchange. He will play for a win."
23.dxe4
Black is a pawn up, but White's forces are zeroing in on the black king, while Black is lagging in development.
23...Qe7?
Best seems to be 23...Re6, although the engines prefer White after 24.e5 or 24.h4.
Complicated is 23...Nxg5?!, but White seems to be better after 24.e5, eg 24...Nxh3 35.Qc4 Qd7 36.Rxg6!
 |
| White to make his 24th move |
A slip, although Black's defence is difficult to find. Correct was 24.Qc4 (threatening to win the black bishop with e5) Qe6 25.Qc3, when White again threatens to trap the black bishop, eg 25...Rad8 26.Bg7+ Ke7 27.e5. Black's best, according to the engines, is 25...Red8 26.Bc5 Bxc5 (or 26...Ke8 27.Rd5 f6 28.Qc4! Kd7 29.gxf6 Bxc5 30.f7+, with a huge position for White) 27.Qxc5+ Kg7 28.Qc3+ Nf6! 29.Rdf1 (Komodo10 prefers 29.Rde1, but Stockfish10's choice seems stronger) Kh7 30.Nxf7 Qa6 31.Nxd8 Qa1+ 32.Kd2 Nxe4+ 33.Kd3 Qxf1+ 34.Rxf1 Nxc3 35.Nxb7 Nd5 36.c4+, with much the better ending for White. These are very complicated lines, but the engines are almost completely in agreement on their analysis.
24...Bxe5
Löwenthal suggests 24...Bc5, but White's attack continues, eg 25.Qf2 Bxd4 26.Rxd4 f3! (Black cannot allow 27.Rxf4) 27.Qxf3 Nxg5 28.Qf4 Qxe5 29.h4 Qxf4+ 30.Rxf4 Re4! 31.Rff1! Rxh4 32.Rxg5 Kg7 33.Nf5+ Kf6 34.Rxg6+ fxg6 35.Nxh4+, when White has a knight for two pawns. Another long, but fairly forced, line.
25.Bxe5 Qxe5 26.Rd7 Qg7?
Black draws with 26...Nxg5 26.Rxg5 Qf6!, eg 27.Qd2 Re7 28.Rd8+ Re8 29.Rd7 etc.
27.Qc4 Re7 28.Rxe7 Kxe7 29.Re1+ 1-0
White has a mate-in-five.
No comments:
Post a Comment