Morphy's Games of Chess

I just went and bought this book. I will now strive to annotate every move of every game (in part I) as well as memorize every game(in part I). I will then memorize a selection of Fischer games... I will update the fora on my progress and will see if it helps me improve in any way.

PS I still do tactics training every day!

Your opponents might not play openings dating back from 1857 very often.

Originally posted by tomtom232
I just went and bought this book. I will now strive to annotate every move of every game as well as memorize every game. I will then memorize a selection of Fischer games... I will update the fora on my progress and will see if it helps me improve in any way.

PS I still do tactics training every day!

I am waiting for my book, play 1.b3 by Ilya Odesskey, what has this got to do with
Fischer and Morphy? Check this game out,



where did Fischer get the idea of 13. Kh1, 14.Rg1 and 16. g4, from Morphy!

Notice blacks similar play with colours reversed, 15...Kh8 and ...g5 and ...Rg8

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
I am waiting for my book, play 1.b3 by Ilya Odesskey, what has this got to do with
Fischer and Morphy? Check this game out,

[pgn] [Event "Siegen Exhibition Ga"] [Site "Siegen Exhibition Ga"] [Date "1970.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Robert James Fischer"] [Black "Ulf Andersson"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A01"] [PlyCount "85"] [EventDate "1970.??.??"] ...[text shortened]...
where did Fischer get the idea of 13. Kh1, 14.Rg1 and 16. g4, from Morphy!

Actually the ideas are different. Fischer is creating an outpost and Morphy was attacking the king.

Originally posted by w0lver1ne
Your opponents might not play openings dating back from 1857 very often.

You would be surprised.

Originally posted by w0lver1ne
Your opponents might not play openings dating back from 1857 very often.

It isn't about the openings. I've noticed that most stronger players know many Morphy games... and then even stronger players know many super GM games.

BTW GP just watched Morphy at the Opera - The Duke's version and I must say that it is hilarious.

Originally posted by Paul Leggett
You would be surprised.

Actually if I had remembered the game Morphy-Isouard & Braunsweig, Paris, 1858 (though a classic) it would have helped in an OTB game last year. My opponent played the same variation of the Philidor defense.

I won, but not as brilliantly as Morphy.

I posted a knight sac, rook sac otb game I played in the difference between white and black thread which was straight out of Morphy's game.

Study Morphy's games they are well worthwhile.

Originally posted by nimzo5
I posted a knight sac, rook sac otb game I played in the difference between white and black thread which was straight out of Morphy's game.

Study Morphy's games they are well worthwhile.

Yeah, it was straight out of the Opera game!

Hi Tom Tom

I don't know about memorising whole games.
It's just the ideas and patterns you need. There will be an awful lot
of bad moves rolling around your memory, be careful they don't download.

Hi Robbie.
Fischer devoured everything he could get his hands on. He got his ideas
from everyone and was soon putting his own ideas into his games.
Fischer rated Morphy very highly and the game Fischer plays against Fine
in his 60 Memorable games is pure Morphy.

However it is a good link but the plan of Kh1 and Rg1 combined with that Bishop
on b2 seems logical (to us AFTER we have seen it).

A closer link from the olden golden era is:

Anderssen - Zukertort Barmen, 1869

Where see the idea in sparking fashion. Queen sac, Bishop sac, Rook lift mate.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi Tom Tom

I don't know about memorising whole games.
It's just the ideas and patterns you need. There will be an awful lot
of bad moves rolling around your memory, be careful they don't download.

Hi Robbie.
Fischer devoured everything he could get his hands on. He got his ideas
from everyone and was soon putting his own ideas into his games.
...[text shortened]... Kxh7 30.f6+ Kg8 {Now to get the Rook to h3 with tempo.}31.Bh7+ Kxh7 32.Rh3+ Kg8 33.Rh8[/pgn]

Hi GP

This is just the way my brain works. If I memorize everything from the moves to the date and players then my mind will organize it and I will recall the ideas and patterns much more clearly... plus, I may have dreams about them!

1st round, New York, 1857 so this is before his famous opera game.



This one is memorized now all that is left is to analyze and annotate.

Originally posted by w0lver1ne
Actually if I had remembered the game Morphy-Isouard & Braunsweig, Paris, 1858 (though a classic) it would have helped in an OTB game last year. My opponent played the same variation of the Philidor defense.

I won, but not as brilliantly as Morphy.

Similarly, one still could find useful an old Alekhine´s simultaneous game just for the opening Morphy had trouble with.

(I managed to lose my blitz game, though, but that´s another story...) 😉