It is a neat idea, but fails against ...Qg6 and computer defence.

41.c6 bxc6 42.dxc6 Qg6 43 b6 axb6 44 axb6 Bxb6 45 Rxe5 dxe5 46 Rxe5

Now we have the same situation as with the queen on e6 or f6 with the crucial diffence that the queen is not threatened

so 46...Rf6 with winning chances.

But games like this where Morphy is crushed, but still wins may explain the passage in Anderssen's letter to Lasa where he says,

"He who plays with Morphy must not only renounce every hope of concealing even the subtlest traps, but he must also start with the idea that Morphy will clearly see through all, and that there can be no question of a misstep."

Actually I think if 42...Qg6 occurred in the game, Löwenthal would play 43 Rd1 and Morphy must still be careful.

for example after the preliminary 41.c6 bxc6 42.dxc6 Qg6

43 Rd1 Rb8 44 Qc4 Bxa5 45 Rxd6! (But of course Morphy would hardly fall for that either, but the tactics limit his counterplay.)

Sergeant says this game took 20 hours.

Löwenthal, before the analysis to c6 says

"The position, of which we give a diagram on account of its interest, was closely examined by some of the best analysts in the metropolis..."

I gather that it really bothered him that he didn't win this game and all the London players tried to find the right method.

Not a bad effort, but I wonder who the analysts were. Did Staunton somehow get included?

41. c6 bxc6 42. dxc6 Qg6 43. Ng4

(43. b6 axb6 44. axb6 Bxb6 45. Rxe5 dxe5 46. Rxe5 Rf6=/- (-0.61/13))

(43. Rd1 Rb8 44. Qc4 h5 45. Kg1 Rg8=/- (-0.39/14))

The more I look at this move, the less I like it. The Knight did well at f7, supporting both the d6 and e5 pawns, which are vulnerable to a potential c4-c5, and after a possible g5-g4 (which has been played thousands of times in the King's Indian Defense), the Knight has g5 available. I wonder if 35...h7-h5 would have been better. Morphy can follow with the g4 pawn sac, ...Kh8-g7, and Rg8-h8. Another alternative at move 35 is 35...a7-a6, which you sometimes see in the main lines of the KID.

Good Evening to you, sir.

Just looking at the position, my first impulse would be to play h5 before Nh6. The knight in front of the pawn just doesn't look right to me.

click for larger view

I was surprised to find Rybka's top two lines are Nh6 and h5. So many moves that look good to me are shown to be bogus under scrutiny. h5 is the "thematic" move to continue the pawn storm and shut out the knight on h2. But I am loathe to pronounce it superior to Morphy's move. Morphy may have seen something 15 or 20 moves ahead which favored Nh6. He possessed the finest memory of any player in history in addition to his creative skills.

Rybka's top two lines at 18 depth are:

1. = (0.21): 35...h5 36.c5 Rg7 37.c6 bxc6 38.dxc6 Be6 39.Kg1 Nh6 40.Rfd1 Rd8 41.Rd3 Nf5 42.Qd2

2. (0.36): 35...Nh6 36.Qd3 Rgf8 37.c5 Re7 38.a6 b6 39.c6 Bc8 40.Rc1 Nf5 41.Nf1 h5 42.Kg1

Notice that in the Nh6 line, Rybka prefers 36. Qd3 to the Re2 played in the game.

The real joke on Rybka here is the position after the Nh6 line is clearly better for black. In fact after the pawn sac 42...b5, black is probably winning. 41. Bxf5 equalizes.

Fritz 11 evaluates the position as better for white.

Analysis by Fritz 11 at 20 depth:

1. (0.62): 35...h5 36.c5 Nh6 37.Kg1 Nf5 38.Rc1 Ng3 39.Bd3 Nf5 40.b5 Ne3 41.c6 bxc6 42.dxc6 Be6 43.Qb4 Nd5 44.Qe4 Re7

2. (0.88): 35...Rgf8 36.c5 Nh6 37.Qd3 Nf5 38.Bxf5 Rxf5 39.c6 bxc6 40.Qa6 Bb8 41.dxc6 Be6 42.Ng4 Rf7 43.Qd3 Bc7 44.Kg1 Kg7

Unlike previous versions, Fritz 11 tends to rate positions at least as conservatively as Rybka. Clearly both engines are a bit at sea in this position.

Cheers,

<The ninth game was one of the most exciting chess contests on record.— It continued over three sittings, and lasted, in all, nineteen hours and a-half>