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Paul Morphy vs James Thompson
Knight Odds game (1859) (unorthodox), New York, NY USA
Chess variants (000)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

find similar games 22 more Morphy/J Thompson games
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Kibitzer's Corner
May-04-06  MrMelad: This is one of the best morphy games i've seen. Not only that he give a knigt odds he also give both bishops and some pawns! Poor Thompson.. I wonder what he was thinking after 15. Qe4.
Jul-05-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  ketchuplover: I think 15...hxg5 is a good try.
Jul-05-07  MrMelad: <ketchuplover>

Well, after examining your claim for over an hour I have come to the conclusion that you might be right! Thank you for that lovely idea, I guess it's trivial but it is still Morphy...

15..hxg5 16.exd6+ is the only continuation I can think of for white (since 16.♖xc6 fails to 16...bxc6 17.♗xc6+ ♔xe7 18.♖d7+ ♔f8). But now 16...♗e7!! is black's powerful answer and might save his day. It seems at first glance that this position is winning for white due to the double threat after 17.dxe7 on the queen and on the knight, but now black can answer with 17...♕e6!. avoding both threats and forcing the exchanging of the remaining attacking pieces.


click for larger view

Now white can only capture with 18.♗xc6 bxc6 and white is all out of ideas and a piece down. He might capture some pawns but I'm afraid thats all he is going to do. I guess Morphy missed 17...♕e6 and Thompson was obviously afraid to walk into Morphy's frightning looking 16.exd6+.

Now, if any owner of Fritz or someone stronger then me would like to correct this, I would be realy happy to see that. It is hard to beleive that I could find a line to refute the great Morphy so please be kind even if I am shamefuly wrong...

Jul-05-07  Assassinater: Is your final position really won for black? I'm look at 18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. Qa4 and... well... it looks pretty brutal. Kxe7 runs into Re1 so the king can't really move and there's a nasty little discovery that seems to be waiting to happen.
Jul-06-07  MrMelad: 19.♕a4 ♖h6 and white's position doesn't look that brutal at all. Now if 20.♖e1 ♕d7 21.♖c1d1 ♖d6! and again, white seems lost. Maybe I still miss something?
Jul-06-07  MrMelad: However, it is obvious that if it wasn't an odds game Morphy would be winning bigtime even acording to our analysis, the fact that his position is loosing shouldn't teach us any real thing about his true strength, he might as well knew all of this and still beleived Thompson wouldn't see it. After all he did start the game from a loosing position...
Jul-06-07  Assassinater: Whoops! Yes, I forgot about the potential of the rook swinging over. Even Nf6 with the plan of Rh4 looks decent for black... Good catch.
Jan-27-09  WhiteRook48: an en passant discovered check. You don't see that often
Jan-29-09  heuristic: there's alot going on in this game.

14.Qe4 seems better.
14...hxg5 15.exd6+ Be7 16.dxe7 Qe6
14...d5 15.Rxd5 Qe6 16.Bxc6+
14...axb5 15.exd6+ Be7 16.dxe7

14...hxg5 seems better.
15.Rxc6 Rc8 16.Rxa6 c6 17.Bxc6

15...Be7 seems better.
16.Bxc6 bxc6 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.Qxc6+
16.exd6 cxd6 17.Bxe7 Qxe7
16.Bxe7 axb5 17.exd6 Nxe7
16.e6 Qxe6 17.Bxc6+ bxc6

15...hxg5 is interesting.
16.exd6+ Be7 17.dxe7 Qe6 18.Bxc6+ bx6
16.Bxc6 bxc6 17.exd6+ Be7
16.Rxc6 axb5 17.exd6+ Be7

Apr-28-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  mistermac: <MrMelad: This is one of the best morphy games i've seen. Not only that he give a knigt odds he also give both bishops and some pawns! Poor Thompson.. I wonder what he was thinking after 15. Qe4.>

Was Thompson aware of e.p. possibility, as possibly the rule was not well known, as it apparently only became universally accepted about 1860.

Apr-14-19  morfishine: Bout as smooth as it gets

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