Morphy – Cunningham Morphy Cunningham Result: 1-0 Metadata » Click to open. Date: 1859.??.?? Location: ? Tournament: Blindfold Game Round: Opening: Submitted by: Published on: February 9, 2020 [Event "Blindfold Game"] [Site "?"] [Date "1859.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Morphy"] [Black "Cunningham"] [Result "1-0"] [PlyCount "45"] 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.c3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 Qe7 {This seems reasonable, but even at the time it was known that 6...d5 was the correct move.} 7.O-O Ng8 {7...Ng4 8.h3 Ngxe5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.cxd4 Nxc4 11.Re1} 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.d5 {White's control of the center is absolute. From such a position it is easy to win, because Black has no room to maneuver, and will be unable to complete development.} Qc5 {9...Nxe5 10.Nxe5 Qxe5 11.Re1} 10.Na3 Nd4 11.Be3 {The pin is not the real problem for Black. It is that he must now part with one of his only developed pieces.} Nxf3+ 12.Qxf3 Qf8 {This is no place for a lady!} 13.Bxb6 axb6 {Now Black has no developed pieces. White has almost all of the forces in the game. The end cannot be far off.} 14.Nb5 Kd8 15.Rac1 {White occupies the open file and takes aim at c7.} d6 16.exd6 cxd6 17.Qe3 Ra6 {Morphy now puts on a display of his impressive talents. The Black king has almost no maneuvering room. First, he employs a discovered attack on the rook at a6.} 18.Nc7 Qe7 {18...Kxc7 19.Bxa6+ would be a deadly discovered check.} 19.Ne6+ {White will exchange this knight for the rook at a6.} fxe6 20.Bxa6 Bd7 {Keeping in mind the possibility of Qxb6+, White now adds to the pressure.} 21.Bb5 Ke8 {21...Bxb5 22.Qxb6+ Ke8 23.Qxb5+ Kf7 24.dxe6+ Qxe6 25.Rfe1} 22.dxe6 Nf6 {The pawn cannot be captured because of the pin on the bishop at d7.} 23.Rc8+ {One final exploitation of the pin at d7!} 1-0 [Event "Blindfold Game"] [Site "?"] [Date "1859.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Morphy"] [Black "Cunningham"] [Result "1-0"] [PlyCount "45"] 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.c3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 Qe7 {This seems reasonable, but even at the time it was known that 6...d5 was the correct move.} 7.O-O Ng8 {7...Ng4 8.h3 Ngxe5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.cxd4 Nxc4 11.Re1} 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.d5 {White's control of the center is absolute. From such a position it is easy to win, because Black has no room to maneuver, and will be unable to complete development.} Qc5 {9...Nxe5 10.Nxe5 Qxe5 11.Re1} 10.Na3 Nd4 11.Be3 {The pin is not the real problem for Black. It is that he must now part with one of his only developed pieces.} Nxf3+ 12.Qxf3 Qf8 {This is no place for a lady!} 13.Bxb6 axb6 {Now Black has no developed pieces. White has almost all of the forces in the game. The end cannot be far off.} 14.Nb5 Kd8 15.Rac1 {White occupies the open file and takes aim at c7.} d6 16.exd6 cxd6 17.Qe3 Ra6 {Morphy now puts on a display of his impressive talents. The Black king has almost no maneuvering room. First, he employs a discovered attack on the rook at a6.} 18.Nc7 Qe7 {18...Kxc7 19.Bxa6+ would be a deadly discovered check.} 19.Ne6+ {White will exchange this knight for the rook at a6.} fxe6 20.Bxa6 Bd7 {Keeping in mind the possibility of Qxb6+, White now adds to the pressure.} 21.Bb5 Ke8 {21...Bxb5 22.Qxb6+ Ke8 23.Qxb5+ Kf7 24.dxe6+ Qxe6 25.Rfe1} 22.dxe6 Nf6 {The pawn cannot be captured because of the pin on the bishop at d7.} 23.Rc8+ {One final exploitation of the pin at d7!} 1-0 White to move: find the best move... click the ? for the solution Black to move: find the best move... click the ? for the solution Warning: This game can only be seen if JavaScript is enabled in your browser. No related posts.
