Notice how by move 11 Morphy has all four minor pieces and his queen in play, but his opponent has only managed to get two pieces out and castled. What is more one of white's developed pieces is about to be swapped off and this is in a gambit line where he has given up a pawn for rapid development.
Originally posted by DeepThought Notice how by move 11 Morphy has all four minor pieces and his queen in play, but his opponent has only managed to get two pieces out and castled. What is more one of white's developed pieces is about to be swapped off and this is in a gambit line where he has given up a pawn for rapid development.
Yes. White however was more developed than many of morphy's opponents. LOL.
Perhaps it's worth pointing out that White was a French-born American player called Napoleon Marache, rather than his more famous namesake, Napoleon Bonehead.
Originally posted by Data Fly Perhaps it's worth pointing out that White was a French-born American player called Napoleon Marache, rather than his more famous namesake, Napoleon Bonehead.
He still had to face his own Waterloo in that game though 🙂
We know all about Morphy, how about his opponent, Napoleon Marache.
Marache was born 3 years and 3 days after the Battle of Waterloo.
This link is an excellent Wiki article (some do exists) on Marache written by a chess player.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Marache
Napoleon Marache - Paul Morphy. New York, 1857
FEN
r1bqk1nr/pppp1ppp/2n5/b7/2BpP3/2P2N2/P4PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 7
[FEN "r1bqk1nr/pppp1ppp/2n5/b7/2BpP3/2P2N2/P4PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 7"]
7. e5 {This was a TN and it's possible Marache plotted this on his kitchen table before the game.} 7... d5 8. exd6 Qxd6 9. O-O {Threatening Re1+} 9... Nge7 10. Ng5 O-O 11. Bd3 {Here White would have been expecting g6 or h6 and he gets some play with Ba3 and Ne4 ideas. But Morphy squelches the 'some play' plan with a developing move that Marache must have dismissed as unplayable.} 11... Bf5 {This sacs the exchange but the time gained was much more important. to Morphy.} 12. Bxf5 Nxf5 13. Ba3 {Thie Bishop makes the first of the next 5 moves. That is the .time Morphy was after.} 13... Qg6 14. Bxf8 Qxg5 15. Ba3 dxc3 {Not just nicking a pawn. This keeps the b1 Knight out of the game which in turn is keeping the a1 Rook bottled up.} 16. Bc1 Qg6 17. Bf4 {Finally it finds a reasonable square. Meanwhile Morphy brings up the reserves.} 17... Rd8 18. Qc2 Ncd4 19. Qe4 {Now it's time for the tricks based around the undefended White Queen.} 19... Ng3 20. Qxg6 Nde2 {Very possibly the first pure two Knght mate in history.}
Originally posted by greenpawn34 We know all about Morphy, how about his opponent, Napoleon Marache.
Marache was born 3 years and 3 days after the Battle of Waterloo.
This link is an excellent Wiki article (some do exists) on Marache written by a chess player.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Marache
Napoleon Marache - Paul Morphy. New York, 1857
[pgn]
[FEN "r1bqk1nr ...[text shortened]... ueen.} 19... Ng3 20. Qxg6 Nde2 {Very possibly the first pure two Knght mate in history.} [/pgn]
Thanks for the annotation and the link. On move 15. ... dxc3 (shown as move 9 in your annotation), I'd thought it was to make a square for the knight I hadn't really seen the constriction of white's pieces.
Two knights the knight
24 Feb '15 20:48
Back to Top