Samuel Boden vs Paul Morphy (1858)

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Samuel Boden vs Paul Morphy
Casual game (1858), London ENG
Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritsky Gambit (C27) · 1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Annotations by Eric Schiller. [184 more games annotated by E Schiller]

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May-05-09		hidude: Boden was a pretty strong player for his time, how could he miss an in-between move?

Dec-03-11		Infohunter: From this game I tentatively conclude (with much assistance from Mr. Schiller's annotations!) that 5...c6 is a viable alternative for Black to the standard 5...f6. Chances were had, and let go, by both players here. So I wonder why no one else of high standing has tried it since Morphy?

Dec-03-11		FSR: <Infohunter> I'm not sure why we don't see more of 5...c6. It is considered an easy equalizer for Black. 5...f6 is a better try if Black is playing for a win, but Black had better know exactly what he is doing or he will get smashed. 4...Nc6!? is also a good move (arguably the best line for Black), transposing to 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4?! Nxe4! Opening Explorer

Dec-03-11		King Death: <Infohunter> and <FSR> This variation isn't something I ever used to play, but 5...c6 seems to take all of the fun out of it for White. I'd probably just play 3...Nc6 or 4...Nc6 though.

Jun-23-12		e4 resigns: I wondered if Morphy got bored when he wasn't attacking.

Aug-26-12		prithviraj: its a draw.... if white plays 42. c3 then black replies with h5 and if white plays 42. h3 then to black replies with h5...

Sep-14-14		Ke2: If h5, you take and it's an easy win, the main idea being ra7 at the right moment. Black gets 2 passers but you can throw your king in front to slow them down. This is sort of a sign of weak endgame understanding, zugzwang etc. in that swashbuckling time. Either that or Morphy's trickiness as he might have seen the win.

May-19-17		hudapri: 9. Qh5 would have been best. It leads to a really interesting myriad of tactical points. Best play is 9... Bxe5 10. Qxe5 O-O! 11. Bg5 where Black has to accept an ugly position. On 10... dxc4? 11. Bg5! If 9... dxc4?? 10. Nxf7 g6 11. Nxd8 and e6 hanging. If 9... g6? 10. Nxg6!! fxg6 11. Qh3 Qd7 12. Bd3 Kf7 12. Bxg6+ If 9... O-O? 10. Bd3 f5 is forced. 11. Nxc6 with a big advantage. And the endgame was indeed won, based on zugzwang.

Jul-08-18		MissScarlett: Loath as I am to impugn Schiller's scholarship, but this game wasn't agreed drawn in 41 moves. As Staunton pointed out in the <ILN> of August 21st 1858, p.181: <The remaining moves were not recorded. Black was of the opinion that he ought to have won the game from this point, but it terminated as a drawn fight. We should certainly take his position for choice.> Before anyone starts, Boden had the Black pieces but played as White.

Jun-06-25		Sally Simpson: This is the game I was looking for a while back. It was when Ding lost his last game v Gukesh and that had everyone was running around bumping into each other agreeing 'Never put a Bishop on a8' I knew this game was out there and it was a Morphy game but I could not find it. It was under a context of no such thing as a natural move. (maybe I read it in something Abrahams wrote.) anyway, that is by the by. Here Morphy (who apparently was White but playing as Black - see Miss Scarelett's post above.) click for larger view Played 23...Bb7 but the move that stops White activity with 24.c4 was 23...Ba8! The Bishop is now protected. 24.c4 d4! and Black...Morphy is OK. Usually you would not put a Bishop on a8 but 'never say never ' about any move in chess. BTW In some quarters that I frequent the move 5...c6 is called the Morphy Variation and as he is the first player to have a game here with it https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che... then let it be so.

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