For Paul Morphy, winning at chess was a performance art. He was always striving to produce masterpieces. Morphy’s unique talent, theoretical knowledge, and creativity allowed him to steer chess games toward spectacular finishes that are still admired centuries later. His checkmating combinations are some of the most beautiful ever played and to this day, chess players still find inspiration in the artful checkmating patterns Paul Morphy regularly utilized to defeat his opponents.
Remember that dinner party he attended at the request of August Ehrman on March 31, 1859. Morphy’s game against German chess composer Franz Schrüfer ended with a puzzle worthy smothered mate that was featured in “Winning Chess Moves: Morphy vs. Schrüfer, 1859.” Now, it’s time to look at the game in its entirety.
[Event “August Ehrmann’s Dinner Party”]
[Site “Paris FRA”]
[Date “1859.03.31”]
[Round “?”]
[White “Paul Morphy”]
[WhiteElo “?”]
[Black “Franz Schrüfer”]
[BlackElo “?”]
[Result “1-0”]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O Nxe4 6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3 Qh5
9.Nxe4 Be6 10.Neg5 Bb4 11.Rxe6+ fxe6 12.Nxe6 Qf7 13.Nfg5 Qe7 14.Qe2 Bd6
15.Nxg7+ Kd7 16.Qg4+ Kd8 17.Nf7+ Qxf7 18.Bg5+ Be7 19.Ne6+ Kc8 20.Nc5+ Kb8
21.Nd7+ Kc8 22.Nb6+ Kb8 23.Qc8+ Rxc8 24.Nd7#
1-0
On what move do you think Paul Morphy first imagined the spectacular finish?