[Event "La Bourdonnais - McDonnell 1st Casual Match"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "1834.??.??"]
[EventDate "1834.00.01"]
[Round "19"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Louis Charles Mahe De La Bourdonnais"]
[Black "Alexander McDonnell"]
[ECO "C23"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "108"]

1. e4 {Notes by Morphy} e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qe2 {White, by this
move initiates the opening known as the Lopez Gambit- a debut
rarely practiced at the present day. Its legitimate result
should be an even game. } d6 {Besides the move here adopted
Black may also play 3...Nf6 3...Nc6 3...Qe7. If he choose the
first, and White reply with 4.f4, Black may capture the
proffered pawn, not only with safety, but with advantage. We
subjoin one or two variations 3...Nf6 4.f4 exf4 5.e5 O-O 6.Nf3
d5 and Black has undoubtedly the better game. If White now
takes 7.exf6, Black moves ...Re8 and must win. And if White
retreat 7.Bb3, Black's answer is ...Nc6. And finally if White
play 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Nxd4 dxc4 9.Qxc4 Qd5 and Black has the
advantage. Or 3...Nf6 4.f4 exf4 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.c3 (If 6.e5 Black
castles) O-O 7.d4 d5 and play as White may, we think that
Black must obtain a superior position. } 4. d3 {4.f4 is now
the correct move. } Nf6 5. h3 Nc6 6. c3 Ne7 7. Bb3 Ng6 8. g3
c6 9. f4 exf4 10. gxf4 Bxg1 11. Rxg1 Bxh3 12. f5 Ne5 13. Rg3
Bg4 14. Qg2 h5 15. d4 Ned7 16. Bg5 Qb6 17. Nd2 O-O {It surely
would have been safer to have castled with Queen Rook.}
18. Bf4 {18.Nc4 followed by 19.Bf4 as suggested by another
commentator (Chessplayer's Chronicle, vol. 1st, p.327) would
have been bad play. Suppose 18.Nc4 Qc7 19.Bf4 Nxe4 and Black
will certainly retain his advantage. Should White capture the
knight, Black's reply is ...Rae8, at once regaining the piece
and remaining with two pawns more than his adversary and a
good position. If White move 20.Re3 Black's proper answer is
20...Ndf6. } d5 19. e5 Rfe8 20. Be3 {This is not a good
move. 20.Kf1 instead, would have given White a fine game. For
suppose 20.Kf1 Nh7 (checking with the queen would be useless,
as White would move 21.Kg1 and the position would not be
materially altered) 21.Rxg4 hxg4 22.Qxg4 White has now a
winning position. The attack must, in a few moves, become
irresistable. } h4 {Well played.} 21. Rxg4 Nxg4 22. Qxg4 Nxe5
23. dxe5 {23.Qe2 has been properly suggested as a better move
at this point. } Qxe3+ 24. Kd1 Rxe5 25. Kc2 Qg3 26. Qd4 Qe3
27. Qxh4 Qh6 28. Qxh6 gxh6 29. Rf1 f6 30. c4 Kf7 31. cxd5 cxd5
32. Kd3 {32.Ne4, with a view of bringing the knight into
better play, would have been a good move. } Rg8 33. Rf4 Ke7
34. Nf3 Rg3 35. Kd4 Kd6 36. Bd1 b5 37. b4 a6 38. a4 h5
39. axb5 axb5 40. Bc2 Re2 41. Bd3 Rb2 42. Ke3 {42.Kc3 would
have lost a piece, as Black would have played 42...Rf2 } Rg4
43. Nd4 Rxf4 44. Kxf4 Rxb4 45. Ke3 Kc5 46. Ne6+ Kc6 47. Nf4
Rxf4 48. Kxf4 Kc5 49. Be2 h4 50. Kg4 b4 51. Kxh4 Kd4 52. Kg3
b3 53. Bd1 b2 54. Bc2 Ke3 0-1