Paul Morphy in a 'B' Horror Movie

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 {It's a Giuoco Piano which at the top level lay dormant for decades but these days it is part of all the top GM's opening rep.} 4... Nf6 5. d4 {The GM's are playing 4.d3 here. It is now known 5.d4 encourages too many exchanges and eases the tension.} 5... exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ {7.Nc3 Nxe4 8. 0-0 Nxc3 is the Greco Gambit whilst 8...Bxc3 is the Moller Attack. I'll give an RHP game in each variation later.} 7. Bd2 {Marshall once won a game with 7. Kf1 (The Krakow Variation) against Amos Burn . Black failed to play 7...d5 which equalises right away. } 7... Bxd2+ 8. Nbxd2 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. O-O {I'll show a known trap an RHP player fell into after this game,} 10... O-O {A position seen on RHP 124 times.} 11. h3 {This move has been seen 19 times. I don’t' like it. Waste of time. 11. Re1 11. Rc1 developing look much better.} 11... Nf4 {The Morphy radar locks onto the h3 pawn right away.} 12. Kh2 {This move giving up the d-pawn is to timid. If you want to sac a pawn how about 12. Re1 Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 14. Re4 and White is getting some play for the pawn.} 12... Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 14. Qc2 {The idea of the pawn sac is evident. White hopes to develop on the Black Queen. But one usually sacs a pawn to get the initiative.} 14... Qd6 {But it's Morphy who has the imitative. He very rarely wasted it.} 15. Kh1 {Go back and stick a ? on White's 12th move.} 15... Qh6 {Back to plan A, mobbing the h3 pawn.} 16. Qc3 {To hold h3. You know things are going bad when the Queen is defending things.} 16... Bf5 {Morphy has an idea on the d3 square. The brutal 16...b5 followed by Bb7 also puts White in all kinds of trouble.} 17. Kh2 {White is in a muddle thanks to that 12h move. Go back an add yet another ? to it. He may have been planning to muster some defence based on Rh1.} 17... Rad8 18. Rad1 {Morphy now puts his obstruction idea into action.} 18... Bxh3 {White thought he had prevented this.} 19. gxh3 Rd3 {If 20. Bxd3 Qxh3+ and mate on g2.} 20. Qxd3 Nxd3 21. Bxd3 {White has a Rook, Knight and Bishop for the Queen.} 21... Qd6+ {Correction, make that a Rook and a Knight} 22. f4 Qxd3 {Morphy went onto win.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. c3 Nf6 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 8. Nbxd2 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 {White castled here in the previous game.} 10. Qb3 Na5 11. Qa4+ Nc6 {Miles - Korchnoi 1979 went 12. Qb3 Na5 13. Qa4+ Nc6 and the game was drawn.} 12. Ne5 {As we shall see this is very tempting. White is worried about Black playing Nb6 and tries to squeeze something out of the opening.} 12... O-O 13. Nxc6 Qe8+ {The best move he is 14.Kf1.} 14. Be2 Nf4 {White resigned. Black is getting his piece back and more. A turn worth knowing.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3 {This is the only move Greco examines in his book of composed games written in 1620. This game follows that analysis.} 9. bxc3 Bxc3 10. Qb3 {10. Ba3 is given in some modern books as being best.} 10... Bxa1 {Too greedy and we thank Greco (1600 - circa 1634) for showing us why.} 11. Bxf7+ Kf8 12. Bg5 Ne7 13. Ne5 Bxd4 14. Bg6 {Both the Bishop and Knight can be taken but if either are taken then White mates on f7.} 14... d5 15. Qf3+ Bf5 16. Bxf5 Bxe5 17. Be6+ Bf6 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Qxf6+

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. d5 {This is the Moller Attack.} 9... Ne5 {Deemed inferior to 9...Bf6.} 10. bxc3 Nxc4 11. Qd4 Ncd6 {This gives Black a very awkward position. Botterill in Open Gambits leans towards 11...0-0 12. Qxe4 Nd6.} 12. Qxg7 Qf6 13. Qxf6 Nxf6 14. Re1+ {Here Black has to consider giving back a piece with 14....Nfe4.} 14... Kf8 15. Bh6+ Kg8 16. Re5 {Threatening Rg5 mate.} 16... Nde4 17. Nd2 {Black is lost here and played 17...Ng4 18.Re8 mate. The cute line is....} 17... d6 18. Nxe4 dxe5 19. Nxf6 {A well known book mate.}

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Be2 {Maybe Morphy would have played 5. Bc4 or 5. Bd3 but I can see Morphy playing 5. Be2 from here on it's Morphy all the way.} 5... O-O 6. O-O Nc6 {Black is threatening e5.} 7. d5 Nb8 {The plan is to develop the Knight at d7 then a5 and Nc5.} 8. Re1 {Today the pundits like 8.h3 giving Black a problem c8 Bishop. 8.Re1 is a Morphy move.} 8... e5 {An opening experiment. 9.....Bg4 or 9...c6 are better.} 9. dxe6 Bxe6 10. Bf4 {Planning Qd2 and Bh6. 10. Bg5 would encourage 10...h6 with tempo.} 10... h6 11. Nd4 {Threatening Nxe6....} 11... Bd7 {...Which Petrosian in hindsight should have allowed. 11....Nc6 was better. Black is now falling behind in development. Even a Petrosian cannot do that.} 12. Qd2 Kh7 13. e5 {Opening up the position when better developed. Morphy's trade mark.} 13... dxe5 14. Bxe5 Ne4 {Trying to chop wood to and nick the 'advantage' of the two Bishops. 14...Nc6 was a better option. Petrosian has forgotten his Morphy.} 15. Nxe4 Bxe5 16. Nf3 Bg7 17. Rad1 {STOP. look at that position. That's is a perfect Morphy position. a safe King, every piece in action and all achieved with no wasted pawn moves.} 17... Qc8 {That pin had to be broken.} 18. Bc4 {The Bishop goes to c4. I have 230 Morphy games as White. The f1 Bishop went to c4 in 179 of them. It's was the home square for Morphy's King’s Bishop.} 18... Be8 {I think the coming series of move would have been found by Morphy.} 19. Neg5+ hxg5 20. Nxg5+ Kg8 21. Qf4 {With the simple threat of Qh4 and Qh7 mate.} 21... Nd7 {The only other defensive try was 21...Bh6. We will look at that later.} 22. Rxd7 {That Knight was headed for f6. Now it's headed for the side of the board and can watch the end.} 22... Bxd7 {22....Qxd7 23. Qh4 mates in a few moves.} 23. Bxf7+ Rxf7 24. Qxf7+ Kh8 25. Qxg6 {Petrosian (have you ever seen him treated so badly) played 25...Qg8 and resigned. The possibly planned defence was just too humiliating to allow to be seen.} 25... Bf5 {The Knight now a wee dance and picks up the Bishop.} 26. Nf7+ Kg8 27. Nh6+ Kh8 28. Nxf5 Qf8 29. Qh5+ Kg8 30. Ne7+ {That's All Folks.}

[FEN "rnq1brk1/ppp2pb1/6p1/6N1/2B5/8/PPPQ1PPP/3RR1K1 w - - 0 21"]
21. Qf4 Bh6 22. Rxe8 Qxe8 23. Qf6 Bxg5 24. Qxg6+ Kh8 25. Qh5+ Kg8 26. Qxg5+ Kh8 27. Rd4 Qe1+ 28. Bf1

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 {The Pelikan or The Sveshnikov variation.} 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Na3 f5 {9...b5 is the preferred choice here, then we go mainline Sveshnikov.} 10. Qh5 b5 11. exf5 b4 12. Bc4 Ra7 {All this has been seen before OTB with Black getting the better of the games.} 13. Nab5 axb5 14. Nxb5 Rb7 15. O-O-O {For the piece White has pressure v the undeveloped Black position. Black needs to untangle carefully.} 15... Qf6 16. g4 h6 {Black is angling to get the Queens off.} 17. Rhe1 {White is fully developed and does not fear a Queen swap, he has his eye on the d6 pawn. He has two pawns for the piece. One more and he feel quite good about his position.} 17... Rd7 {Clumsy. Worrying too mush about defending. 17...Na5 seeking exchanges on unprotected pieces was a far better move.} 18. Bd5 {Not too keen on this one. Now was the time to tuck the King out of the way with Kb1 especially as Black's last move looked like a rushed nervous move. There may be more coming.} 18... Bb7 19. Be6 {Too soon. 19.. f4 stops the Queen swap and threatens to open up the lines v the Black King.} 19... Qg5+ 20. Kb1 {See note to move 18. 20. f4 could have been tried here. see previous note.} 20... Qxh5 21. Bxd7+ Kxd7 22. gxh5 {Let us look in the shopping baskets. White has Two Rooks and is two pawns up. Black has the Two Bishops and is a piece up.} 22... Ba6 {Quite rightly Black eases the weight off the d6 pawn.} 23. c4 Bxb5 {Pure hindsight but knowing what is coming. 23...bxc3 now looks better.} 24. cxb5 Nd4 25. f6 {Look at the position. How is Black going to get that f8 Bishop into the game without losing a tub load of material.} 25... Rg8 26. f4 Nxb5 27. Rxe5 Kc6 28. Re8 {White is threatening Rc1+ and Rc8 winning the f8 Bishop.} 28... Kb7 29. Rc1 {Now was the last chance for Black to free his game with 30....d5 if the c1 Rook goes to c8 then Black has Rg1+ and Bd6.} 29... Nc7 30. Rd8 {Now threatening Rd7 winning the c7 Knight.} 30... Kb6 31. Rb8+ Ka7 32. Rc8 Na6 {Aiming to block one of the open files with Nc5.} 33. Rd8 Nc5 34. Re1 Kb7 35. Ree8 Rg1+ {Black gives up the Bishop and hopes to pick up a few pawns for it.} 36. Kc2 Rg2+ 37. Kd1 Rg1+ 38. Ke2 Rg2+ 39. Kf3 Rxb2 40. Rxf8 Kc7 41. Rde8 Rxa2 42. Rxf7+ Kc6 43. Rfe7 b3 {Now we have a one-sided pawn race. White will be the one who gets in the all important first check.} 44. f7 b2 45. f8=Q b1=Q 46. Rc8+ Kd5 47. Re5+ {Black resigned here. The finish is something like this.} 47... Kc4 48. Rcxc5+ dxc5 49. Qxc5+ Kb3 50. Qb5+ Kc2 51. Rc5+ Kd1 52. Qf1+ Kd2 53. Qe2

[FEN "r2qkb1r/pppb1ppp/2np4/4p3/P3Pn2/2P2N1P/1PBP1PP1/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 8"]
8. O-O Qc8 {Black paints a bull's-eye on the h3 pawn.} 9. Nh2 {Good move. 'Come on Black, take it.'} 9... Bxh3 {OK} 10. gxh3 Qxh3 {And thanks to White playing Nh2 he can play Qf3 or Qg4 here which stops the mate remaining a piece up.} 11. d4 Qg2# {Checkmate.}

[FEN "5rk1/1pp1Q1pp/8/p4pBn/Pn1q2b1/6P1/1PP2P1P/R3R1K1 w - - 0 1"]
1. Rad1 {I cannot see the point of this, it has nothing to do with what comes next. Maybe White is trying to convince his opponent he has gone mad.} 1... Bxd1 {Thank You.} 2. Qe6+ Rf7 {Not 2....Kh8 3. Qf7 is very strong. White should now play out the perpetual with 3. Qe8+ and 4 Qe6+ etc...} 3. Qc8+ {He can get the perpetual this way.} 3... Rf8 4. Re8 {But this is wrong and yet it work out right. Black played 4....Kf7 and White mated with 5. Qe6. Black should have played....} 4... Qc5 {Maybe both players saw this and thought this move....} 5. Be7 {....just won for White. But....} 5... Qxe7 {....it doesn’t.} 6. Rxe7 Rxc8 {Black is three pieces up.}

[FEN "6k1/2R4b/5p1p/2p3p1/P1P5/3PK3/7P/1B4r1 w - - 0 40"]
40. Ba2 Rg2 41. Bb3 Rxh2 42. Rxc5 Rh3+ {4. Ke2 or 4. Kf2 are OK. Not 4. Kd2 Rxd4+ will win the Bishop or the Rook.} 43. Kd4 {OOPS!} 43... Rxd3 {Checkmate.} 0-1

[FEN "8/1B4p1/5p2/4k3/p5PP/2K5/8/8 w - - 0 50"]
50. h5 f5 51. g5 Ke6 52. Bc8+ Ke5 {4. Kb4, pick up the a-pawn meeting 4...f4 with 5. Bg4 the ending is won.} 53. h6 gxh6 54. gxh6 Kf6 55. Bxf5 {Black resigned but....} 55... Kf7 {....White has the wrong Bishop for the h-pawn.} 56. Bh7 {White has to stop the Black King from reaching h1.} 56... Kf6 {Black is aiming to play Kg5 and Kxh6.} 57. Bd3 Kf7 {Heading for h8 again.} 58. Bh7 Kf6 59. Bg8 {Another try to win.} 59... Kg6 60. h7 Kg7 {That is a draw.}