Hands up all those think this is the greatest film ever.
OK. Hands up all those who think this film is pretty good.
OK Hands up all those who think this film is totally naff.
OK. you did not like it and most of you have probably never seen it.
But if you do then look out for the framed picture of Paul Morphy on
the wall with the tall blonde haired man with the mega huge forehead.
As most of you know I am an avid collector of all things to do
with the American Civil War and recently, thanks to E-Bay,
I happily purchased a genuine Confederate Cap (£2.99 + post)
You can image my surprise when I discovered tucked inside the hat band.
The copy is pretty poor but it is the marriage certificate proving
that Paul Charles Morphy married Mildred Lucinda Clutterbutt
on June 17th 1863 at The Latter Day All Saints Church at 3 pm.
I’ve sent it off to that well historian Ed Summers for authentication.
Let us stay with Morphy. I have no choice I see him every time I play over a game.
Here is a lesser known game. Saint Amant, whose play in this game was described
as ‘feeble’, by Sergeant, is one of those bygone players whose name you often
see mentioned as an unofficial World Champion in lists dating back to Greco. The
title was finally recognised by everyone when Wilhelm Steinitz claimed it in 1886.
De Saint Amant - P. Morphy, Paris 1858
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.}
A few things to catch up on. First the trap mentioned on page 46 in this book.
Basekick - zonnebloem RHP 2011
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.}
Now two more RHP games showing the two different captures of c3.
Tyrone Sylvester - Olympos RHP 2015
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+
And the capture on c3 with the Bishop. Hey look, it’s me!
greenpawn34 - Antonio Alma RHP 2012
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.}
One player who writers like to compared with Morphy is Mikhail Tal.
This is wrong. Tal was a much better all round player. Of course Tal would have been
enthralled by Morphy’s games but he and many others took Morphy to a higher level.
The great difference with Morphy is you as the reader and the student get the feeling:
“Hey I could do that!” and often, especially at the lower level, you get the chance to
display Morphy like combinations using seeds planted by careful study of his games.
Some of Tal’s combinations are breath taking requiring an innate talent and imagination
that this gifted genius was born with. You can faithfully study Morphy games replicating
his ideas, style and influence on the game. With pure Tal games you are astounded and
dazzled and hope some of his magic rubs off. You cannot teach anyone to play like Tal.
Morphy could not do a Tal diamond (nobody could ) but Tal imitating Morphy....
Tal - Petrosian USSR 1974
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.}
We look at another way Petrosian could have lost game.
FEN
rnq1brk1/ppp2pb1/6p1/6N1/2B5/8/PPPQ1PPP/3RR1K1 w - - 0 21
Here is a typical and entertaining RHP game between to 1800 RHP players.
White plays a known sac, one infact he tried before in 2012 Game 9161860
Black coolly defends following the theoretical defence and just when it appears
he has weathered the storm and is coming out of the shelter to greet the blue sky
he allows white to play 25.f6. This cripples Black, the shelter doors are locked.
CrawlIce - lacrimos RHP 2017
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
Been a while since we stocked up the museum with more misery and doom.
We saw Morphy targeting a White h3 pawn. The same idea, but this time unsound.
js00 - joeyn RHP.2012
FEN
r2qkb1r/pppb1ppp/2np4/4p3/P3Pn2/2P2N1P/1PBP1PP1/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 8
[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.}
The next three were all played very recently. Next another Self-Mate.
rtshea - JEFF BEALE RHP 2017
FEN
5rk1/1pp1Q1pp/8/p4pBn/Pn1q2b1/6P1/1PP2P1P/R3R1K1 w - - 0 1
[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.}
We have a theme for the week. Self- Mates.
Artedinburgh - Simpkinsov RHP 2017
FEN
6k1/2R4b/5p1p/2p3p1/P1P5/3PK3/7P/1B4r1 w - - 0 40
[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
End of Self-Mate Theme. This next one is a Self-Resigns in a drawn position.
IVO JURKIC - Dannyfonk RHP 2017
FEN
8/1B4p1/5p2/4k3/p5PP/2K5/8/8 w - - 0 50
[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.}
