1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 h6 6. Ne2?!
Fiske notes that this is "A maneuver first introduced by Mr. Stanley." The move is premature since White has not yet finished his development. Better 6.Be3 or 6. O-O O-O 7. Nd5!? d6 8. c3

 

6... d6
Simple and best. Black continues with development. Due to White's retreat, Black could immediately equalize by 6... d5!? 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Bb5= though his position would be a little loose and his pieces liable to be attacked.

 

7. c3 O-O 8. h3?!
More waste of time by White. Perhaps Thompson feared something like 8. Ng3 Ng4?! 9. d4!? (9. O-O) 9... exd4 10. cxd4 Nxd4 11. Nxd4 Qf6 12. Be3 Nxe3 13. fxe3 Bb4+ 14. Ke2 Bg4+ 15. Nf3 Qxb2+ 16. Kf1 but this is far too risky for Black and should present White with good longterm prospects.

 

8... Kh8!?
The maneuver that this initiates, whereby Black is able to break in the center by ...f5, is still standard in these positions. Better may be 8... d5 9. exd5 Nxd5=

 

9. Ng3 Nh7 10. Qc2
Fiske writes that Thompson likely played this with a view to preventing Black's 10...f5, but he had overlooked Morphy's sacrificial follow-through, which appears justified by White's retarded development and uncastled King. But the truth is more complicated, and this may well be a good move.

 

10... f5?!
This move involves a pawn sacrifice that is not fully justified. 10... Ne7!? 11. d4 exd4 12. cxd4 Bb4+ 13. Bd2 Bxd2+ 14. Qxd2 d5= 10... Bb6!?

 

11. exf5
Better was 11. Nxf5 Bxf5 12. exf5 d5 13. Bb5 e4! (13... Rxf5!? 14. d4 Rxf3) 14. dxe4 dxe4 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Nd4

 

11... d5

Thompson must have expected 11... Bxf5? 12. Nxf5 Rxf5 13. d4

 

12. Bb3!?
Trying to remove some wood from the fire by 12. Bb5 and Bxc6 seems in order, unless White is willing to follow through properly by accepting White's gambit at e4.

 

12... e4! 13. dxe4 dxe4 14. Ng1?

Absolutely one of the worst moves available to rescue the Knight. 14. Qxe4! Re8 (14... Bxf5!? 15. Nxf5 Re8 16. Be6 Qf6 17. O-O Rxe6 18. Qd5 Bb6 19. N5d4) 15. Be6 Nf8 16. O-O Nxe6 17. fxe6 Bxe6 and Black only has the two Bishops and a slight initiative to compensate for his pawn.

 

14... Ne5!

Now Black's strategy is completely justified. The Knight will reach d3 and keep White's King in the center to be attacked. White has no defense. 14... Bxf5-+

 

15. Be3 Nd3+ 16. Ke2 Bxe3 17. fxe3
17. Kxe3 Qg5+ 18. Ke2 Nxf2!!

 

17... Qh4! 18. Nxe4 Qxe4 19. Qxd3 Qxg2+ 20. Kd1 Bxf5

Simply 20... Qxh1 is winning, but Morphy always preferred to get all his pieces into the attack.

 

21. Bd5 Bg4+
Actually not the best, but it wins White's Queen due to 22. hxg4 Rf1+ and therefore induces immediate resignation. 0-1

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Be3 Be7 6. Nc3 h6 7. Bd3

7. Ndb5! d6 (7... Nf6 8. Nd6+) 8. Bf4 Ne5 (8... e5 9. Nd5+-) 9. Qd4 a6 10. Nxd6+ Qxd6 11. Bxe5 Qxd4 12. Bxd4+-

 

7... d5? Handing White a pawn.

 

8. Bb5 Bd7 9. exd5 exd5 10. Nxd5+- Nf6 11. Nxf6+

This helps Black to develop. Better 11. Nxe7

 

11... Bxf6 12. c3 O-O 13. O-O Qc7 14. Qa4 Rfe8 15. Rad1 Re4 16. Bxc6?! Bxc6 17. Qc2 Be5 18. g3 Bxd4 19. cxd4 Qe7 20. d5! Bd7 21. Bc5?

A rather typical Morphy blunder. 21. Qc7!

 

21... Rc8! 22. Bxe7 Rxc2

Black's Rook activity combined with the Bishops of opposite color make White's chances of victory quite low despite his extra pawn.

 

23. Ba3 b5! 24. Rfe1 f5?

Black has the edge after 24... Rxe1+! 25. Rxe1 a5!=/+ 26. Re7? Bh3-+

 

25. f3! Rxe1+ 26. Rxe1 Rd2

26... a5 27. Bd6! Rxb2? 28. Re7+-

 

27. d6 a5 28. Bc5 b4 29. Re7 Rd5 30. Bxb4 axb4 31. Rxd7 Kf8 32. Rb7 Rd4 33. Kf2 Rxd6 34. Rxb4 Rd2+ 35. Ke3 Rxh2 36. a4 Rc2 37. a5 Rc5 38. Ra4 Ke7 39. b4 Rc8 40. b5 Rb8 41. a6 Kd7 42. b6 Kc6 43. b7! Kb6 44. a7 Re8+ 45. Kf4 Kxb7 46. a8=Q+! Rxa8 47. Rxa8 Kxa8 48. Kxf5 and White wins all of Black's pawns and easily queens his own. 1-0

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. h3 Be6 7. Bb3

Very slow. Better 7. Bxe6 .

 

7... d5 8. exd5 Bxd5=/+

Black already has the superior development and greater control of the center thanks to White's slow opening play.

 

9. O-O O-O 10. Bg5 Bxb3 11. axb3 h6 12. Bh4 g5 13. Bg3 e4! 14. Ne5

14. dxe4? Nxe4 with the threat of Nxg3 gives Black lots of pressure. But better defensive prospects are offered by 14. Ne1 Re8 15. d4

 

14... Nxe5 15. Bxe5 exd3 16. Bxf6?! Better 16. Qf3!

 

16... Qxf6 17. Qxd3 Rad8

White has regained his pawn, but Black now has a strong initiative.

 

18. Qc2 Rfe8 18... Qg6!

 

19. b4 Bb6 20. Na3

Much better is 20. c4 Bd4 21. Nc3

 

20... Qf4 21. Rad1 c6 22. Rd3? Bxf2+!

A nice shot, securing a pawn advantage, which is all Black needs.

 

23. Kh1 Rxd3 24. Qxd3 Re3 25. Qd8+ Kg7 26. Qd4+ Qxd4 27. cxd4 Re2-+

The ending is an easy win. Morphy eliminates all counterplay by exchanging pieces and then uses the advantage of the Bishop over the Knight to create a passed pawn that wins the game.

 

28. Nc4 Re1 29. Rxe1 Bxe1 30. Na5 Bxb4 31. Nxb7 Kf6 32. Nd8 c5 33. Nc6 Ke6 34. dxc5 Bxc5 35. g4 Kd5 36. Nd8 f6 37. Kg2 a5 38. Kf3 a4 39. Ke2 Bd4 40. Kd3 Bxb2 41. Nf7 Be5 42. Kc2 Kc4 43. Nd8 a3 44. Nb7 a2 45. Na5+ Kb4 46. Nb3 Ka3 0-1

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 a6 6. Bd3 d5 7. Nxe5 Nxd4 8. Re1 Be6 9. c3 Nc6 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Qa4 Qd7 12. Bxe4 dxe4 13. Qxe4 Bd6 14. Nd2 14. Bf4= 14... O-O 15. Nf3 Bd5 16. Qd3 Rae8 17. Bg5 17. Bd2 Bxf3 18. Qxf3 Bxh2+ 17... Qg4 18. h3 Qh5 19. Bd2 Krabbe accidentally gives the move as 19. Be3?? when Black would win simply by 19... Bxf3! 19... Re6 20. Ng5?! Rg6 21. Ne4? Fritz points out that White is ok after 21. c4! Bxg2!? (21... Be6 22. f4!? unclear ) 22. Kxg2 h6 23. Qf3= 21... Rxg2+!-> 22. Kxg2 f5! 23. f3 Qg6+?? Morphy accidentally transposes moves and spoils a nice winning line. Simply 23... fxe4 and Black wins in all lines. 24. Rxe4 (24. fxe4 Qg6+ 25. Kh1 Rf2 26. Bg5 Rh2+ 27. Kg1 Qxg5+ 28. Qg3 Qxg3+ 29. Kf1 Qf2#) 24... Qg6+ 25. Kh1 Qg3!-> (25... Rxf3-+) 24. Ng5 h6 25. c4 Bf7 26. h4 Rd8 27. Qc2 hxg5 28. hxg5 Be6 29. Rh1 Be7 30. f4 c5 31. Rae1 Kf7 32. Rh3 Bc8 33. Kg1 Bb7 34. Bc1 Rd4 35. b3 Bd6 36. Qe2 Re4 37. Qf2 Qe6 38. Rhe3 Qd7 39. Qh4 Kg6 40. Qh3 Be7 41. Rxe4 Bxe4 42. Qe3 Qd8 43. Qh3 Qd4+ 44. Be3 Qc3 45. Qf1 Qa5 46. Qf2 Qb6 47. Re2 Qc6 48. Bc1 Qd7 49. Rd2 Qe6 50. Qe3 Qc6 51. Bb2 Kf7 52. Qh3 Qg6 53. Rh2 Qd6 Sergeant notes that three more unrecorded moves were played and the game was given up as a draw "at the third sitting" after 15 hours of play. A classic case of pre-clock chair sitting on Morphy's part to secure the draw. In the final position here, White has god winning chances. 0-1

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Bd3 f5 7. c4 O-O 8. O-O b6 9. Qc2 Ng5 10. Nxg5 Bxg5 11. f4?! Bf6 12. Be3 Nc6 13. d5?? Overlooking Black's simple response, which combines the fork and the overworked piece, in this case the Queen: 13... Nb4! 14. Qd2 Nxd3 15. Qxd3 Bxb2-+ 16. Bd4 Bxa1 17. Bxa1 Bb7 Black has an easy win up the Exchange and a pawn. 18. Rf3 Qd7 19. Nd2 Rae8 20. Kf2 Qe7 21. Re3 Qxe3+ 22. Qxe3 Rxe3 23. Kxe3 Re8+ 24. Kf2 Ba6 25. a4 c6 26. dxc6 Rc8 27. Ke3 Rxc6 28. Kd4 Rc8 29. Bc3 Kf7 30. Kd5 Bb7+ 31. Kxd6 Bxg2 32. Kd7 Re8 33. Bxg7 Re3 34. Bd4?? Rd3 0-1

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Bd6 5. Bd3 Be6 6. O-O h6 7. Qe2 Ne7 8. Be3 O-O 9. c4 c6 10. Nc3 Nd7 11. Rac1 Nf6 12. h3 Ng6?! 12... dxc4 is better for Black. 13. Bxg6 A nice combination, though it should not win a pawn. 13... fxg6 14. c5 Bc7 15. Bxh6 Qd7? Black must counter-desperado with 15... Bxh3! 16. Bxg7?! (16. Bg5 += ) 16... Kxg7! 17. gxh3 Nh5 with attack. 16. Bd2 Rae8 17. Ne5+/- Bxe5 18. dxe5 Ne4 19. Nxe4 dxe4 20. Qe3 Bd5 21. Bc3 Rf5 22. Rcd1 Qe6 23. f3? Unnecesarily weakening his position. 23... exf3 24. gxf3 Rh5-> 25. Rd2 Qxh3 26. Rg2 Rf8!-+ Black will follow with 27...Bxf3 with an irresistable attack. 0-1

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c5 5. e3 Nc6 6. a3 b6 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bb5+= Bb7? 9. Ne5 Qc7 10. Qa4 Rc8 11. Qxa7+/- Ra8?? 12. Bxc6+ Qxc6 13. Qxa8+ 13. Nxc6!-+ 13... Bxa8 14. Nxc6 Bxc6-+ 15. O-O Bd6 16. Rd1 c4 17. f3 O-O 18. e4 dxe4 19. d5 Bd7 20. fxe4 Bg4 21. Re1 Nd7 22. h3 Bh5 23. Bd2 Bg3 24. Rf1 Bd6 25. Rae1 f6 26. g4 Bg6 27. Kg2 Re8 28. Re2 Nc5 29. Bf4 Bxf4 30. Rxf4 Nd3 31. Rf1 Re5 32. Kf3 Be8 33. Rb1 Kf7 34. Re3 Nc5 35. a4 Nxa4 36. b3 cxb3 37. Rxb3 Nxc3 38. Rexc3 b5 39. Rc7+ Kg6 40. d6 Bf7 41. d7 Bxb3 42. d8=Q A nice win by the author of the tournament book. 1-0

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Qxd4?! Nc6 4. Qd1 e6 5. Nf3 Bc5 6. Bc4 Nge7 7. O-O O-O 8. a3 a5 9. Bd3?! f5!? 10. exf5 Nxf5 11. Bxf5?! Rxf5 12. Nc3 d5=/+ 13. Ne2?! e5! 14. Ng3 Rf7 Better 14... Rf8 15. Ng5 Rf6 16. Qd3 Better 16. c4 16... Rg6 17. Bd2 Nd4! 18. h4 b6 19. b4 Ba6 20. Qc3 axb4 21. axb4 Bxf1 22. Rxf1 h6?! Better 22... Be7-+ 23. bxc5 hxg5 24. Bxg5 Qe8 25. Qd3 bxc5 26. c3 Ra3 27. Qd2 Nb5? 28. Qxd5+ Re6 29. Nf5!? Better 29. c4 Nd4 30. Ne4 with compensation, though this does set a trap perhaps. 29... Rxc3?? 30. Ne7+! Kf7 31. f4 1-0

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qb6 6. Nc3! Qxb2? 7. Ndb5+- Bxe3 The Black Queen cannot be rescued due to the theat of Rb1. 7... Bb4 8. Bd2 8. Rb1 Qxb1 9. Nxb1 Bf4 10. g3 a6 11. gxf4 axb5 12. Nc3 Ne7 13. Nxb5 O-O 14. Nd6 Nbc6 15. Rg1 Rxa2 16. f5 f6 17. Bc4 Ra4 18. f4 b6 19. fxe6 dxe6 20. Nxc8 Nxc8 21. Bxe6+ Kh8 22. Bxc8 Rxc8 23. Qd7 Ne7 24. Qxe7 Ra1+ 25. Kf2 Rxc2+ 26. Ke3 1-0

1. e4 e6 2. d4 g6 3. Bd3 Bg7 4. Be3 Ne7 5. Ne2 b6 6. Nd2 Bb7 7. O-O d5 8. e5 O-O 9. f4 f5 10. h3 Nd7 11. Kh2 c5 12. c3 c4 13. Bc2 a6 14. Nf3 h6 15. g4 Kh7 16. Rg1 Rg8 17. Qe1 Nc6 18. Nh4 Qf8? 18... Ne7 19. Nxg6!! Kxg6 19... Qf7 20. gxf5 exf5 21. Ng3!! 20. gxf5+ Kf7 21. fxe6+ Kxe6 22. f5+ 22. Qh4! 22... Ke7 22... Kf7 23. e6+ Ke8 24. exd7+ Kxd7 25. Nf4+- 23. Qh4+ Ke8 24. f6 Bxf6 25. exf6 Rxg1 26. Rxg1 Nxf6 27. Bg6+ Kd7 28. Bf5+ Ke8 29. Bxh6 Qh8 30. Rg7 Ng8 1-0

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Bc5 4. Bb5 Nf6 5. O-O O-O 6. Nxe5 Re8 7. Nxc6 7. Nd3?! Bd4 with compensation, or 7. Nf3 Nxe4 8. d4 (8. Nxe4 Rxe4 9. c3 a6) 8... Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bf8 unclear. 7... dxc6! 8. Bc4 b5 8... Ng4! Sergeant 9. Be2 Nxe4 10. Nxe4 10. Bf3?? Nxf2!-+ 10... Rxe4 11. Bf3 11. c3! Sergeant 11... Qh4 12. d4 Bd6 13. g3 Qh3 14. f4 unclear 11... Re6 12. c3?! >= 12. d3 12... Qd3! 13. b4 Bb6 14. a4 bxa4 15. Qxa4 Bd7?! 15... >= Bb7! 16. Ra2 16. Qa6!+/= 16... Rae8! 17. Qa6? One move too late. 17. Qd1 17... Qxf3!! 18. gxf3 Rg6+ 19. Kh1 Bh3 20. Rd1 20. Rg1 Rxg1+ 21. Kxg1 Re1+ 22. Qf1 Rxf1# 20. Qd3! f5!-+ 20... Bg2+ 21. Kg1 Bxf3+ 22. Kf1 Bg2+ Zukertort's idea 22... Rg2! more elegantly forces mate: 23. Qd3 Rxf2+ 24. Kg1 Rg2+ 25. Kh1 Rg1# 23. Kg1 Bh3+ Morphy misses mate with 23... Be4+! 24. Kf1 Bf5!! 25. Qe2 Bh3+ 26. Ke1 Rg1# 24. Kh1 Bxf2 25. Qf1 Bxf1 26. Rxf1 Re2 27. Ra1 Rh6 28. d4 Be3 Sergeant qualifies his praise for this much publicized "brilliancy" as follows: "A beautiful game, although the sacrificial combination arises out of an unsound variation and is materially helped by White's errors--and although, too, Morphy missed the speedier wins on his 22nd and 23rd moves." The game took 4 hours to play and was the first of two Morphy victories on that day. 0-1