Last night I dreamt about attending a dinner party with Paul Morphy. At some point in my dream I asked him what he was doing here as he died a long time ago. Unfortunately, this subconscious realization jolted me awake before the chess games started. Luckily, I know a real Morphy game played under similar circumstances so my dream could inspire today’s installment of Winning Chess Moves.
In the mid to late nineteenth century, Paul Morphy was a favorite guest among wealthy chess patrons. Imagine having Paul come to your house and entertain your friends at the chessboard. Play through a few of his games from such occasions and it is easy to see why he was a desired guest of honor in high society.
On March 31, 1859, Paul Morphy attended a dinner party hosted by August Ehrmann in Paris. While there, Morphy was obliged to play the German chess composer Franz Schrüfer who was a guest of Ehrmann.
The position below occurs after Franz Schrüfer (black) plays 20… Kb8. Paul Morphy (white) now has a pretty checkmating combination. Can you spot Morphy’s winning combination?
White to move and mate in 4 (Morphy vs. Schrüfer, 1859).
If you are having difficulties solving this chess puzzle, I recommend watching the video below and then giving it another go.
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