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Paul Morphy vs John Rhodes
Morphy Blindfold Simul 8b, Birmingham (1858) (blindfold), Birmingham ENG, Aug-27
King's Gambit: Declined. Classical Variation (C30)  ·  1-0

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by J. LowenthalWe consider 4 Bb5 to be also a good move at this juncture.The sacrifice of the Knight here is not advisable, as the variation appended will prove : 4...Nxe5 5 Nxe5 Qh4+ 6 g3 Qh4+ 7 qe2 Qxe4+ 8 d4 (Ng6+ though apparently a good move is not so; for after taking the rook the knight could not easily be liberated) Be7 9 Nf3 d6 10 Be3 Bg4 11 Nbd2 and we prefer the game of the first player.It will be noticed that if White had instead played 11 dxe5, Black would have answered ...Bxf2+ and so obtained a decisive advantage.When Mr. Rhodes sacrificed the piece, he no doubt thought that after moving ...Kf8 he could bring his queen’s rook with grat effect to e8 or he would hardly have dared to give up so much to so formidable an opponent.1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

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Given 26 times; par: 43 [what's this?]

Annotations by Johann Lowenthal.      [28 more games annotated by Lowenthal]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jun-07-05  prinsallan: 10: ...Nxe5 is the sealed move, what was he thinking, anyone has any ideas?

He didn´t actually think Morphy would fall for that obvious trap did he?

Jun-07-05  Granite: I'm guessing he thought he won a pawn and overlooked the fact that Morphy could pin him back.
Jun-08-05  prinsallan: A pin for a pin?
A pun anyone? ^^

Anyway, thanks <Granite>, I guess it makes sence, but I believe even a mediocre player today with decent opening skills wouldn´t grab that pawn without looking twice.

Nov-13-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  beeping.alarm: The variation in Löwenthal's annotations got garbled somehow. It's in "Morphy's Games", published in 1860 and available in Google Books (see page 165). The variation should read:

4...Nxe5 5.Nxe5 Qh4+ 6.g3 Qxe4+ 7.Qe2 Qxh1 8.d4 (Ng6+ though apparently a good move is not so; for after taking the rook the knight could not easily be liberated) Be7 9.Nf3 d6 10.Be3 Bg4 11.Nbd2 and we prefer the game of the first player.

Also, Stockfish disagrees with Löwenthal and thinks that 8.Ng6+ is not only better but the only way for white to keep an advantage. Unlike Löwenthal, Stockfish prefers the game of the second player in the variation.

Sep-12-20  paulmorphy1969: John Rhodes
nato a Leeds nel 1814; membro del Leeds Chess Club 1834-1898; conosceva Buckle, Walker, Staunton, St. Amant, ecc .; morì nel 1898.Fu un motore traimnante della squadra principale nella formazione dell'originale Yorkshire Chess Association, oltre ad essere forse il giocatore più forte della contea ai suoi tempi.Fu un membro chiave della squadra del Leeds Chess Club che sconfisse il Liverpool in due partite per corrispondenza tra i due club dal 1839 al 1841. Era segretario del Leeds Chess Club al momento della prima riunione della Yorkshire Chess Association.Partecipò alla riunione della YCA del 1846, in quella occasione vinse una partita contro il St Amant,ricevendo iil vantaggio di pedone e due mosse. Nel 1847 ha battuto Edward Cronhelm in una partita, 4-1.Sembra abbia conosciuto George Walker, poiché quest'ultimo ha dedicato il suo libro Chess & Chess-Players.Il suo necrologio sul British Chess Magazine dice che era associato al Leeds Chess Club già nel 1834, il che suggerisce che fosse un membro fondatore del club, poiché si dice che sia stato formato nel 1834. 5^ Scacchiera John Rhodes
Sep-12-20  paulmorphy1969: John Rhodes
born in Leeds in 1814; member of the Leeds Chess Club 1834-1898; he knew Buckle, Walker, Staunton, St. Amant, etc .; died in 1898. He was a driving force behind the main team in the formation of the original Yorkshire Chess Association, as well as being perhaps the strongest player in the county of his day. He was a key member of the Leeds Chess Club squad that defeated Liverpool in two correspondence matches between the two clubs from 1839 to 1841. He was secretary of the Leeds Chess Club at the time of the first Yorkshire Chess Association meeting. He attended the 1846 YCA meeting, on that occasion he won a game against St Amant, receiving the pawn advantage and two moves. In 1847 he beat Edward Cronhelm in one game, 4-1.He appears to have known George Walker, as the latter dedicated his book Chess & Chess-Players.His obituary in British Chess Magazine says he was associated with the Leeds Chess Club as early as 1834, which suggests he was a founding member of the club, as it is said to have been formed in 1834. 5th John Rhodes Chessboard

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