Louis Charles Mahe De La Bourdonnais vs Alexander McDonnell (1834)

Louis Charles Mahe De La Bourdonnais vs Alexander McDonnell
London 1834 · Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit (C44) · 1/2-1/2

[Event "London"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "1834.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "La Bourdonnais"]
[Black "Alexander McDonnell"]
[ECO "C44"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "116"]

1. e4 {Notes by Morphy} e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Qf6
{As we remarked in a note to the first contest, this was
M'Donnells favorite defence to the Scotch Gambit. Later
analysis has shown it to be inferior to the now universally
accepted moves of 4...Bc5, or 4...Nf6. Another line of play
springing from 4...Bb4+ was of frequent ocurrence until within
a few years; but it is less commendable than either of the
moves which we have just mentioned. } 5. c3 {A feasble move at
this juncture, although decried by the leading authorities,
who agree in recommending 5.O-O, as a preliminary step to the
advance of this pawn. } d3 {M'Donnell here selects the best
move. It effectually prevents the formation of center pawns by
his adversary, and in a measure retains the action of the
White pieces on the Queen's side. If 5...dxc3 6.Nxc3 Bb4 7.Bd2
Nge7 8.Nb5 and White's superiority is more marked than in the
game as actually played. Again if 5...Bc5 6.e5 Qg6 (Black
evidently could not have played 6...Nxe5, as White would have
won a piece by 7.Qe2 followed by 8.cxd4) 7.cxd4 with a fine
game. Had Black in this latter variation played 6...Qe7, White
would have replied not with 7.cxd4 but with 7.O-O, having a
very strong attacking game.} 6. Qxd3 d6 7. O-O Qg6 8. Bf4 Be7
9. Nbd2 h5 {White's pieces are all in the field, while the
opponents forces are comparatively undeveloped. Under these
circumstances it strikes us that Black loses time by this
premature attempt to form an attack upon the White king's
entranched position. M'Donnells fondness for attack too often
betrayed him into those rash onslaughts, which, with even
players, generally recoil against the originator. We should
have played 9...Nh6 and then have castled. } 10. Rfe1 Bh3
11. Nh4 Bxh4 {11...Qg4 would have given rise to some
interesting var} 12. Qxh3 Bf6 13. e5 dxe5 14. Bxe5 Bxe5 15. f4
Nge7 16. fxe5 Qg4 17. Qxg4 hxg4 18. Nb3 Ng6 19. e6 f5 20. Rad1
Nge5 21. Bd3 Rh5 22. Bc2 Ke7 23. Nd4 Kf6 24. Rf1 Ne7 25. b4
{Had it been White's intention to maintain his Knight at d4,
this move would have been plausible enough, but as the Knight
was immediately retreated to e2 and g3, 25.b4 was clearly a
loss of time. He should have played 25.Ne2 at once. } Rah8
26. Ne2 Rxh2 27. Ng3 g6 {If 27...Nf3+ 28.gxf3 Rxc2 29.fxg4
Rhh2 30.Ne4+ Kxe6 (If 30...Kg6 31.gxf5+ Nxf5 32.Rxf5 Kxf5
33.e7 Rh8 34.Rd8 and White wins.) 31.Nf2 Rh6 (best) 32.Re1+
Kf7 33.Rd7 Re6 34.Rxe6 Kxe6 35.Rxc7 and the result would seem
to prove that Black adopted the safest course by playing 27.g6
[27...Nf3+ 28.gxf3 Rxc2 29.fxg4 Rhh2 30.Ne4+ Kxe6 31.Nf2 Rh6
32.Rfe1+ Kf7 33.Rd7 Re6 34.Rxe6 Kxe6 35.Rxc7] } 28. Bb3 Kg5
29. Rde1 Nd3 30. Re3 Nf4 31. Rf2 R2h7 32. Rd2 Nh5 33. Nxh5
Rxh5 34. Kf2 f4 35. Re5+ Nf5 36. e7 Re8 37. Rd7 Rh7 38. Rxc7
Rhxe7 39. Rcxe7 Rxe7 40. Rxe7 Nxe7 41. a4 Kf5 42. a5 Ke5
43. Bd1 g3+ 44. Kf3 Nd5 {Black might now have won with ease by
44...Nf5. Suppose 44...Nf5 45.Ke2 Ne3 46.B moves Nxg2 and
wins. Or 44...Nf5 45.Bc2 Nh4+ 46.Ke2 (If 46.Kg4 f3 47.Kxg3
fxg2 48.Kf2 Nf3 49.Kxg2 Ne1+ ) f3+ 47.gxf3 (47.Kf1 Nxg2 or
fxg2+) g2 48.Kf2 Nxf3 49.Kxg2 Ne1+. Or 44...Nf5 45.Be2 Nh4+
(Black could easily win by 45...Ne3 followed by advancing the
g-pawn) 46.Kg4 Nxg2 47.Bf3 Ne1 48.Bxb7 b2 49.Bxg2 Nxg2 and
Black wins. } 45. Bc2 g5 46. b5 Nxc3 {Here again Black
unaccountably overlooks the road to victory. He ought to have
proceeded as follows: 46...g4+ 47.Ke2 Nc3+ (or 47...Ne3)
winning easily.} 47. b6 axb6 48. axb6 Nb5 {The whole of this
end-game is remarkable proof of the fact that the very best of
players seem at times to be struck with a singular
blindness. The simple move of 48...Nd5 would evidently have at
once decided the contest in Black's favor. } 49. Kg4 Nd6
50. Bd3 Ne4 51. Be2 Kd5 52. Bf3 Ke5 53. Be2 Kf6 54. Bf3 Nf2+
55. Kh5 g4 56.Bxb7 Ke7 57.Bc8 Kd6 58.Bxg4 Kc6 1/2-1/2

To move:

Last move:

Annotations by Paul Morphy. [30 more games annotated by Morphy]

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Jun-21-04		sneaky pete: Morphy was obviously sick and tired of this game, not commenting on the double blunder at move 56. White should have played 56.Bxb7 securing the draw. After 56.Bxg4?? black wins easily with .. Nxg4 57.Kxg4 Ke5 etc

Mar-04-05		Abaduba: On the whole, I'm pretty impressed by Morphy's annotations. This sounds like it invites a "DUH! He's one of the greatest players in history", but his comments on Macdonnell's positional mistakes severely damage the theory that he was all tactics and attacks.

Nov-18-06		JIRKA KADLEC: 9...h5?!(9...Nf6)10.Rfe1(10.Nd4)14.Bxe5(14.Bb5)18...Ng- 6(18...Rh5)19.e6?!(19.Bb5)19...f5?!(19...f6)20Rad1?!(2- 0.Bb5)20...Nge5?(20...Nce5)21.Bd3?(21.Bb5!)21..Rh5?!(2- 1...Nxd3)22.Bc2?(22.Bb5)24.Rf1?!(24.Nb5)25.b4?(25.Ne2=- )26.Ne2(26.Kf2)28.Bb3?!(28.Ne4+)28...Kg5(28...g5!)32..- .Nh5?!(32...Kf6)41.a4?!(41.g3!)44.Kf3?(44.Ke1)44...Nd5- (44...Nf5 )45.Bc2?(45.Ba4)46.b5?(46.Ba4)46...Nxc3?(46- ...Ne3 )48...Nb5?(48...Nd5 )50.Bd3?(50.Bd1)50...Ne4?- (50...Kd4 )54...Nf2+?(54...Nd6;54...Nc5)56.Bxg4?? (5- 6.Bxb7=)56...Ke7??=(56...Nxg4 57.Kxg4 Ke5 )

Aug-22-07		sneaky pete: William Greenwood Walker's 1836 collection <A selection of games at chess, actually played in London, by the late Alexander M'Donnell, esq., the best English player, with his principal contemporaries> is available at http://books.google.com. He gives the final moves of the game as 56. B. takes Q. Kt. P. 56. K. to his second 57. B. to Q. B. eighth 57. K. to Q. third 58. B. takes K. Kt. P. 58. K. to B. third Drawn game which translates as 56.Bxb7 Ke7 57.Bc8 Kd6 58.Bxg4 Kc6 1/2-1/2. The version here, where 56.B takes QKtp is misread as 56.B takes KKtp (Bxg4), must stem from Bachmann.

Dec-09-07		nimh: Rybka 2.4 mp, AMD X2 2.01GHz, 10 min per move, threshold 0.33. De La Bourdonnais 16 mistakes: 9.Nbd2 0.14 (9.Na3 0.54) 14.Bxe5 0.23 (14.Nf3 0.68) 19.e6 0.25 (19.Bb5 0.59) 21.Bd3 0.30 (21.Bb5 1.72) 22.Bc2 0.00 (22.Bb5 1.12) 24.Rf1 -1.01 (24.Ne2 0.24) 25.b4 -1.18 (25.Ne2 0.05) 28.Bb3 -2.67 (28.Ne4+ -1.13) 41.a4 -2.08 (41.g3 -1.34) 42.a5 -2.62 (42.g3 -1.76) 43.Bd1 -3.13 (43.g3 -2.27) 44.Kf3 -7.67 (44.Ke1 -3.10) 45.Bc2 -6.65 (45.Ba4 -4.48) 46.b5 -21.99 (46.Ba4 -6.61) 47.b6 -18.55 (47.a6 -10.95) 56.Bxg4 #18 (56.Bxb7 0.08) McDonnell 14 mistakes: 9...h5 0.65 (9...Nf6 0.14) 15...Nge7 0.48 (15...Nf6 0.10) 18...Ng6 0.59 (18...Rh5 0.11) 20...Nge5 1.72 (20...Nce5 0.33) 21...Rh5 1.12 (21...Nxd3 0.30) 24...Ne7 0.05 (24...g6 -1.01) 28...Kg5 -1.04 (28...g5 -2.67) 40...Nxe7 -1.34 (40...g3+ -2.03) 44...Nd5 -4.48 (44...Nf5 -7.67) 46...Nxc3 -10.95 (46...Ne3 -21.99) 51...Kd5 -3.43 (51...Kf6 -10.61) 52...Ke5 0.00 (52...Kd4 -2.80) 54...Nf2+ 0.08 (54...Nd6 -5.17) 56...Ke7 0.08 (56...Nxg4 #17)

May-23-09		WhiteRook48: 57...Kd6 looks awkward, can't black win with 57...f3 and if 58 gxf3, then 58...g2?

May-23-09		beatgiant: <WhiteRook48> 57...f3 58. Bxb7, defending g2.

Feb-01-12		Knight13: <44...Nd5> Napoleon I once said that an army marches on its stomach. Guess why the knight decided to jump there instead of what Morphy suggested: f5. Besides, positional ideas weren't so prominent back in 1834, so 44...Nd5 ought to be excused in context.

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