“Morphy…I think everyone agrees…was probably the greatest of them all.” (Bobby Fischer)
This years chess match between Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik takes place 150 years after one of the greatest world championship matches in history. In 1858, the two best chess players in the world, Paul Morphy and Adolph Anderssen, battled in Paris to determine which player was the greatest. When Morphy arrived in Paris to play Anderssen, he was stricken with a severe flu. His medical treatment was typical for the time period and included being leeched and drained of four pints of blood. Paul Morphy was so weak that he played the match from his hotel bed. Despite the disadvantage of playing while ill, Morphy won the match with a 7-2 score. Many chess writers refuse to admit that Morphy was the world champion. The logic these writers use to deny the fact is rooted in their attitude of European supremacy and is easily refuted by chess historians. Below are the games from the match. If you are an improving chess player who has not seen these chess treasures, you have your homework.
[Event “It Paris”]
[Site “It Paris”]
[Date “1858.??.??”]
[EventDate “?”]
[Round “?”]
[Result “0-1”]
[White “Paul Morphy”]
[Black “Adolf Anderssen”]
[ECO “C52”]
[WhiteElo “?”]
[BlackElo “?”]
[PlyCount “144”]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O
Nf6 8.e5 d5 9.Bb5 Ne4 10.cxd4 O-O 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Qa4 Bb6
13.Qxc6 Bg4 14.Bb2 Bxf3 15.gxf3 Ng5 16.Nd2 Re8 17.Kh1 Nh3
18.f4 Qh4 19.Qxd5 Nxf2+ 20.Kg1 Nd3 21.Bc3 Nxf4 22.Qf3 Nh3+
23.Kh1 Ng5 24.Qg2 Rad8 25.Rg1 h6 26.Raf1 Qh3 27.Qc6 Qd7 28.Qg2
Bxd4 29.Bxd4 Qxd4 30.Nf3 Qd5 31.h4 Ne6 32.Qg4 Qc6 33.Rg2 Rd3
34.Qf5 Red8 35.Qf6 Qd5 36.Qf5 Rd1 37.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 38.Kh2 Rd3
39.Rf2 Re3 40.Nd2 Re2 41.Qxf7+ Kh8 42.Ne4 Rxf2+ 43.Nxf2 Qd5
44.Ng4 Qxa2+ 45.Kg3 Qb3+ 46.Kh2 Qc2+ 47.Kg3 Qc3+ 48.Kh2 Qc6
49.h5 a5 50.Nf6 gxf6 51.Qxf6+ Kg8 52.Qg6+ Kf8 53.Qxh6+ Ke8
54.Qg6+ Kd7 55.h6 Qd5 56.h7 Qxe5+ 57.Kg1 Ng5 58.h8=Q Qxh8
59.Qxg5 Qd4+ 60.Kf1 a4 61.Qf5+ Kc6 62.Qc8 Kb5 63.Ke1 c5
64.Qb7+ Kc4 65.Qf7+ Kc3 66.Qf3+ Qd3 67.Qf6+ Kb3 68.Qb6+ Kc2
69.Qa7 Qc3+ 70.Ke2 a3 71.Qa4+ Kb2 72.Qb5+ Qb3 0-1
[Event "Paris m"]
[Site "02"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Adolf Anderssen"]
[Black "Paul Morphy"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "88"]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.Bc2 d5
8.exd5 Nxd5 9.h3 O-O 10.O-O h6 11.d4 exd4 12.cxd4 Bb6 13.Nc3
Ndb4 14.Bb1 Be6 15.a3 Nd5 16.Ne2 Nf6 17.Be3 Re8 18.Ng3 Bc4
19.Nf5 Bxf1 20.Qxf1 Ne7 21.N3h4 Nxf5 22.Nxf5 Qd7 23.Bxh6 gxh6
24.Qc1 Bxd4 25.Qxh6 Re1+ 26.Kh2 Ne4 27.Bxe4 Rxe4 28.Qg5+ Kf8
29.Qh6+ Ke8 30.Nxd4 Qd6+ 31.Qxd6 cxd6 32.Rd1 Kf8 33.Rd2 Rae8
34.g4 R8e5 35.f3 Re1 36.h4 Rd5 37.Kg3 a5 38.h5 Kg8 39.Kf2 Re8
40.Kg3 Kh7 41.Kf4 Re7 42.Kg3 f6 43.Kf4 Re8 44.Kg3 Re7 1/2-1/2
[Event "Paris"]
[Site "Paris"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Paul Morphy"]
[Black "Adolf Anderssen"]
[ECO "C65"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "41"]
1.e4 {Notes by Lowenthal} e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d4 Nxd4
5.Nxd4 exd4 6.e5 c6 {A weak move and the cause of all
subsequent embarrassment.} 7.O-O cxb5 8.Bg5 {Much stronger
play then taking the Knight at once.} Be7 {The only correct
reply. If ...h6 White can play either Re1 or exf6 and in each
case win with ease.} 9.exf6 Bxf6 {...gxf6 would have been
equally bad, for White's reply would have been Qxd4, with a
won game.} 10.Re1+ Kf8 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.c3 d5 13.cxd4 Be6
14.Nc3 a6 15.Re5 Rd8 16.Qb3 Qe7 17.Rae1 {Vigorously and ably
followed up.} g5 {Apprehensive of the advance of the f pawn.}
18.Qd1 Qf6 19.R1e3 Rg8 {Losing the game offhand; it was
previously, however, past all recovery.} 20.Rxe6 1-0
[Event "Paris m"]
[Site "04"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Adolf Anderssen"]
[Black "Paul Morphy"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "102"]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.Bc2 d5
8.exd5 Nxd5 9.h3 O-O 10.O-O h6 11.d4 exd4 12.cxd4 Bb6 13.Nc3
Ndb4 14.Bb1 Be6 15.a3 Nd5 16.Be3 Nf6 17.Qd2 Re8 18.Rd1 Bd5
19.Ne5 Qd6 20.Qc2 Nxd4 21.Bxd4 Bxd4 22.Nxd5 Qxe5 23.Nxf6+ Qxf6
24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Be4 Rad8 26.Kh1 Bxb2 27.Rab1 Rxd1+ 28.Rxd1 Qxf2
29.Qh8+ Ke7 30.Qh7 Be5 31.Bf3 Qg3 32.Kg1 Qg6 33.Qxg6 fxg6
34.Bb7 Rb8 35.Bxa6 c6 36.Kf2 Bd6 37.Rd3 Kd7 38.Ke2 Ra8 39.Bb7
Rxa3 40.Bc8+ Kc7 41.Rd1 Ra2+ 42.Kf3 Bc5 43.Be6 Rf2+ 44.Kg3 Rf6
45.Rd7+ Kb6 46.Bg4 Bd6+ 47.Kh4 c5 48.Bf3 c4 49.Rxg7 Rf4+
50.Bg4 c3 51.g3 Rxg4+ 0-1
[Event "Paris"]
[Site "05"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Paul Morphy"]
[Black "Adolf Anderssen"]
[ECO "B01"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "107"]
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bf5 6.Nf3 e6 7.Be3
Bb4 8.Qb3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Be4 10.Nd2 Bc6 11.Bd3 Nbd7 12.Qc2 h6
13.O-O O-O 14.Rae1 b6 15.h3 Qc8 16.Kh2 Kh8 17.Rg1 Rg8 18.g4 g5
19.f4 Qf8 20.Rg3 Rd8 21.Nf3 Bxf3 22.Rxf3 Qd6 23.Kg2 Nh5
24.fxg5 hxg5 25.gxh5 g4 26.hxg4 Rxg4+ 27.Kf1 f5 28.Qf2 Ne5
29.dxe5 Qxd3+ 30.Qe2 Qe4 31.Bf2 Qc6 32.Rd1 Rxd1+ 33.Qxd1 Qxc4+
34.Qd3 Qxa2 35.Rg3 Qc4 36.Qxc4 Rxc4 37.Rg6 Rc6 38.c4 a5 39.Ke2
Rxc4 40.Rxe6 Rc2+ 41.Kf3 a4 42.Rg6 Rc4 43.Rg1 a3 44.e6 a2
45.Ra1 Re4 46.Rxa2 Rxe6 47.Kf4 Rd6 48.Kxf5 Rd5+ 49.Kg4 b5
50.Ra8+ Kh7 51.Ra7 Rd7 52.Bg3 Rg7+ 53.Kh4 Rf7 54.Rxc7 1-0
[Event "Paris m"]
[Site "06"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Adolf Anderssen"]
[Black "Paul Morphy"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "84"]
1.a3 e5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e3 Be6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Be2
O-O 8.d4 Nxc3 9.bxc3 e4 10.Nd2 f5 11.f4 g5 12.Bc4 Bxc4 13.Nxc4
gxf4 14.exf4 Qe8 15.O-O Qc6 16.Qb3 Qd5 17.Rb1 b6 18.Qa2 c6
19.Qe2 Nd7 20.Ne3 Qe6 21.c4 Nf6 22.Rb3 Kf7 23.Bb2 Rac8 24.Kh1
Rg8 25.d5 cxd5 26.cxd5 Qd7 27.Nc4 Ke7 28.Bxf6+ Kxf6 29.Qb2+
Kf7 30.Rh3 Rg7 31.Qd4 Kg8 32.Rh6 Bf8 33.d6 Rf7 34.Rh3 Qa4
35.Rc1 Rc5 36.Rg3+ Bg7 37.h3 Kh8 38.Rxg7 Rxg7 39.Rc3 e3
40.Rxe3 Rxc4 41.Qf6 Rc1+ 42.Kh2 Qxf4+ 0-1
[Event "Paris"]
[Site "07"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Paul Morphy"]
[Black "Adolf Anderssen"]
[ECO "B01"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "49"]
1.e4 {Notes by Lowenthal} d5 {We consider this mode of evading
an open game as decidedly inferior to either ...e6 or ...c5,
(the French and Sicilian openings) though but some short time
ago it was in high repute, and was even adopted by
Mr. Staunton at the Birmingham meeting.} 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5
{...Qd8 is frequently played, but the move in the text is
preferable.} 4.d4 e5 5.dxe5 Qxe5+ 6.Be2 Bb4 7.Nf3 {Sacrificing
a pawn to obtain a more speedy development of his pieces.}
Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Qxc3+ 9.Bd2 Qc5 10.Rb1 Nc6 11.O-O Nf6 12.Bf4 O-O
{Attempting to defend the c pawn would only have led him into
difficulty.} 13.Bxc7 Nd4 14.Qxd4 Qxc7 15.Bd3 Bg4 16.Ng5 Rfd8
17.Qb4 Bc8 {There appears to be no other mode of saving the
pawn; for if ...b6, White would have taken the h pawn with the
knight, and won a pawn.} 18.Rfe1 a5 19.Qe7 Qxe7 20.Rxe7 Nd5
{This is an instructive position} 21.Bxh7+ Kh8 22.Rxf7 Nc3
23.Re1 Nxa2 24.Rf4 Ra6 25.Bd3 1-0
[Event "Paris m"]
[Site "08"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Adolf Anderssen"]
[Black "Paul Morphy"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "101"]
1.a3 {Notes by Lowenthal} e5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5
5.e3 Be6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Be2 O-O 8.d4 Nxc3 9.bxc3 e4 10.Nd2 f5
11.f4 {Taking means to stop the further advance of the f pawn,
which he evidently apprehended might prove objectionable. The
range of the adverse King's Bishop is also contracted by this
move.} Qh4+ 12.g3 Qh3 13.Bf1 Qh6 14.c4 c6 15.c5 Bc7 16.Bc4 Nd7
17.O-O b5 18.cxb6 axb6 19.Qb3 Rfe8 20.Bb2 b5 21.Bxe6+ Qxe6
22.Qc2 Qd5 23.Rfc1 Ra6 24.a4 Rea8 25.axb5 Qxb5 26.Qc4+ Qxc4
27.Nxc4 Rxa1 28.Bxa1 Nf6 29.Bc3 Ra2 30.Bd2 Nd5 31.Kf1 Bd8
32.Ke1 Be7 33.Rb1 h6 34.Ne5 c5 35.dxc5 Bxc5 36.Rb5 Nxe3 {Very
prettily played.} 37.Rxc5 Ng2+ 38.Ke2 {If Kd1, Black would
equally have pushed on the e Pawn.} e3 39.Nf3 g6 40.Rd5 Kf7
41.Rd6 Kg7 42.h4 exd2 43.Rxd2 Ra4 {This mode of securing the
draw is highly ingenious; his opponent cannot prevent it, play
as he may.} 44.Kf2 Nxf4 45.gxf4 Rxf4 46.Rd4 Rxd4 47.Nxd4 Kf6
48.Ke3 g5 49.h5 Ke5 50.Nf3+ Kf6 51.Nd4 1/2-1/2
[Event "Paris m"]
[Site "Paris m"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Paul Morphy"]
[Black "Adolf Anderssen"]
[ECO "B44"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "33"]
1.e4 {Notes by Lowenthal} c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Nxd4 e6
5.Nb5 d6 {This is better than ...a6; but even now the King's
Bishop is shut in, and the Queen's Pawn rendered weak.} 6.Bf4
{Correctly played, compelling the advance of the e-Pawn, which
leaves the Queen's Pawn weak and unsupported.} e5 7.Be3 f5
{...a6 would have been sounder play, but even then the game
would have been in favor of the first player.} 8.N1c3 {A fine
conception.} f4 {Had Black played ...a6, White's reply would
still have been Nd5, with a winning game.} 9.Nd5 fxe3 10.Nbc7+
Kf7 11.Qf3+ Nf6 12.Bc4 {The attack is now irresistable.} Nd4
13.Nxf6+ d5 {If the Bishop had been interposed, White would
have taken it, checking; and on Knight retaking have played
Nd5 discovering check, and won without difficulty.} 14.Bxd5+
Kg6 {Had the Queen captured the Bishop, White would have taken
with Knight, discovering check, and have remained eventually
with a Pawn ahead and a winning position.} 15.Qh5+ Kxf6
16.fxe3 {Ne8+, seemingly a good move, is only in appearance,
as Black might have taken it when placed there; and on White
taking Queen, have answered with ...Bb4+, obtaining a winning
game.} Nxc2+ 17.Ke2 1-0
[Event "Paris m"]
[Site "10"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Adolf Anderssen"]
[Black "Paul Morphy"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "153"]
1.a3 e5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e3 Be6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Be2
O-O 8.O-O Nxc3 9.bxc3 f5 10.d4 e4 11.Nd2 Rf6 12.f4 Rh6 13.g3
Nd7 14.Nc4 Bxc4 15.Bxc4+ Kh8 16.Ra2 Qe7 17.a4 Nf6 18.Qb3 c6
19.Be6 Re8 20.Bc4 Ng4 21.Rg2 Rb8 22.Be2 Nf6 23.c4 b6 24.Bb2
Qf7 25.Qc2 Be7 26.Bc3 Rg8 27.a5 Bd6 28.axb6 axb6 29.Ra1 g5
30.fxg5 Rxg5 31.Ra8+ Rg8 32.Qa4 Rxa8 33.Qxa8+ Qe8 34.Qxe8+
Nxe8 35.c5 Bc7 36.Bc4 Kg7 37.cxb6 Bxb6 38.Rb2 Bc7 39.Rb7 Kf6
40.Bb4 Rg6 41.Bf8 h5 42.Kf2 h4 43.gxh4 Rg4 44.h5 Rh4 45.h6
Rxh2+ 46.Kg1 Rh3 47.Bf1 Rg3+ 48.Kf2 Rg4 49.Bc4 Rh4 50.Bg8 Bd6
51.Bxd6 Nxd6 52.Rd7 Ne8 53.h7 Kg5 54.Re7 Nd6 55.Re6 Nc4
56.Rxc6 Nd2 57.Ke2 Rh2+ 58.Kd1 Nf3 59.Rc7 Kg6 60.d5 f4 61.exf4
e3 62.Re7 e2+ 63.Rxe2 Rh1+ 64.Kc2 Nd4+ 65.Kd2 Nxe2 66.Kxe2 Kg7
67.Ke3 Re1+ 68.Kd4 Rf1 69.Ke5 Re1+ 70.Kf5 Rd1 71.Be6 Rd4
72.Ke5 Rd1 73.f5 Rh1 74.f6+ Kxh7 75.Kd6 Ra1 76.Ke7 Ra7+ 77.Bd7
1-0
[Event "Paris m"]
[Site "11"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Paul Morphy"]
[Black "Adolf Anderssen"]
[ECO "C00"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "71"]
1.e4 {Notes by Lowenthal} e6 2.d4 g6 3.Bd3 Bg7 4.Be3 {The
student cannot fail of observing that in almost every French
game Mr. Morphy plays his Bishops to e3 and d3, and they
appear well placed here, and come into efficient action when
called upon. It is a novelty, however, in Chess play, and
will, doubtless, meet with attention at the hands of authors
on the game.} c5 5.c3 cxd4 6.cxd4 Nc6 7.Ne2 Nge7 8.O-O O-O
9.Nbc3 d5 10.e5 f6 11.f4 fxe5 12.fxe5 a6 13.Qd2 Nb4 14.Bg5
Nxd3 15.Qxd3 Bd7 16.Qh3 Qe8 17.Ng3 Rc8 18.Rxf8+ Qxf8 19.Rf1
Qe8 20.Qh4 Nf5 21.Nxf5 gxf5 22.Rf3 {This Rook is now well
posted, and ready for effective co-operation with the rest of
the attacking pieces.} Bb5 23.Rg3 {Rh3 would have been weak,
while by the move in the text White gains an undeniable
advantage in position.} Rc7 24.Bf6 f4 {This, says Mr. Morphy,
appears the only move to ward off the attack, if 24...Kh8
25.Rxg7 Rxg7 26.Nxb5 Qxb5 27.Qh6 Qd7 28.h4 Qf7 29.h5 Qc7 30.a3
Qd7 31.Kf2 Qf7 32.Kf3 Qc7 33.g3 Qd7 34.Qxg7+ Qxg7 35.h6 Qxf6
36.exf6 Kg8 37.Kf4 Kf7 38.Ke5 and must win.}- 25.Qxf4 Qf8
26.Nxb5 axb5 27.Qh6 Kh8 28.Rxg7 Rxg7 29.Kf2 {Contemplating the
exchange of pieces, and the bringing of the King to attack the
isolated Pawns; the game, however, was an easy one to win.}
Kg8 30.Qxg7+ Qxg7 31.Bxg7 Kxg7 32.Kf3 b4 33.g4 b6 34.h4 b5
35.Ke3 b3 36.a3 1-0