Paul Morphy vs Thomas Worrall (1858) Morphy's Law

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Paul Morphy vs Thomas Worrall
"Morphy's Law" (game of the day Jul-23-2007)
Odds Game (Nb1) (1858) (unorthodox), New York
Chess variants (000) · 1-0

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	find similar games	7 more Morphy/Worrall games
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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 1 OF 3 · Later Kibitzing>
Dec-12-02		bishop: Black plays weakly, but the final mating position is pleasing.

Dec-12-02		mdorothy: I've only seen that mate once, and never in real play. It definately is beautiful, though.

Dec-13-02		ughaibu: So called epaulette mate.

Aug-31-05		sneaky pete: Most sources (starting with Loewenthal, 1860) give this as Morphy vs NN, New York 1857, with 16.R4f3 .. (instead of 16.R1f3 ..). 16.Rf8+ Qxf8 17.Qg5+ Qg7 18.Qd5+ .. with # in 2 more moves (Ward) is a quicker win.

Jul-11-07		Judah: It takes some nerve to play the double Muzio when you've started the game a knight down. At least, it would for me.

Jul-23-07		actionhero56: i love that mate

Jul-23-07		al wazir: How does white win after 19...Bxf3 ?

Jul-23-07		Kaspablanca: After 19...Bxf3 white can move 20. Rxf3 threating Rf7.

Jul-23-07		Kaspablanca: White can play 20. g7 as well.

Jul-23-07		al wazir: After 19...Bxf3 20. Rxf3 Qxg6, 21. Rf7 is no threat. If 20. g7, then 20...Qg6 21. Qxg6 hxg6 22. gxh8=Q+ Kxh8 23. Rxf3, and white has a ♙ for his trouble. I guess Morphy could win the endgame, but it wouldn't set hearts a flutter. Or black could play 20...Qxe4 instead. Then the continuation would be 21. gxh8=Q+ Kxh8 22. Qf6+ Kg8 23. Rxf3 Qg6, and now I don't know what white does.

Jul-23-07		avilovi: I wonder, why such a strange opening name, while it's an old good King's gambit accepted?

Jul-23-07		radu stancu: <avilovi> It's because Morphy plays without his queenside knight. Every odds game is set to 000.

Jul-23-07		Calli: 20...Qxe4? 21.Qf6 and then gxh8=Q+

Jul-23-07		Balaurul: Paul Morphy, this seems to be the most 'en vogue' player here in chessgames.

Jul-23-07		unluckythirtyfive: Very nice. Great success. Wah wah wee wah.

Jul-23-07		realbrob: I think Black should win after 5..gxf3 6.O-O. Okay, White is more developed, but when you're down 2 pieces and a pawn and you don't have a mating attack you're going to lose, even though your name is Morphy. 6..Bh6? This move is horrible. Worrall is, as I said before, up 2 pieces and a pawn and he worries about defending his doubled f pawns. Some ideas (I'm not using an engine to verify, so if I say something silly please correct me) 6..Nf6 7.e5 d5 closing the diagonal of the LSB which is White's most dangerous attacking piece at the moment 8.exd5 Qxd6 and Black can develop normally for example 9.Qxf3 Be7. click for larger view The LSB sacrifice is no longer a problem because the Nf6 guards the h5 square, the Nf6 is well protected and difficult to attack, and Black's next move is probably going to be ..Be6, getting rid of the white LSB. After that he'll develop the b8 knight, put the rook on g8 and probably win.

Jul-23-07		MorphysMojo: Morphy's law: Your increase in developed pieces on the board is in direct proportion to how many of them you don't need to have on the board and still win All of Worralls' games are against Morphy and in only one does he make it to move 30. I guess I have to give him the "good sport" award (if you like odds games).

Jul-23-07		kevin86: Let's see:Worrall played the Muzio against Morphy at the odds of a knight. Could this be chess's version of Russian Roulette? Paul Morphy loved sacrifices and gambits-here is a prime example. Some even believed that the Muzio gambit at a knight odds was a proven win for white.-not sure,but I think it would be for Paul Morphy. All of this and a perfect epaulette mate also!

Jul-23-07		MikeChesss: I wish I were smart enough to play like this. Even with study, stuff like this seems to require some inborn talent. And nerve.

Jul-23-07		Chessmensch: This was like putting Tiny Tim in the ring with Schwarzenegger.

Jul-23-07		RookFile: <MikeChess: I wish I were smart enough to play like this. Even with study, stuff like this seems to require some inborn talent. And nerve.> Well said.

Jul-23-07		playground player: No wonder Mr. Worrall is 0-7 on the database. I think the descriptive term for Morphy's tactics in this game is "flamin' obvious."

Jul-23-07		RookFile: They may be to us today. I liked 17. h4, it's probably the best move of the game.

Jul-23-07		Hot Logic: One advantage of starting at knight odds is that it gives saves white an extra tempo when connecting his rooks.

Jul-23-07		AAAAron: I wonder if Morphy could beat Chessgames, Little Chess Partner? Because the players around during his time are very SUB-par!

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