Philidor at the Opera (not Morphy)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxe5 Nxe4 5. Nbd2 { Sokolsky’s idea.} 5... Nxd2 6. Bxd2 dxe5 {White does take back the e5 pawn but plays...} 7. Bc4 f6 {This looks like a typical RHP response. It looks good because after...} 8. Nxe5 fxe5 9. Qh5+ g6 10. Qxe5+ Qe7 {...Black gets the Queens off and is a piece up.} 11. Bc3 {But after this easy to miss move Black has to give the piece back.} 11... Qxe5+ 12. Bxe5 {The f8 Bishop has to give itself up to save the h8 Rook.} 12... Bb4+ 13. c3 Bxc3+ {The Bishop sells itself for a pawn.} 14. Bxc3 Rf8 15. O-O-O {The threat is Rhe1+ The Black King needs a hidey hole.} 15... Bd7 16. Rhe1+ Kd8 17. Be6 Kc8 {Break the pin before White doubles Rooks on the d-file.} 18. Rxd7 Nxd7 19. Rd1 {The Morphy Pin Trick.} 19... b5 {Give the King some running room.} 20. Rxd7 Kb7 21. Bd5+ Kc8 22. Rxh7 Rb8 23. Be5 {The two Bishops are carving up Black. 1-0 very soon.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxe5 Nxe4 5. Nbd2 Nxd2 6. Bxd2 dxe5 7. Bc4 {If now 7..Bd6 or 7...Nc6 8.Ng5 drums up a potent attack similar to the game.} 7... Be7 8. Nxe5 {So White wins back there pawn.} 8... O-O 9. Qh5 Be6 10. Bd3 {A direct and to the point attack. No messing about with this lad.} 10... g6 11. Nxg6 {Here he comes. A two piece sac. White will get the e6 Bishop back with a check.} 11... fxg6 12. Bxg6 Rf7 {13.0-0-0 would have been my move but what happens next is OK.} 13. Bxh7+ Rxh7 14. Qg6+ Rg7 15. Qxe6+ Rf7 {White has three pawns and an exposed King for the piece. A fair trade.} 16. Qg4+ {A few checks to see if the Black King goers to the wrong square.} 16... Rg7 17. Qc4+ Rf7 {18. Qg4+ and a perpetual is on the table.} 18. O-O-O {Good White plays on, and why not, White looks good here.} 18... Nc6 19. Qg4+ Rg7 20. Qe6+ Rf7 21. Bc3 {White is winning this, they just have to keep a calm head.} 21... Bd6 22. Qg6+ {We are at the 'only move' stage as far as Black is concerned.} 22... Kf8 {White now played 23.Qh5 we will what happened in that game later. Now we look at...} 23. Qh6+ {This is what should have been played. We look at was played next.} 23... Ke8 24. Rhe1+ Ne7 25. Bf6 Rxf6 {Best but Black is clearly losing no matter what they play here.} 26. Qxf6 Kd7 {The Black King heads for the hills.} 27. Qe6+ Kc6 {27...Ke8 28 Rd3 with Rh3 and Rh8 coming.} 28. Rxd6+ {The simplest way to wrap this up.} 28... Qxd6 29. Qxe7 {Force the Queens off three pawn up.} 29... Qf4+ {Black does not want the Queens off.} 30. Kb1 {30....Qxf2 and Black is mated in a few moves with 31.Re6+} 30... b6 31. Qe4+ {The Queen are off and that would have been 1-0.}

[FEN "r2q2k1/ppp2r2/2nbQ3/8/8/2B5/PPP2PPP/2KR3R w - - 0 22"]
22. Qg6+ Kf8 {We just saw that 23. Qh6+ was the best more here. In the game this happened.} 23. Qh5 Ne7 24. Rhe1 Qd7 {25.Qh6+ And White still has a good attack going but....} 25. Bd2 {White is losing the thread of the game. It's awful when this happens to you OTB.} 25... Ng8 26. Qd5 {Painful to watch, I've been there, your ideas dry up. White is attacking the b7 pawn.} 26... Qc6 27. Qg5 Re8 {A wonderful trap against a down hearted player now probably looking for a draw.} 28. Rxe8+ Qxe8 29. Re1 {White was expecting 29...Qc6 30.Qd8+ Kg7 31.Qg5+ Kf8 etc...} 29... Qxe1+ {White resigned. The finish is.} 30. Bxe1 Bf4+ {A difficult game to lose. I hope White got over it OK.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxe5 Nxe4 5. Nbd2 {The Sokolsky.} 5... Nxd2 6. Bxd2 dxe5 {White now took back the e-pawn. OK I'll them off this time.} 7. Nxe5 Qe7 {That is an annoying move.} 8. Qe2 {If Black wants a peaceful game then 8...Nd7 is the move here.} 8... Bf5 {Attacks the c2 pawn and little else.} 9. O-O-O g6 {The right idea, Bg7 and 0-0 but too slow 9...Nd7 held on.} 10. Bb4 {Wonderful play. 10....Qxb4 11.Nc6+ and mate with Rd8 next move.} 10... Qg5+ 11. Kb1 {Black is losing and had to try 11....Bxb4 and sit through 12,Nxg6 and Nxh8.} 11... Be6 {This stops the discovered check and allows a neat wrap up.} 12. Qb5+ c6 13. Nxc6 {Attacks the Queen and if 13....Qxb5 14.Rd8 mate. Black resigned.}