[blind-chess] Annotated Game #005: the Opera Game
- From: Roderick Macdonald <rmacd@xxxxxxxx>
- To: Blind Chess Mailing List <blind-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:17:13 -1000 (HST)
Annotated Game #005:
The Opera Game:
Paul Morphy versus the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard
Adapted and Condensed from
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
Contents:
++1. The Opera Game
++1.A Circumstances
++2. Paul Morphy
++2.A Biography
++2.A1 Early life
++2.A2 Childhood victories
++2.A3 Schooling and the First American Chess Congress
++2.A4 Europe
++2.A5 World Champion
++2.A6 Abandonment of chess
++2.A7 Death
++2.B Playing style
++2.C Notable games
++2.D Results
++3. Charles II, Duke of Brunswick
++4. The moves
++1. The Opera Game
The chess game played in 1858 at an opera house at Paris between
the American chess master Paul Morphy and two strong amateurs, the
German noble Duke Karl of Brunswick and the French aristocrat Count
Isouard, who consulted, playing together as partners against Morphy
is among the most famous chess games. It is often used by chess
teachers to demonstrate the importance of rapidly developing one's
pieces, as well as other lessons.
++1..A Circumstances
The Duke frequently invited Morphy to the Italian Opera House in
Paris, where the former kept a private box which was, according to
Morphy's associate Frederick Edge, so close to the stage that one
"might kiss the prima donna without any trouble", and which always
contained a chess set, the Duke being a keen player as well as an
opera lover.
Morphy was extremely fond of music and opera and was eager to see
Norma, which played on his first visit. Unfortunately, his host had
seen Norma countless times, and Morphy found himself forced to play
chess, even seated with his back to the stage.
As the game progressed, the two allies conferred loudly enough with
each other, debating their moves against the American genius, that
it attracted the attention of the opera performers. Madame Penco,
who had the role of the Druidic priestess in Norma, kept looking
into the Duke's box, to see what all the fuss was about, even as
she was performing the opera. Then the performers who were the
Druids, marched about, "chanting fire and bloodshed against the
Roman host, who, they appeared to think, were in the Duke's box,"
Edge recounted.
It is doubtful if the distracted opera singers had a good enough
view of what was going on. Comically, Morphy created this brilliant
game while spending his time trying to overcome his blocked view of
the opera, while the performers tried to catch glimpses of what was
going on in the Duke's box.
++2. Paul Charles Morphy
World Champion 1858-1862 (Unofficial)
Paul Charles Morphy (June 22, 1837 - July 10, 1884), was an
American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest
chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He
was a chess prodigy and called "The Pride and Sorrow of Chess",
"Mozart of Chess".
++2.A Biography
++2.A1 Early life
Paul Morphy was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to a wealthy and
distinguished family. His father, Alonzo Michael Morphy, a lawyer,
served as a Louisiana state legislator, attorney general, and
Supreme Court Justice. Alonzo was of Portuguese, Irish, and Spanish
ancestry. Morphy's mother, Louise Thirese Filiciti Thelcide Le
Carpentier, was the musically-talented daughter of a prominent
French Creole family. Morphy grew up in an atmosphere of genteel
civility and culture where chess and music were the typical
highlights of a Sunday home gathering.
According to his uncle, Ernest Morphy, no one formally taught
Morphy how to play chess; rather, Morphy learned on his own as a
young child simply from watching others play. After watching a
lengthy game between Ernest and Alonzo, young Paul surprised them
by stating that Ernest should have won. His father and uncle had
not realized that Paul knew the moves, let alone any chess
strategy. They were even more surprised when Paul proved his claim
by resetting the pieces and demonstrating the win his uncle had
missed.
++2.A2 Childhood victories
After that incident Morphy's family recognized him as a precocious
talent and encouraged him to play at family gatherings and local
chess milieus. By the age of nine, he was considered one of the
best players in New Orleans. In 1846, General Winfield Scott
visited the city, and let his hosts know that he desired an evening
of chess with a strong local player. Chess was an infrequent
pastime of Scott's, but he enjoyed the game and considered himself
a formidable player. After dinner, the chess pieces were set up and
Scott's opponent was brought in: diminutive, nine-year-old Morphy.
Scott was at first offended, thinking he was being made fun of, but
he consented to play after being assured that his wishes had been
scrupulously obeyed and that the boy was a "chess prodigy" who
would tax his skill. Morphy beat him easily not once, but twice,
the second time announcing a forced checkmate after only six moves.
As two losses against a small boy was all General Scott's ego could
stand, he declined further games and retired for the night, never
to play Morphy again.
In 1850, when Morphy was twelve, the strong professional Hungarian
chess master Johann Loewenthal visited New Orleans. Loewenthal, who
had often played and defeated talented youngsters, considered the
informal match a waste of time but accepted the offer as a courtesy
to the well-to-do judge. When Loewenthal met Morphy, he patted him
on the head in a patronizing manner.
By about the twelfth move in the first game, Lvwenthal realized he
was up against something formidable. Each time Morphy made a good
move, Loewenthal's eyebrows shot up in a manner described by Ernest
Morphy as "comique". Loewenthal played three games with Paul Morphy
during his New Orleans stay, scoring two losses and one draw
(according to another source - losing all three).
++2.A3 Schooling and the First American Chess Congress
After 1850, Morphy did not play much chess for a long time.
Studying diligently, he graduated from Spring Hill College in
Mobile, Alabama, in 1854. He then stayed on an extra year, studying
mathematics and philosophy. He was awarded an A.M. degree with the
highest honors in May 1855.
He next was accepted to the University of Louisiana (now Tulane
University) to study law. He received an L.L.B. degree on April 7,
1857, in preparation for which he is said to have memorized the
complete Louisiana book of codes and laws.
Not yet of legal age to begin the practice of law, Morphy found
himself with free time. He received an invitation to participate in
the First American Chess Congress, to be held in New York from
October 6 to November 10, 1857. He at first declined, but at the
urging of his uncle eventually decided to play. He defeated each of
his rivals, including James Thompson, Alexander Beaufort Meek, and
two strong German masters, Theodor Lichtenhein and Louis Paulsen,
the latter two in the semifinal and final rounds. Morphy was hailed
as the chess champion of the United States, but he appeared
unaffected by his sudden fame. According to the December 1857 issue
of Chess Monthly, "his genial disposition, his unaffected modesty
and gentlemanly courtesy have endeared him to all his
acquaintances." In the fall of 1857, staying in New York, Morphy
played 261 games, both regular and at odds. His overall score in
regular games was 87 wins, 8 draws, and 5 losses.
++2.A4 Europe
Morphy vs. Loewenthal, 1858
Soon after returning to New Orleans he was invited to attend an
international chess tournament to be held in Birmingham, England in
the summer of 1858. Still too young to start his law career, he
accepted the challenge and traveled to England. He arrived in
Liverpool on June 21, 1858. Instead of playing in the tournament,
however, he ended up playing and easily winning a series of chess
matches against all the leading English masters except the veteran
Howard Staunton, who was well past his prime, and who initially
promised a match but eventually declined after witnessing Morphy's
play.
Staunton was later criticised for avoiding a match with Morphy.
Staunton is known to have been working on his edition of the
complete works of Shakespeare at the time, but he also competed in
a chess tournament during Morphy's visit. Staunton later blamed
Morphy for the failure to have a match, suggesting among other
things that Morphy lacked the funds required for match stakes--a
most unlikely charge given Morphy's popularity.
Morphy
Seeking new opponents, Morphy crossed the English Channel to
France. At the Cafe de la Rigence in Paris, the center of chess in
France, he played a match against Daniel Harrwitz, the resident
chess professional, soundly defeating him.
In Paris, Morphy suffered from a bout of intestinal influenza. In
accordance with the medical wisdom of the time, he was treated with
leeches, resulting in his losing a significant amount of blood.
Although too weak to stand up unaided, Morphy insisted on going
ahead with a match against the visiting German master Adolf
Anderssen, considered by many to be Europe's leading player.
Despite his illness Morphy triumphed easily, winning seven while
losing two, with two draws. When asked about his defeat, Anderssen
claimed to be out of practice, but also admitted that Morphy was in
any event the stronger player and that he was fairly beaten.
Anderssen also attested that in his opinion, Morphy was the
strongest player ever to play the game, even stronger than the
famous French champion La Bourdonnais.
Both in England and France, Morphy gave numerous simultaneous
exhibitions, including displays of blindfold chess in which he
regularly played and defeated eight opponents at a time. Morphy
played a well-known casual game against the Duke of Brunswick and
Count Isouard at the Italian Opera House in Paris.
++2.A5 World Champion
Morphy in 1859
Still only twenty-one, Morphy was now quite famous. While in Paris,
he was sitting in his hotel room one evening, chatting with his
companion Frederick Edge, when they had an unexpected visitor. "I
am Prince Galitzine; I wish to see Mr. Morphy," the visitor said,
according to Edge. Morphy identified himself to the visitor. "No,
it is not possible!" the prince exclaimed, "You are too young!"
Prince Galitzine then explained that he was in the frontiers of
Siberia when he had first heard of Morphy's "wonderful deeds." He
explained, "One of my suite had a copy of the chess paper published
in Berlin, the Schachzeitung, and ever since that time I have been
wanting to see you." He then told Morphy that he must go to Saint
Petersburg, Russia, because the chess club in the Imperial Palace
would receive him with enthusiasm.
In Europe, Morphy was generally hailed as world chess champion. In
Paris, at a banquet held in his honor on April 4, 1859, a laurel
wreath was placed over the head of a bust of Morphy, carved by the
sculptor Eugene-Louis Lequesne. At a similar gathering in London,
where he returned in the spring of 1859, Morphy was again
proclaimed "the Champion of the World". He was also invited to a
private audience with Queen Victoria. So dominant was Morphy that
even masters could not seriously challenge him in play without some
kind of handicap. At a simultaneous match against five masters,
Morphy won two games against Jules Arnous de Rivihre and Henry
Edward Bird, drew two games with Samuel Boden and Johann Jacob
Loewenthal, and lost one to Thomas Wilson Barnes.
Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Boston
Banquet to Paul Morphy
Upon his return to America, the accolades continued as Morphy
toured the major cities on his way home. At the University of the
City of New York, on May 29, 1859, John Van Buren, son of President
Martin Van Buren, ended a testimonial presentation by proclaiming,
"Paul Morphy, Chess Champion of the World". In Boston, at a banquet
attended by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Louis Agassiz, Boston mayor
Frederic W. Lincoln, Jr., Harvard president James Walker, and other
luminaries, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes toasted "Paul Morphy, the
World Chess Champion". In short, Morphy was a celebrity.
Manufacturers sought his endorsements, newspapers asked him to
write chess columns, and a baseball club was named after him.
++2.A6 Abandonment of chess
Having vanquished virtually all serious opposition, Morphy
reportedly declared that he would play no more matches without
giving odds of pawn and move. After returning home he declared
himself retired from the game and, with a few exceptions, gave up
public competition. Morphy's embryonic law career was disrupted in
1861 by the outbreak of the American Civil War. Morphy's brother
Edward had at the very start joined the army of the confederacy,
whereas his mother and sisters emigrated to Paris. Paul Morphy's
Civil War service is a rather gray area. David Lawson states "it
may be that he was on Beauregard's staff (Confederate Army) for a
short while and that he had been seen at Manassas as had been
reported." (Pride and Sorrow, pp. 268-9). Lawson also recounts a
story by a resident of Richmond in 1861 who describes Morphy as
then being "an officer on Beauregard's staff." Other sources
indicate that general Pierre Beauregard considered Morphy
unqualified, but that Morphy had indeed applied to him. During the
war he lived partly in New Orleans and partly abroad, spending time
in Havana (1862, 1864), and Paris (1863, 1867).
Morphy was unable to successfully build a law practice after the
war ended. His attempts to open a law office failed; when he had
visitors, they invariably wanted to talk about chess, not their
legal affairs. Financially secure thanks to his family fortune,
Morphy essentially spent the rest of his life in idleness. Asked by
admirers to return to chess competition, he refused.
In accord with the prevailing sentiment of the time, Morphy
esteemed chess only as an amateur activity, considering the game
unworthy of pursuit as a serious occupation. Chess professionals
were viewed in the same light as professional gamblers. It was not
until decades later that the age of the professional chess player
arrived.
++2.A7 Death
Morphy's gravestone is just outside the French Quarter, New
Orleans, Louisiana; Morphy's crypt is in Saint Louis Cemetery #1.
On the afternoon of July 10, 1884, Morphy was found dead in his
bathtub at the age of forty-seven. According to the autopsy, Morphy
had suffered a stroke brought on by entering cold water after a
long walk in the midday heat. The Morphy mansion, sold by the
family in 1891, is today the site of Brennan's, a famous New
Orleans restaurant.
++2.B Playing style
Today many amateurs think of Morphy as a dazzling combinative
player, who excelled in sacrificing his queen and checkmating his
opponent a few brilliant moves later. One reason for this
impression is that chess books like to reprint his flashy games.
There are games where he did do this, but it was not the basis of
his chess style. In fact, the masters of his day considered his
style to be on the conservative side compared to some of the flashy
older masters like La Bourdonnais and Anderssen.
Morphy can be considered the first modern player. Some of his games
do not look modern because he did not need the sort of slow
positional systems that modern grandmasters use, or that Staunton,
Paulsen, and later Steinitz developed. His opponents had not yet
mastered the open game, so he played it against them and he
preferred open positions because they brought quick success. He
played open games almost to perfection, but he also could handle
any sort of position, having a complete grasp of chess that was
years ahead of his time. Morphy was a player who intuitively knew
what was best, and in this regard he has been likened to
Capablanca. He was, like Capablanca, a child prodigy; he played
quickly and he was hard to beat. Loewenthal and Anderssen both
later remarked that he was indeed hard to beat since he knew how to
defend and would draw or even win games despite getting into bad
positions. At the same time, he was deadly when given a promising
position. Anderssen especially commented on this, saying that after
one bad move against Morphy one might as well resign. "I win my
games in seventy moves but Mr. Morphy wins his in twenty, but that
is only natural..." Anderssen said, explaining his poor results
against Morphy.
Of Morphy's 59 "serious" games -- those played in matches and the
1857 New York tournament -- he won 42, drew 9, and lost 8.
While Bobby Fischer considered Morphy to be the greatest player of
all time, some commentators disagree.
"Morphy and Capablanca had enormous talent," - Bobby Fischer,
Icelandic Radio Interview, 2006.
++2.C Notable games
FEN: rnbqkb1r/
pppp1p1p/
8/
8/
5pNP/
3P2n1/
PPP3P1/
RNBQKB1R/
Position from Morphy-Anderssen, 1858 after 7. ... Ng3. White now
sacrificed his Rook by 8. Bxf4.
* Louis Paulsen vs Paul Morphy, New York 1857, Four Knights
Game: Spanish. Classical Variation (C48), 0-1 Morphy's
queen sacrifice transforms his positional pressure into a
decisive attack on Paulsen's king.
* The "Opera game" -- a casual game against inexperienced
opponents, but at the same time one of the clearest and
most beautiful attacking games ever. Often used by chess
teachers to demonstrate how to use time, develop pieces and
generate threats.
* Paul Morphy vs Adolf Anderssen, Casual Game 1858, King's
Gambit: Accepted. Kieseritsky Gambit Berlin Defense (C39),
1-0 Morphy loved open positions. In this game, one can see
how he used to win in such positions.
++3. Charles II, Duke of Brunswick
Charles II, Duke of Brunswick (October 30, 1804, Brunswick - August
18, 1873, Geneva), Duke of Brunswick-Lueneburg, ruled the Duchy of
Brunswick from 1815 until 1830.
Charles was the eldest son of Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-
Lueneburg. After the death of his father in 1815, Charles inherited
the Duchy, but since he was still underage, he was put under the
guardianship of George, the Prince Regent of the United Kingdom and
Hanover. When Charles neared his 18th birthday, a dispute over the
date of his majority erupted; Charles claimed majority at age 18,
while George considered the age of majority to be 21 years. A
compromise was made, and Charles reached his majority at age 19,
and took over government on October 30, 1823.
In 1827, Charles declared some of the laws made during his minority
for invalid, which caused a dispute with Hanover. The German
Confederation finally had to intervene in this conflict and ordered
Charles to accept all the laws from his minority, which he did.
Charles' administration was considered corrupt and misguided. When
in 1830 the July Revolution broke out, Charles happened to be in
Paris; he fled home to Brunswick, where he announced his intention
to suppress all revolutionary tendencies by force of arms. But on
September 6, he was attacked by stone throwers while riding home
from the theater; on the next day, a large mob tried to break into
the palace. Charles fled; the palace was completely destroyed by
fire. When Charles' brother, William, arrived in Brunswick on
September 10, he was received joyfully by the people. William
originally considered himself only his brother's regent, but after
a year declared himself ruling duke. Charles made several desperate
attempts to depose his brother by diplomacy and by force, but they
were unsuccessful. None of the other European monarchs wanted to
support Charles.
Charles spent the rest of his life outside of Germany; mostly in
Paris and London. After the war between France and Germany broke
out, he moved to Geneva, where he died in 1873. He left his
considerable wealth to the City of Geneva. Charles never married.
Titles and styles
* October 30, 1804 - October 16, 1806: His Serene Highness
Duke Charles Frederick of Brunswick-Wolfenb|ttel
* October 16, 1806 - June 16 ,1815: His Highness The
Hereditary Duke of Brunswick
* June 16, 1815 - September 9, 1830: His Highness The Duke of
Brunswick
* September 9, 1830 - August 18, 1873: His Highness Charles,
Duke of Brunswick
++4. The moves
Paris, France, 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard
Result: 1-0
ECO: C41 - Philidor defense
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d6
(This is the Philidor defense. It is a solid opening, but slightly
passive, and it ignores the important d4 square.)
3. d4 Bg4?
(The beginning of a tearful tale of two black bishops. - Paul
Benson. Though 3. ... Bg4 is considered an inferior move today,
this was standard theory at the time. Now 3. ... exd4 or 3. ... Nf6
are usual. 3. ... f5 is a more aggressive alternative.)
4. dxe5 Bxf3
(The departure of the bishop in this manner, leaves black
struggling to defend the light squares. Observe as the game
unfolds, how white capitalises on this to gain a decisive
advantage. - Paul Benson. If 4. ... dxe5, then 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.
Nxe5 and White wins a pawn and Black has lost the ability to
castle. Black, however, did have the option of 4. ... Nd7 5. exd6
Bxd6, when he's down a pawn, but has some compensation in the form
of better development.)
5. Qxf3 dxe5
6. Bc4 Nf6
(This seemingly sound developing move runs into a surprising
refutation. After White's next move, both f7 and b7 will be under
attack. Better would have been to directly protect the f7 pawn
(with the queen) instead of just blocking it from the white queen,
which would have made White's next move less potent.)
7. Qb3 Qe7
(Black's only good move. White was threatening checkmate in two
moves, for example 7. ... Nc6 8. Bxf7+ Ke7 9. Qe6#. 7. ... Qd7
loses the rook to 8. Qxb7 followed by 9. Qxa8. Notice that Qe7
saves the rook with this combination: 8. Qxb7 Qb4+ forcing the
queen exchange saving the rook. Black is forced to move the queen
to e7 which blocks the f8 bishop and more importantly impedes
kingside castling.)
8. Nc3
(White prefers fast development to material. He declines to win a
pawn with 8. Qxb7 Qb4+ (the only way to avoid loss of the rook) 9.
Qxb4, or to win two with 8. Bxf7+ Kd8 (or 8. ... Qxf7 9. Qxb7 and
now Black cannot avoid loss of the rook) 9. Qxb7, preferring to
mass his forces for a quick checkmate and get back to the opera.)
8. ... c6
9. Bg5 b5?
(Though ostensibly this drives the bishop away and steals the
initiative, it allows Morphy a sensational sacrifice to keep the
initiative.)
10. Nxb5!
(Morphy chooses not to retreat the bishop, which would allow Black
to gain time for development. Black's move 9. ... b5 loses but it
is difficult to find anything better; for example 9. ... Na6 10.
Bxf6 gxf6 11. Bxa6 bxa6 12. Qa4 Qb7 and Black's position is in
shambles.)
10. ... cxb5?
(Black could have played 10. ... Qb4+, which would have forced
Morphy to exchange queens, although White would retain a clearly
won game.)
11. Bxb5+ Nbd7
12. 0-0-0
(The combination of the bishop's pin on the knight and the open
file for the rook will lead to Black's defeat.)
12. ... Rd8
13. Rxd7 Rxd7
(Removing another defender.)
(14. Rd1
(Compare the activity of the white pieces with the idleness of the
black pieces. At this point, Black's rook is not able to be saved,
since it is pinned to the king and attacked by the rook, and though
the knight is defending it, it is pinned to the queen, so Morphy
can gain material advantage now.)
14. ... Qe6
(14. ... Qe6 is a futile attempt to unpin the knight (allowing it
to defend the rook) and offer a queen trade, to take some pressure
out of the white attack. Even if Morphy did not play his next,
crushing move, he could always have traded his bishop for the
knight and then taken the rook.)
15. Bxd7+
(Thus ends the story of the light squared bishops. Rhetorical
question: Who's light-squared bishop contributed more? Now observe
what role each dark squared bishop plays. - Paul Benson.)
15. ... Nxd7
(If 15. ... Qxd7, then 16. Qb8+ Ke7 17. Qxe5+ Kd8 18. Bxf6+ gxf6
19. Qxf6+ Kc8 20. Rxd7 Kxd7 21. Qxh8 and White is clearly winning.
Moving the king leads to mate: 15. ... Ke7 16. Qb4+ Qd6 (16. ...
Kd8 17. Qb8+ Ke7 18. Qe8#) 17. Qxd6+ Kd8 18. Qb8+ Ke7 19. Qe8# or
15. ... Kd8 16. Qb8+ Ke7 17. Qe8#)
16. Qb8+!
(Morphy finishes with a stylish queen sacrifice.)
16. ... Nxb8
17. Rd8#
1-0
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