This is all the fault of the Chess Historian Edward Winter.
Nobody knows what Edward Winter looks like...this will do.
Ages ago his site hinted that when Morphy played his famous game at the opera in Paris
1858 the opera being performed may have been Norma by Bellini. So I went and bought it.
That was in 2016 and since then I’ve been listening to Maria howling Callus screeching,
squawking, shrieking and making a god awful din whilst the rest of my CD collection.
Made up of Dylan, The Beatles, The Shadows, The Stones, The Kinks...remained unplayed.
I thought if I kept playing it I would eventually get the muse, the inspiration that seeped
into Morphy’s bones on that glorious night whilst he sat playing chess in the cheap seats.
Final Position Morphy - The Allies, Paris 1858.
Meanwhile researchers has been wading through chess history and now if you visit:
Did you see the date of the latest update: The 10th November 2019. (a few days ago)
“To summarize, it appears that Morphy v the Duke and Count was played
either during a performance of Norma on 21, 23, 26 or 30 October 1858
or, most probably, during ‘The Barber of Seville’ on 4 November 1858.’
The Key bit is; “....most probably, during ‘The Barber of Seville.’ ”
No wonder I have been museless, uninspired and in a writers block for the past three
years, I have been waiting for creativity to just happen by playing the wrong opera!
So today I bought, 2nd hand (50p), ‘The Barber of Seville.’
and have been playing it over and over again. The Norma CD I have found a good use for.
It’s now a coaster and the ‘Barber of Seville,’ which to some will be just noisy naff,
is to me inspirational and I’ve been singing ‘Figaro...Figaro...Figaro...’ all day long.
Seville 1987 was the place where Kasparov played Karpov for the fourth time in their
five World Title matches. It was the one where Karpov led 4-3 going into the last game.
Kasparov had to win it to draw the match and retain the title under the draws odds rule.
(do not let the ‘Expo’92’ on the cover of the above book fool you. Seville hosted the
1987 final as a curtain raiser to the 1992 World Fair celebrating the 500th anniversary
of Christopher Columbus discovering America in 1492 in the ship the ‘Santa Maria.’ )
It was a model of the ‘Santa Maria’ I used for this old blog picture with me at the helm.
One thing I remember about the 1987 match was a missed win by Kasparov which I
thought was very simple. It took a while to find the position, remember we are going
back 32 years here, because Kasparov did infact win the game. (I looked at the 16 draws
first. forgetting that Kasparov won). This is the position from Game 4 Kasparov to play.
G. Kasparov - A. Karpov, World Championship (Game 4) Seville 1976
Here 28.c5 dxc5 29.d6 looks (and is ) winning. The point being Black cannot
play 29....Rd3 getting behind the passed pawn due to the Rxf8+ Be6+ trick.
FEN
4rnk1/pp3Rpp/2pp4/3P4/2P5/2P1r1PB/P6P/5RK1 w - - 0 28
[FEN "4rnk1/pp3Rpp/2pp4/3P4/2P5/2P1r1PB/P6P/5RK1 w - - 0 28"] 28. c5 {In the game Kasparov played 28.Rxb7 and won....eventually.} 28... dxc5 29. d6 Rd3 30. Rxf8+ Rxf8 31. Be6+ *
As is my custom I looked for an RHP game that actually used the same trick.
The whole game is one those, a sheer joy to note up as each move (except one)
can be explained and you can see just what was going on the players minds.
luizderli - Colgorm RHP .2015
1. e4 Nc6 {Given the horrible tag in some places as Nimzo's Other Defence. The NOD.} 2. d4 {Probably the best reply. 2.Nf3 allows Black to chicken out with 2....e5.} 2... d5 {3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 sets up a very common RHP trap/blunder - see next game.} 3. e5 {White goes for an Advance French set-up whilst Black cannot at the moment play c5.} 3... Bf5 {Black too is happy, they will get a French without a locked in Queen's Bishop.} 4. h3 {A slack move. White wants to and should play Nf3 without worrying about Bg4.} 4... e6 5. Nf3 Nge7 {This Knight is going to g6, then Be7, 0-0 and f6. It is a sound opening plan.} 6. c3 {A common move in this position White is bidding his time looking for his best set up.} 6... Ng6 7. Bg5 {Not fond of this. Black can play 7....f6 here with 0-0-0 options. 7.Be3 right away.} 7... Be7 {Black without c5 options offers a dark squared Bishop trade.} 8. Be3 {White declined to swap thinking exchanges will favour Black.} 8... O-O 9. Be2 {Getting ready to follow suit and castle.} 9... Nh4 {Black was worried about g4 so seeks some exchanges and g6 for the f5 Bishop.} 10. Nxh4 Bxh4 11. O-O f6 {This break was always going to come.} 12. f4 {White holds the e5 pawn.} 12... fxe5 {No rush to play this right away. Black was possibly worried about Kh2 and g3 ideas.} 13. fxe5 {The best way to take back.} 13... Ne7 {Opening the door on a later c5 undermining the d-pawn.} 14. Nd2 {At last this Knight comes into the game.} 14... Ng6 {Now 15.g4 looks good. Black was trying to tempt it....} 15. Nf3 {...but White was having none of that.} 15... Be4 {Probably glad White did not play g4 last move, 15...Bg3 and 16...c5 looks good.} 16. Qd2 {Not only connecting the Rooks. White has his eye on the e6 pawn.} 16... b6 {Black is preparing c5 missing White's threat.} 17. Bg5 Bxg5 {Forced.} 18. Nxg5 {This hit on the e6 pawn and the e4 Bishop tilts the game in White's favour.} 18... Bf5 {Stops both threats but how does Black answer 19.g4.} 19. Rf2 {White misses his big chance (19. g4) but doubling Rooks on the f-file cannot be bad.} 19... h6 {Black now kicks the Knight away from the e6 pawn.} 20. Nf3 {The crisis has passed. White has a slight plus.} 20... Be4 {This bishop was lucky to survive, Black goes about swapping it off.} 21. Raf1 Bxf3 {No rush for this swap. 21...Qd7 or 21...c5 was OK.} 22. Bxf3 Qd7 23. Qc2 {A hit on the Knight. See where it goes and act accordingly.} 23... Ne7 24. b3 {The only move I cannot understand. Why this move. 24.Bh4 looks better.} 24... c5 25. Qd3 {Getting off the c-file before Black plays....} 25... Rac8 26. Bg4 {Hits the e6 pawn tying down the Queen. Black should now chop Rooks with Rxf2.} 26... Nc6 {Black is too engrossed with the Queenside. White now steps in.} 27. Qg6 {With the Knight on Queenside duty this move is a winner.} 27... Rce8 {And now the trick Kasparov did not play.} 28. Rxf8+ Rxf8 29. Bxe6+ {Black resigned.}
That common trap/blunder I mentioned has dozens of RHP victims, the most recent is:
DrDr - rookorbycrook RHP 2019
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. d4 Nc6 4. Nf3 {We could have easily reached this position from the previous game.} 4... Bg4 5. Be2 {Now will Black steal the d-pawn} 5... Bxf3 6. Bxf3 Qxd4 {It's OK the Queen is protected by the c6 Knight.} 7. Bxc6+ {CHECK!} 7... bxc6 8. Qxd4 {White is a whole Queen up.}
Curiosity then took over: ’Has White ever fallen for this trick?’
cricketman - GruffGriff RHP.2017
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. a3 Nf6 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 cxd4 6. Qxd4 exd5 {The bait is on d5 will White chase after it.} 7. Bg5 {White is definitely having a nibble.} 7... Be7 8. Bxf6 Bxf6 {Now will he bite.} 9. Qxd5 {Gotcha!} 9... Bxc3+ {White resigned.}
How about an 8 year old Magnus Carlsen playing the trick. At the time he was rated 904.
Magnus Carlsen (904) - Ivar Abusdal (1386), Grand Prix Group B Oslo.2000
1. d4 g6 2. e4 d6 3. f4 d5 4. e5 h5 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. c4 e6 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. a3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 c5 10. cxd5 Qxd5 11. Be2 cxd4 12. cxd4 Nc6 13. h3 {Magnus sets the trap with the d4 pawn as the tempting bait.} 13... Bxf3 14. Bxf3 {Will he or won't he....} 14... Qxd4 {OOPS!} 15. Bxc6+ {Black resigned.}
Next Blog will be the fabled, much talked about and anticipated RHP Christmas Quiz.
