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Paul Morphy vs James McConnell
Odds Game (Nb1) (1858) (unorthodox), New Orleans, LA USA
Chess variants (000)  ·  1-0

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White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

find similar games 7 more Morphy/J McConnell games
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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-12-04  Morty: White's bishop on a3 leads to black's ultimate demise (it dissolves the ability to castle kingside). It is strange to watch a game played in an almost "perfect" Evan's Gambit fashion without a knight starting at b1. I believe these group of games, where Morphy gives his opponents odds of a minor piece or rook (or sometimes even a queen(!) or two(!!) minor pieces) displays his overwhelming natural talent as a player and tactician.
Mar-24-05  Mate Hunter: 16...fxe6 was a blunder, it leads to queen trap. 16...Qe8 is better but black loses his queen every way (17.Rxc7+ Bxc7 18.Bxe8) but if white plays 17.Rxb6 black plays 17...Qg8 and black can't win the rook (18.Qxa7 cxb6 19.Rc1+ Nc5 20.Bxc5 [20...bxc5 21.Rxc5#] 20...Be4 or 20...fxe6 21.Bxb6#)
May-09-05  chess man: A very enjoyable game and an example of Morphy using the Evan's Gambit.
Apr-13-06  MorphyMatt: The refutation of 6... ♘f6?! was later found to be 7. d4 exd4 (7... ♗b6 8. dxe5 ♘xe4 9. ♕d5!) 8. cxd4 ♗b6 9. e5 d5 10. exf6 dxc4 11. ♖e1+! ♔f8 (11... ♗e6 12. d5 or 11... ♔d7 12. d5 ♘a5 13. ♘e5+ ♔d6 (13... ♔e8 14. ♘c6+) 14. ♘xf7+) 12. ♗a3+ (Maybe 12. ♗g5 is as good?) 12... ♔g8 13. d5 ♘a5 14. ♗e7! ♕d7 15. fxg7 ♔xg7 16. ♕d2 (Threatening 17. ♕g5#) 16... ♕g4 (16... f6 17. ♗xf6+! ♔xf6 18. ♕g5+ ♔f7 19. ♘e5+) 17. ♕c3+ ♔g8 18. ♕xh8+!! ♔xh8 19. ♗f6+ ♔g8 (19... ♕g7 20. ♖e8#) 20. ♖e8#
Apr-03-08  heuristic: Morphy seems so focused on development first that stronger moves are deferred until later. 11.Qb3 is really strong, but Re1, Rc1 & Bc5 complete WHT's development.

The shot 17.Rxb6! comes from the BLK's cramped position and three really weak moves; 13...Qd7, 14...Bxf3 and 16...fxe6.

11.Qb3 f5 12.exf6 gxf6 13.Rae1 f5 14.Bd5 Qe7
(11...Nxf4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.Rad1 Bxe5 14.f4)
(11...Bxd4? 12.Rae1 0-0 13.Rxe4 Na5 14.Qd3)

13...Bd7 14.Qb3 a6 15.Bd3 Bg4 16.Qa4 Ra7

14...Kd8 15.Rxc6 bxc6 16.Bxc6 Qf5 17.Qb3

16...Qxe6 17.Rxe6 fxe6 18.gxf3 Nc3 19.Qb3 Nxb5 20.Qxb5 Bxd4 21.Rxe6

Aug-09-08  JoergWalter: Guys, I have to say that the "refutation" of 6. ...Nf6 as given by MorphyMatt is just the game Evans-McDonnell from 1829!!. 6. ...Nf6 is the classical defense and sound but hard to play in conjunction with exd4. Besides the game continued: 17. Rxb6 c6 18. Bxc6 bxc6 19.Qa6+.
Jan-25-09  WhiteRook48: 17. ? White uses the discovered attack to win a piece! Great tactics! 17. Rxb6!!
Mar-30-11  laskerdog: Nothing but pure genius. Every move and countermove is logical. This is a tutorial of the significance of tempi
Aug-20-11  Kaisersoeze: Also instructive here is Morphy's beautiful "zwischenzug" (intermediary move) 16. e6. If Morphy had played 16. rxb, McConnell replies with Qg4! threatening mate. 16. e6 closes the Queen's counterattack diagonal first, making the discovered attack irrefutable.
Jan-12-15  gmelfranco: como le tiende la telaraÑa morphy es lo maximo del ajedrez el mejor del mundo ---
Mar-29-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  juan31: Master Fischer dijo que Morphy era el jugador más preciso de la historia. ¿ Alguien lo duda?
Aug-04-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: Hold on, this reminds me of this game against James McConnell :

Morphy vs J McConnell, 1857

Apr-21-23  paulmorphy1969: Max Lange - Paul Morphy Sein Leben und Schaffen Game75 pag.88 which dates it to 1857 New York attributing to the opponent's name A...z. , as if to indicate the name Alonzo, but it is clearly an error, the game here is given until the 19th move. Link: https://books.google.it/books?id=7c... This game was published in The Chess Montley of July 1858 vol.2 game CXXXVI pag.204/5,without date and opponent's name but informing that he was a member of the New Orleans Chess Club,game ends after 17 moves.Link : https://books.google.it/books?id=0M... Also published in New York Ledger, Dec 24, 1859 undated, but with opponent's name James McConnell and ends after 17 moves. (I assume the year is 1858, the year the knight advantage began to James McConnell, moreover there are no traces that McConnel was in New York in 1857) link: https://www.chessarch.com/excavatio...
Apr-21-23  paulmorphy1969: this is the same game of
Paul Morphy vs NN
Knight Odds game (1857) (unorthodox), New York USA Chess variants (000) · 1-0
Morphy vs NN, 1857
Apr-28-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: Changing the game site from New York to New Orleans on the strength of the introduction given in the <Chess Monthly>, July 1858, p.204: <Between Mr. Morphy and an amateur of the New Orleans Club.>
Apr-29-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  fredthebear: That certainly makes sense since both players (friends) were from New Orleans.

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