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ANNOTATED GAME
Is development crucial?
Adolf Andersson (N/A) vs. Paul Morphy (N/A)
Annotated by: tomwhufc (1200)
Chess opening: KGA (C33), bishop's gambit, Cozio (Morphy) defence
Adolf Andersson (N/A) vs. Paul Morphy (N/A)
Annotated by: tomwhufc (1200)
Chess opening: KGA (C33), bishop's gambit, Cozio (Morphy) defence
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This is one of my favourite of Morphy's games. It shows Morphy's positional and tactical genius. | |||||
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1. e4 |
This was the standard opening move for the players of that time. | ||||
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1... e5 |
Morphy sticks to his classical approach to chess. Always playing the King pawn openings when possible. | ||||
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2. f4 |
The king's gambit. This opening was very popular in the 19th century. Although more rare these days it still has a sound reputation. | ||||
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2... exf4 |
Nowadays this is considered the best way to play as black. | ||||
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3. Bc4 |
This move is contradictory to the opening principle that you should move your knights before bishops. HOwever it is an adequate move. It was famously moved by Bobby Ficher with 100% scored. Although I think the best move would be 3.Nf3. | ||||
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3... Nf6 |
Morphy shows that he was ahead of his time by developing his knight as he did most of the time when he played the opening. | ||||
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4. e5 |
Andersson was seduced by this early attack on blacks knight thinking that it would gane him a tempo. However as you will see Morphy's precise play does the complete opposite. | ||||
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4... d5 |
! Morphy doesn't bother moving his threatened knight but instead decides to answer an attack with an attack.While also opening a diagonal for his queen's bishop and preparing an outpost for his knight on e4. Pretty good, no? | ||||
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5. Bb3 |
If 5. exf6 dxc4 black looks better because of his easier development and the bishop pair. | ||||
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5... Ne4 |
This secures the knight in an accurate position while blacks light squared bishop has been demoted toa passive role on b3. | ||||
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6. Nf3 |
Standard developing move. | ||||
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6... Bg4 7. O-O Nc6 |
Standard development so. It is obvious now that black is inn a much better position because of his speedy development. N.B- white's queenside has not developed a single piece and has put white at a disadvantage for time. | ||||
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8. Ba4 |
Moprhy's development advantage increases as again white fails to develop any of his queenside pieces. | ||||
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8... g5 |
This move is very ambitious. It is obvious that Moprhy wants to expand on the queenside and secure his pawn f4 pawn. However he weakens his kingside. A more solid move would have been 8...Ng5 moving his knight to a more stable position less likely to come under attack from whites queen pawn. | ||||
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9. Bxc6+ bxc6 |
Now white has a clear advantage in development. Anderssons's idea of the black's doubled c-pawns beingweak is absurd as you will see Morphy uses these pawns to his advantage. | ||||
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10. d4 c5 |
This aims to undermines white's centre. | ||||
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11. c3 |
Defending the d4 pawn. | ||||
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11... Be7 12. b4 |
Andersson finally realises he is not in a good position. He tries to stop his centre being dissapated. | ||||
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12... cxb4 13. cxb4 O-O 14. Qb3 Rb8 15. a3 c5 |
! White can no longer keep his blockade. | ||||
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16. Nc3 Nxc3 17. Qxc3 cxb4 18. axb4 Bxb4 19. Qd3 a5 |
Now blacks development advantage has been turned into a substantial positional advantage. | ||||
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