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Alexander Meek vs Paul Morphy
Casual game (1855), New Orleans, LA USA
Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit. Saratt Variation (C44)  ·  0-1

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)better is 6.c3 = -0.04 (23 ply) ⩱ -0.58 (20 ply) after 6...Ne5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.h3 b6 9.Nf3 Nxf3+ 10.Qxf3 Bb7 better is 8.h3 dxc3 9.Nxc3 Ne5 10.Bb3 b6 11.Qc2 Re8 12.Na4 Bd4 = -0.06 (23 ply) 8...Nxd4 9.h3 b5 10.Bd3 Bd7 11.Nc3 a5 12.Ne2 Nxe2+ ⩱ -0.77 (22 ply) 9.h3 Qf6 10.Qe2 Ne5 11.Bb3 Be6 12.Nc3 Bxb3 13.axb3 c6 = 0.00 (21 ply) ⩱ -1.13 (25 ply) 11.Bd5 Bb6 12.Kh1 h6 13.Nf3 Nb4 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15.Qh5 Qf6 ⩱ -0.85 (22 ply) ∓ -1.96 (28 ply) 12.Bb3 hxg5 13.Bxg5 Qe8 14.Nd5 Be6 15.Nxc7 Qd7 16.Nxa8 ∓ -1.89 (28 ply)-+ -3.80 (22 ply) 13.Bb3 Bd7 14.Kh2 Qe8 15.Bd2 Kh8 16.f4 Nfd8 17.Qe2 Ne6 -+ -3.63 (21 ply)-+ -6.44 (28 ply) after 13...Qh4 14.Ne2 Ne5 15.Bxf7+ Rxf7 16.Qg3 Qxg3 17.Nxg3 b6 -+ mate-in-9 after 20.Qb3+ Be6 21.g3 Bxb3 22.Be3 Nf3+ 23.Kh1 Qxe40-1

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
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Kibitzer's Corner
May-03-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  WTHarvey: Fwiw, 21...Bxg2 is mate in 4: 22.Qh8+ Kxh8 23.Bg5 Qxg5 24.b3 Nf3#
Sep-25-05  blingice: Good lord, Morphy.

Never, ever accept a sacrifice by Morphy.

Nov-06-05  Rohan: wow - i learn something every time i play a morphy game perhaps he was the greatest of all time
Nov-07-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: This game appears in Ludek Pachman's "Modern Chess Strategy", to illustrate the dangers of attacking in the opening without having a sufficient advantage.Black had done nothing wrong during the opening phase, so white's decision to play 14. Bxf7+, was a big mistake, because it shifted the equilibrium in favor of black.Once black had gained the initiative as a result,it all went downhill for white in a hurry.
Jan-28-06  morpstau: wow - i learn something every time i play a morphy game perhaps he was the greatest of all time
Jul-02-06  Helios727: I think 12.Nxf7 was the real goof.
Jul-03-06  RookFile: Well, sure it was. Notice something though. Lasker talked about this.

A champion boxer, when faced by a punch thrown by his opponent, just barely moves his head just enough to avoid the blow. Then he's punching right back in the face of his opponent. Contrast this with an amateur who shrinks back, and defends more than he has to, or runs.

Morphy played like the champion boxer in this game.

Feb-15-07  SBC: In 1855 the "normal" response to 5. Ng5 would have been 5...Ne5 which protects the f7 pawn and also attacks the c4 Bishop. However, there was a built-in trap inherent to that move - 6.Nxf7 Nxf7 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxc5 where black will drop e4 and meanwhile his King's exposed and his Queen is locked to the pawn on c7 I even saw this sequence in a simul game by Tal.

Morphy avoided all this with a new, and unexpected, move - the clunky looking 5...Nh6 - a Knight- on-the-rim, soon to be a Knight-on-the-move.

Jun-21-07  Manic: <Helios727> sure 12.Nxf7 was not good, but at that point was there anything better? The real mistake is surely 11.Qh5?, and after 11...h6 both white's knight and bishop are under attack and only one can be saved.
Dec-23-07  nimh: Rybka 2.3.1 mp, AMD X2 2.01GHz, 10 min per move, threshold 0.33.

Meek 6 mistakes:
11.Qh5 -1.63 (11.Bb3 -0.82)
12.Nxf7 -2.84 (12.Bb3 -1.91)
13.Qg6 -5.02 (13.Bb3 -2.81)
16.Nd5 -5.61 (16.Ne2 -4.39)
18.Qxb7 -10.77 (18.Be3 -5.50)
19.Ne7+ #13 (19.Nf4 -10.77)

Morphy no mistakes!

Jan-24-08  JimmyVermeer: Morphy played very impressively this time. He had a faster win on his 21st move though as WTHarvey rightly pointed out, so not sure if that qualifies as a "mistake". After all, a win is a win, regardless of the number of moves it took. From the point of view of a person trying to boost his rating, it's probably best to finish the game off quickly so you can get started on the next stunning victory.
Jun-11-11  lemonadepawn: @WTHarvey You assumed Meek was really dumb.
Nov-20-16  zadgjm: As a novice i can say that was a beautiful game. A gem.
Nov-21-16  ughaibu: But 5...Nh6 wasn't "a new, and unexpected, move". http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...
Feb-13-21  talhal20: This game is Morphy special. All over Morphy stamp on this game.Morphy is all about pins, checks, sacrifices and manoeuvres.
Feb-13-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: The Meek did not inherit the earth...
Feb-13-21  talhal20: This game is Morphy special. All over Morphy stamp on this game.Morphy is all about pins, checks, sacrifices and manoeuvres.
Sep-18-23  Messiah: 'Windy Times'

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