London 1858
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
Once again, the Normal Position.
9.Bb2 Nf6 10.Nbd2 0-0 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Ng4!?
Morphy is the first to deviate from his loss against Journoud & Rivière.
13.h3 Nh6
Playable was 13...Nxf2!? 14.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 15.Kxf2, and now 15...Be6 to challenge the bishop-pair. Stockfish10 likes White, but Komodo10 reckons the position is equal.
14.Qa4 Bf5 15.Rad1 Qe7 16.Nb3
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| Morphy to make an uncharacteristic move |
*****
*****
*****
*****
16...Qb4!?
Morphy was not normally one to go for an exchange of queens, but perhaps he thought White's position was becoming menacing. The engines prefer getting on with development with 16...Rfd8.
17.Qxb4 Nxb4 18.Nbd4 Bxd4?!
Giving up the bishop-pair looks dubious. The engines suggest 18...Be4, but reckon White has full compensation for his pawn minus.
19.Nxd4 c6?
This is too slow. Development with 19...Rfd8 was better.
20.g4 Be4 21.f4?
Stronger was 21.Rfe1, and if 21...Bg6 (the bishop needs to cover f5 for the knight in the event of White pushing his g pawn), then 22.f4 wins material.
21...Kh8?!
Morphy had quite an off-day in this game. Better seems still to be ...Rfd8.
22.f5
The engines reckon 22.Ba3 and 22.e6 are stronger, but the text is good enough for an advantage.
22...Bd5 23.Bxd5 Nxd5
Black remains a pawn up, but his pieces are uncoordinated.
24.g5 Ng8 25.Rf3 Rfe8 26.e6 fxe6?!
26...f6 is probably better, but it is understandable Morphy did not want White to have a protected passed pawn on the sixth rank.
27.Nxe6 Rxe6?!
A desperate move that only speeds defeat.
28.fxe6 Nge7 29.Rf7 Rg8 30.Rdf1 1-0
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