A First Book of Morphy
Author: Rosario, Frisco Del
Date: 2004-10-05 00:00:00-07:00
Keywords: [Amazon]; Compendium; Chess; Non Fiction
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
Rights: © Copyright 2004 Frisco Del Rosario.

Table of Contents

Title Page
Copyright Page
Epigraph
Acknowledgements
Introduction

Part 1: The Opening

Opening rule no. 1: Open with a center pawn

Opening rule no. 2: Develop with threats

Opening rule no. 3: Develop knights before bishops

Opening rule no. 4: Don’t move the same piece twice in the opening if you can ...

Opening rule no. 5: Make as few pawn moves as possible in the opening

Opening rule no. 6: Don’t bring your queen out too early

Opening rule no. 7: Castle as soon as possible, preferably on the kingside

Opening rule no. 8: Play to get control of the center

Opening rule no. 9: Play to maintain at least one pawn in the center

Opening rule no. 10: Don’t sacrifice without a clear and adequate reason

Part 2: The Middlegame

Middlegame rule no. 1: Have all your moves fit into a definite plan

Middlegame rule no 2: When ahead in material, exchange as many pieces as ...

Middlegame rule no. 3: Avoid doubled, isolated, and backward pawns

Middlegame rule no. 4: In cramped positions, free yourself by exchanging

Middlegame rule no. 5: Don’t expose your king while the enemy queen is still on ...

Middlegame rule no. 6: All combinations are based on a double attack

Middlegame rule no. 7: When your opponent has one or more pieces exposed, look ...

Middlegame rule no. 8: To attack the enemy king, open a file (or less often a ...

Middlegame rule no. 9: Centralize the action of your pieces

Middlegame rule no. 10: The best defense is a counterattack

Part 3: The Endgame

Endgame rule no. 1: To win without pawns, you must be a rook or two minor ...

Endgame rule no. 2: The king must be active in the endgame

Endgame rule no. 3: Passed pawns must be pushed

Endgame rule no. 4: The easiest endings to win are pure pawn endings

Endgame rule no. 5: When one pawn ahead, exchange pieces, not pawns

Endgame rule no. 6: Don’t place pawns on the same color squares as your bishop

Endgame rule no. 7: Bishops are better than knights in all but blocked pawn positions

Endgame rule no. 8: It is worth a pawn to get a rook on the seventh rank (with ...

Endgame rule no. 9: Rooks belong behind passed pawns

Endgame rule no. 10: Blockade passed pawns with the king

Bibliography
Openings Index
About the author

© Copyright 2004 Frisco Del Rosario.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

Note for Librarians: a cataloguing record for this book that includes Dewey Decimal
Classification and US Library of Congress numbers is available from the Library and
Archives of Canada. The complete cataloguing record can be obtained from their online
database at:

www.collectionscanada.ca/amicus/index-e.html
ISBN 1-4122-2847-6
Printed in Victoria, BC, Canada

Cover art by Lela Dowling.

Offices in Canada, USA, Ireland, UK and Spain
This book was published on-demand in cooperation with Trafford Publishing. On-demand
publishing is a unique process and service of making a book available for retail sale to the
public taking advantage of on-demand manufacturing and Internet marketing. On-demand
publishing includes promotions, retail sales, manufacturing, order fulfilment, accounting and
collecting royalties on behalf of the author.

Book sales for North America and international:
Trafford Publishing, 6E-2333 Government St.,
Victoria, BC V8T 4P4 CANADA
phone 250 383 6864 (toll-free 1 888 232 4444)
fax 250 383 6804; email to orders@trafford.com

Book sales in Europe:
Trafford Publishing (UK) Ltd., Enterprise House, Wistaston Road Business Centre,
Wistaston Road, Crewe, Cheshire CW2 7RP UNITED KINGDOM
phone 01270 251 396 (local rate 0845 230 9601)
facsimile 01270 254 983; orders.uk@trafford.com

Order online at:
www.trafford.com/robots/041714.html

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

“Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties.”

—Frederic Chopin, composer and chessplayer, according to the Polish History of Chess

Acknowledgements

Thanks to:

RRS, for this and that;

Judy Taylor, for teaching high school English;

The Campbell Chess Club, for the group effort that resulted in many changes and corrections;

The South School Tigers chess team and their families;

The Whistlin’ Pig Chess Club, for staying together despite moving apart;

My parents, for showing me how the pieces move and for putting a pen in my hands;

The Chess Education Association, Success Chess School, Berkeley Chess School, and ChessPrep, for employment;

Grandmasters Tal Shaked and Patrick Wolff, and international master Alexandra Kosteniuk, for lessons, friendship, and collaborations;

Chess master Bill Orton, for ChessWriter software; and

Everyone from the Cherryland Café.

Thanks especially to Sara, with love always.

This book was written on a Macintosh.

Introduction

This book aims to illustrate the teachings of three great chessplayers with games played by the first American chess champion, Paul Morphy.

Paul Morphy (1837-1884) was the first known genius at chess, whose games were first to show the relationship between the attack and the positional features of development, center control, and king safety.

Morphy never wrote a book, but the American chess author Reinfeld said Morphy’s games are “powerful propaganda for [his] theories, theories that were never stated by Morphy but were implicit in his games.”

Morphy had a very short career as a chessplayer, winning the First American Chess Congress in 1857 at the age of 19, and then spending a year in Europe, where he beat the best players who would face him and fascinated noblemen and chess bums alike with his blindfold play. He then retired, unhappy about his failure to meet English master Howard Staunton in a match, and went on to practice law in Louisiana. (Unfortunately for Morphy, his celebrity as a chessplayer upstaged his credentials as a lawyer.)

Reuben Fine (1914-1992) was one of the two best players in the United States in the 1930s and ’40s. Grandmaster Fine won or tied for first in 12 straight international events from 1937-38, and was considered by many to be the best blitz player in the world, but Fine retired from chess to practice psychiatry.

Fine wrote several books about chess, including the landmark Basic Chess Endings, and the textbook Chess the Easy Way, in which Fine distilled 400 years of accumulated chess wisdom into 30 principles, 10 each for the opening, middlegame, and endgame. This book presents more than 60 of Morphy’s games to illustrate Fine’s rules.

Cecil John Seddon Purdy (1906-1979) was an international master and the first correspondence chess world champion. As the editor of Chess World magazine, Purdy was an unparalleled chess teacher for novice and intermediate players.

Purdy wrote his magazine sometimes like an enjoyable schoolbook, where he explained the basics of winning chess in pithy, memorable words. Purdy’s two most fundamental instructions were Use inactive force, and Examine moves that smite.

Also quoted in this book is Philip W. Sergeant, who wrote Morphy’s Games of Chess, the most easily-found English-language anthology of Morphy’s games.

Why This Book is Titled A First Book of Morphy

In case the reader is not already familiar with the first American chess champion, then the author hopes that this book will make a good introduction. For others, it might serve as a modern complement to Morphy’s Games of Chess (and its old-style descriptive notation, Roman numerals, and light annotation).

The games in A First Book were selected to illustrate basic principles—perhaps the reader could also use an introduction to those—but while the annotations lean toward fundamentals of position, the author tried to delve deeply enough to make the notes interesting to experienced readers.

Learn to Force Checkmate and to Create Combinations First

A First Book of Morphy shouldn’t be one’s first chess book, and probably not even the second or third. The first thing a chessplayer should learn is how to finish a game by checkmate—the best books for that purpose demonstrate checkmating themes with diagrams, like Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, Gillam’s Simple Checkmates, or Chandler’s How to Beat Your Dad at Chess.

The player must also be firmly grounded in tactics. He must be able to wield the pins and forks, the discovered and double attacks, and all the other elements of combination, a series of forcing moves based on a double attack. A double attack enables a player to impose his will on the position, for his opponent cannot make two moves in a row to defend against two attacks. (Sometimes the defender will have one move available to parry two threats, but this book tends to “forget” that for didactic reasons, and brevity.)

The biggest part of a chessplayer’s skill is his ability to recognize checkmating and combinational patterns, and then put them into play over the board—many books present hundreds of chess diagrams to cultivate that ability; Beginning Chess by Pandolfini uses just a few pieces in its puzzles, while books that collect problems from real games involve many of—and sometimes all—the pieces. There are so many books of that kind—the author began learning tactics from Chernev and Reinfeld’s Winning Chess, first published in 1948.

When there is no checkmating attack on the board, and no combination in sight, and not even a single effective threatening move present, then the player may be guided by general strategic principles, like the 30 described by Fine in Chess the Easy Way, or the two stressed by Purdy. Morphy’s games showed his constant search for moves that made effective threats and/ or introduced unused force to the position.

The best way to practice chess, according to Purdy, is to play through a master’s games while covering the master’s moves and guessing at them in turn. That exercise is most useful when the master’s moves are simple and straightforward and based on principle, for when the student guesses incorrectly, he might more easily deduce the master’s intent. Morphy’s games are excellent for this kind of study.

Morphy’s Most Valuable Lesson

In the midst of his sensational debut at the First American Chess Congress in 1857, Morphy spoke at New York University. He said during his address:

“Chess never has been and never can be aught but a recreation. It should not be indulged in to the detriment of other and more serious avocations.”

What You Won’t Find in This Book

Traditionally, annotated chess games have used marks like “!” to denote a good move and “?” to show a bad one, and over time these marks have been extended to “!?” for interesting moves and “?!” for dubious plays.

The ninth world champion Tigran Petrosian once wrote, “Oh, these exclamation and question marks! How they erode the soul of the amateur, making it impossible for him to evaluate critically the ideas of another!” This book does without exclamation and query marks for that reason.

Part 1: The Opening

Suppose you are going to take an eastward walk through the forest, but the only maps you can find of the forest are incomplete. One of the maps shows you how to get to the middle of the forest from the west, and the other shows you how to get from the middle of the forest to your destination in the east. Which map do you want, if either?

Hopefully, you want the map that leads you from the middle of the forest to the exit. Anyone can wander into the middle of the forest—with or without directions—but then it is easy to get lost.

Opening books are maps from the entrance of the forest to the middle. Even if one could play chess with an open book during the opening, it is just an incomplete map that does no good if one gets lost in the middle. The happy traveler knows how to finish a chess game by checkmate or pawn promotion.

It is only by convention that this book is arranged opening- middlegame-endgame, because the end of the game should be learned first. However, every chess game has to start with the opening, where the goals are to control the center and to get the pieces developed.

Opening rule no. 1: Open with a center pawn

The first step toward a happy ending is a well-conducted beginning. To start the chess game most properly, gain control of the squares in the center of the board and develop your pieces.

Suppose that the chessboard were not flat, but instead a hill or a mountain with its highest point at the center of the terrain. Who has the advantage when fighting for control of a hill? The player at the top, who can see in every direction around the hill, and whose opponents are fighting uphill.

To get off to the best start for control of the chessboard mountain, send a scout right into the center on the first move. Only 1. e4 or 1. d4 for White and 1… e5 or 1… d5 for Black controls one center square, occupies one center square, and opens a line for the development of two pieces (queen plus bishop).

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
Birmingham 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Dr. Jabez Carr
Carr Defense

1. e4

White controls the center square d5, and offers his queen and bishop nine squares for development. No other first move does so much good.

1… h6

In the absence of threats, a move in the opening should help accomplish two goals: control of the center and mobilization of the pieces. 1…h6 aids in neither task.

2. d4

Unchallenged in the middle of the board, White gladly places a second pawn there.

2… a5
As poor a move as the first.
3. Bd3

White plans to take greater control over the square e5 by advancing f4. If he played 3. Nf3, it would block the f-pawn. 3. Ne2 would block the bishop, so White develops the bishop first. White could’ve played 3. f4, but that move would not have assisted White’s development.

3…b6 4. Ne2 e6 5. 0-0 Ba6

6. c4

A good move. White puts a tighter grip on d5, and avoids an exchange of bishops, which would slightly ease Black’s cramped position.

6… Nf6

The knight has no support point in the center, so it cannot move forward if it is jabbed, only backward. It would be dangerous for Black to try to make e4 a support point for the knight: 6…d5 7. cd5 ed5 8. ed5 Qd5 (8…Nf6 is better) 9. Re1 and White has advantages in time and space plus a threat of 10. Nf4, a winning discovered check.

7. e5

White’s dominance in the center enables him to push Black backward while gaining space and freeing his bishop.

7… Nh7 8. f4 Be7 9. Ng3

White has moved the knight a second time, but 9. Ng3 aids the aggressive development of another piece by opening the queen’s diagonal so that she might play Qf3 to attack the rook, or Qg4 to threaten the g7-pawn. 9. Qc2 looks more immediately menacing, but 10. Bh7 g6 would surround the bishop.

9… d5

Black threatens to capture on c4, but the first thing White looked for was a bigger threat of his own.

10. Qg4

Now if 10… dc4, White wins material by 11. Be4 Qd4 12. Kh1 c6 13. Qg7.

10…0-0 11. Nh5

A third knight move, but threats overrule the principles. White threatens 12. Qg7 mate, and if 11…g6, then 12. Bg6 wins.

11… g5

White’s checkmating threat compelled Black to expose his king.

12. fg5

White wants to continue with 13. gh6, a crushing discovered check.

12… hg5

If Black captured on g5 with a minor piece, it would be pinned, and 13. h4 would gain a piece for a pawn.

13. Bh7

13… Kh8

White has a winning attack after 13… Kh7 14. Nf6 Bf6 (14…Kg7 15. Qg5 Kh8 16. Qh6 mate) 15. ef6 Rh8 (uncovering f8 as a flight square for the king, while 15…Nd7 leads to 16. Qh5 Kg8 17. Qg5 Kh8 18. Qg7 mate) 16. Qg5 Qf8 and White finishes by bringing up another piece: 17. Rf3 and 18. Rh3.

14. Nf6

Makes way for the queen bishop to join the game on g5, prepares Qh5, and guards the bishop.

14… dc4 15. Bc2

The hasty 15. Qh5 enables Black to defend with 15…Qd4 16. Be3 Qh4 (Black should not be decoyed into 16…Qe3 17. Kh1).

15… Qd4

Desperate, in view of 16. Qh5 Kg7 17. Qh7 mate.

16. Qd4 Bc5 17. Qc5
The simplest answer to Black’s pin.
17… bc5 18. Bg5 Nc6 19. Rf3

Every move should introduce the most new force with the greatest threat. White threatens 20. Rh3 and 21. Rh7 mate.

19… Kg7 20. Bh6

A clever sacrifice, forcing the black king back to the h-file where the white rook and knight cooperate. On the less aggressive 20. Rh3, then 20… Rh8 defends the file.

20… Kh6
20… Kh8 21. Rh3 leaves Black helpless.
21. Rh3 Kg5 22. Rh5 Kf4 23. Kf2

Bringing up more new force. The white king cuts off e3 and f3 as flight squares and threatens 24. g3 mate. The same neat motif appears again in the note to Black’s 24th move in Morphy- Amateur on page 115.

23…Rg8 24. g3 Rg3 25. hg3 mate

The winning recipe is to blend better center control, better development, and better king safety in that order, and then from that superior position, opening a file for the heavy pieces to attack the king, while looking at every move that threatens the king or smaller unit, and bring up unused force.

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
Philadelphia 1859
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Lewis
Owen’s Defense

1. e4 b6

During Morphy’s trip through London in 1858, he played a match at odds of pawn and move against Reverend John Owen, and pitched a 5-0 shutout with two draws. Other than that, Owen is remembered for giving his name to a second-rate opening in which Black intends to develop with a threat at move two, but immediately takes on a disadvantage in the center.

2. d4 Bb7 3. Bd3

With 3. Nc3, White blocks the c-pawn, which might be useful for controlling the center. Further, 3. Bd3 aims for the fastest kingside castling, because White already has the better center, so he aims toward better development and king safety. 3. Bd3 also sets a trap: 3…f5 4. ef5 Bg2 5. Qh5 g6 6. fg6 Nf6 7. gh7 Nh5 8. Bg6 mate.

3…e6 4. Nh3

It looks like a beginner’s move, but 4. Nh3 is quite in tune with the recipe. White has better center control, and if he develops a new piece with each move, Black cannot catch up. 4. Nh3 prepares for castling—for taking the next step of assuming better king safety—and since 4. Nh3 does not block the f-pawn, White is enabled to improve his center position and open a file later with f4-f5-f6.

4… d5 5. e5

The d-pawns control equal space, but the e5-pawn is a yard better than the e6-pawn, and because the e5-pawn restricts the knight’s development, Black slips further behind in time.

5… Ne7

5…Nh6-f5 risks capture on every step of the way, but it might be the best way to go, because White is likely not to capture it, but probably wait for the right time to threaten it with g4.

6. 0-0

Morphy had the habit of completing his development on side of the board before starting on the other, which often resulted in easier coordination of those pieces. An additional benefit of this efficient system is that the position can unfold to suggest the best placement for the queenside pieces.

6… Ng6

Black made room for his bishop to develop, but the knight comes under fire on g6. 6… c5 hits the center and expands Black’s queenside space, and then 7. c3 Nec6 plus …Nd7 and …f6 is a purposeful development.

7. f4 Be7 8. f5

With better center control, better development, and better king safety, White guarantees the opening of the file for his f1-rook.

8… ef5

Black’s position shows its first crack. White attacks e6 in case of 8… Nh4 (or 8… Nf8 9. Qg4) 9. fe6 fe6 10. Qg4.

9. Bf5

White could continue with 10. e6 to disrupt Black’s position, but Black ought to roll with that punch with developing moves.

9… Bc8

After this loss of time, White’s attack flows smoothly. A surprising turn of events could follow 9…Nd7 10. e6 fe6 11. Bg6 hg6 12. Qg4 Nf8, and then if White forked the black pawns with 13. Nf4, 13… Qd6 pins the knight while preparing to castle.

10. Bc8 Qc8

Black lost three moves as a result of this exchange. He developed, then undeveloped his bishop, while the queen’s recapture did not develop, and even enables White to bring up another piece with a threat.

11. Nc3 c6

Either 11…Qd7 or 11…Qe6 would run into 12. Qf3.

12. Bg5

Rapid development with the idea of removing the defender of g5 so that the knight can move forward. If the knight reaches that attacking post, it could be forgotten that it developed first to h3 and not f3.

12…0-0

Another mistake. With 12…Qe6 13. Be7 Qe7, Black would not have to undevelop his knight.

13. Be7 Ne7 14. Qh5

White brings up more inactive force. 15. Ng5 could be next with a double threat.

14…h6

White has a winning position after 14… g6 15. Qh6, and then 15…f6 stops 16. Ng5 but allows 16. ef6.

15. Rf3

In turn, the queen and king rook made way for the queen rook to enter. Additionally, White puts 16. Rg3 in store, which threatens 17. Qh6.

15… Ng6

Black avoids a pin on the g-file, but his only developed piece has moved four times.

16. Raf1 Qe6 17. Ne2

Each white piece has taken its first step forward. The knight’s second step brings it closer to the kingside.

17… Nd7

The e5-pawn restrains this knight’s further movement, and after White plays Nef4, his knight cooperates with the e5-pawn to attack the range of squares between d6 and g6.

18. Nef4

The fork compels Black to exchange his defensive piece, while White’s recapture brings reinforcements forward.

18…Nf4

18…Qe8 is a bit more stubborn. White cannot grab the loot right away with 19. Ng6 because 19…fg6 20. Rf8 Nf8 holds Black afloat for a bit, but to bring over more new force by 19. Rg3 Nf4 20. Rf4 leaves Black paralyzed to defend against the threatened capture 21. Qh6 and the threatened sacrifice 21. Rg7.

19. Nf4 Qe7 20. Rg3 Kh7 21. Rff3

The white pieces inch forward one by one, and now White threatens 22. Rg7 Kg7 23. Rg3 Kh7 24. Rh3, with checkmate to come.

21…Rg8

This leaves f7 exposed to attack, so White attacks it with a discovery.

22. Nh3

With the double threat of 23. Rf7, and 23. Ng5 Kh8 24. Nf7 Kh7 25. Qg6 mate. How curious that both white knights made use of the square in the corner.

22… g6

Black could have played 22…f6 to watch over f5, but then White goes to work on the newly-opened file after 23. ef6 gf6 (23… Nf6 24. Ng5 Kh8 25. Nf7 wins) 24. Re3, and then Black’s queen is overworked, having to guard the knight against 25. Qf5, forking, and against the invasion 25. Qf7 plus 26. Re7.

23. Ng5 Qg5

Not 23…Kg7 because 24. Rf7 Qf7 25. Nf7 shows the g-pawn to be pinned.

24. Rf7
24. Rg5 gh5 is much too hasty.
24… Kh8

White makes huge material gains after 24… Rg7 25. Rg5 Rf7 (25…gh5 26. Rgg7 Kh8 27. Rd7 snares a rook) 26. Qg6 Kh8 27. Qf7.

25. Qg5 Resigns

Because 25…hg5 opens another file leading to the king, 26. Rh3 is checkmate.

Opening rule no. 2: Develop with threats

The most forceful move you can make is a check, a direct threat to the king. Your opponent must get out of check—his choices are limited to the moves that save him from check, and if he cannot get out of check, you win.

The next most forceful kind of move is a capture. If your opponent can neither better nor equal your capture, you gain some material advantage.

Then there are threats to check, and threats to capture. Those are checks and captures you would make with your next move if you could.

Threatening moves drive a chess game forward. When you make a check or a capture, or a threat to do either, your opponent must threaten you in return, or obstruct your path, or run away—he must do something or you will carry out your threat. It is the clash of each player’s threats that makes chess interesting—if neither side made a threat, the game might not end except out of boredom.

Ideally, threats should be made with moves that develop or mobilize new pieces. The pieces in the rear want to come forward and make threats. Every move must aim toward making the biggest threat while bringing up the most new force.

One should not rush forward to make developing threats without thinking. For instance, 1. e4 d5 2. Bb5 is an ineffective threatening move, because while 2. Bb5 is the biggest threat—check!—with the most new force, 2…c6 forces the bishop to lose time by moving again. Your threatening moves must stand up to three steps of analysis: 1) the move you are considering; 2) the opponent’s most likely reply; and 3) your followup. Then you must ask yourself if you like the position that results after step 3. Principles guide our thinking, but threats supercede the principles, and analysis rules all.

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
New York 1857
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Theodore Lichtenhein
King’s Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4

The pawn sacrifice is meant to gain control of the center, either by deflecting Black’s pawn away from the center, or capturing it, though White does not yet truly threaten to take on e5: 3. fe5 Qh4 4. g3 Qe4 snares a rook.

2… ef4

Black concedes center control, and hopes that White will not justify his pawn sacrifice.

3. Nf3

Controls the center, develops a piece, and prevents 3…Qh4.

3… d5

A good move. Black occupies the center, threatens 4… de4, and prepares to develop his queen bishop.

4. ed5

A good move in answer. White meets Black’s threat with an aggressive move of his own, capturing Black’s center pawn.

4…Be7

Better is 4… Nf6, developing the knight before the bishop, with a threat of 5…Nd5, taking in the center. 4…Qd5 invites 5. Nc3, where White develops with a threat.

5. Bb5

Developing a new piece with a threat, and thoughtfully. 5. Be2 does not control the center. 5. Bd3 blocks the d-pawn, and stuffs the queenside. 5. Bc4 is blocked by the pawn on d5, so White encourages Black to help him get it out of the way.

5… c6

On 5…Bd7, 6. Bc4 might leave Black in a tangle: his queen knight cannot develop to c6 or d7, and his queen may no longer capture on d5 if she wanted to. 6…Bg4 would probably be best, and then 7. d4 Bh4 8. Kf1 Qf6 9. Nc3 is a sharp game.

6. dc6 bc6 7. Bc4
A clear diagonal now.
7… Bh4 8. g3
The best defense is a counterattack.
8… fg3
Putting 9… g2 in store.
9. 0-0

Developing the rook with a threat: 10. Nh4 Qh4 11. Bf7 is in sight.

9…gh2 10. Kh1

Is the white king is safer behind a black pawn than he is behind a white pawn? Black cannot capture the pawn on h2.

10… Bf6 11. Ne5

Threatening 12. Nf7, and opening a path for the queen to enter: 11…Be5 12. Qh5 makes a fork.

11… Nh6 12. d4 Be5

Black did not want to risk exposing his king with 12…0-0 13. Bh6 or 12…Be6 13. Be6 fe6 14. Bh6.

13. Qh5 Qd4

By clinging to his material gain, Black enlivens White to play in sacrificial style. 13…Bf6 14. Bh6 0-0 was moderate.

14. Bf7 Nf7 15. Qf7 Kd8

16. Bg5

The biggest threat by the biggest unused piece.

16… Bf6 17. Nc3

Developing a new piece with a threat. White plans 18. Rad1, pinning.

17… Bd7 18. Rf6

A powerful capture that threatens a discovered check. If 18…gf6, 19. Bf6 wins the queen.

18… Kc7 19. Bf4

The check keeps Black on the run, and provides the time for White to coordinate his rook and bishop again.

19… Kb7 20. Rd6

The secret to winning chess games is to make a double threat. The rules do not allow the opponent to make two moves in a row to meet two threats, so one threat can be executed.

20… Qc5 21. Ne4

Bringing the pieces forward with threatening moves.

21… Qc2

While White is chasing the black king, he must be alert to Black’s threat of …Qe4.

22. Rd7 Nd7 23. Qd7 Ka6 24. Nd6 Rhd8

White also wins on 24… Rab8 25. Rc1 Qf2 26. Rc6 Rb6 27. Qb7 Ka5 28. Qa7 Kb4 29. Qa3 mate.

25. Qb7 Ka5 26. Bd2

Deflecting the black queen from her defense of c4. If 26… Ka4, then 27. Qa6 mate.

26… Qd2 27. Nc4 Ka4

28. Qb3 is checkmate, but White used new force.

28. b3 mate

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
Birmingham 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Lord George Williams
Lyttelton
King’s Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4 3. Nf3

If White gets his way, he might proceed d4, Bf4, Bc4, 0-0, Nc3, Qd2, Rae1 with a complete development plus control of the center. Black’s f4-pawn restrains White’s queen bishop and queen rook, and it would also hinder White’s f1-rook after White castles. The f4-pawn holds back 13 points worth of white forces, so Black tried to keep it there.

3… g5 4. h4

White reasoned that if the restrictive f4-pawn relies on the g5-pawn for support, then the g5-pawn must also fall. Black cannot reply with 4…h6 because of 5. hg5 hg5 6. Rh8, or 4…f6 due to 5. Ng5 fg5 6. Qh5 with attack.

4…g4 5. Ne5 d6 6. Ng4 Be7

Developing with a threat that White couldn’t answer with a counterattack, so White played to control the center instead. For this reason, some prefer 6… Nf6, which makes a lesser threat, but is more pertinent to the center.

7. d4 Bh4 8. Nf2 Bf2

Black might think he is doing well to prevent White from castling, but White’s inconvenience is balanced by his greater center control (two pawns in the center against one) and better development (the rook on h1 is the most mobile piece on the board). Grandmaster Korchnoi recommended the quirky 8…Qg5, which holds up f4, and might lead to …Qg3 to strengthen the pin.

9. Kf2 Nf6 10. Nc3
Much weaker is 10. Bf4 Ne4.
10… Qe7

If Black looked ahead to White’s 13th move, he might have seen that he is bringing out his queen too early. A better move that also develops with a threat is 10… Bg4, and though it seems that Black loses time by moving the bishop twice with 11. Be2 Be2, he regains the lost move after 12. Qe2 Nc6.

11. Bf4

The best way to deal with an opponent’s threat, said the great teacher Purdy, is to find some way to ignore it. White nonchalantly continues his development, and after Black carries out his threat to e4, White reveals a bigger threat in reply.

11… Ne4 12. Ne4 Qe4 13. Bb5

The most aggressive move that brings up the most new force, and additionally menaces 14. Re1.

13… Kf8
Not 13…Kd8, for 14. Bg5 wins.
14. Bh6

Black’s threat of …Qf4 is handled, and his king is trapped.

14… Kg8 15. Rh5

Bringing up more force with the threat 16. Rg5, winning the queen. The direct 16. Re1 does not take 15… Qh4 into account.

15…Bf5 16. Qd2

More new force and a new threat: 17. Qg5 Bg6 18. Qd8 and mate.

16… Bg6 17. Re1

The last available piece for the white side enters the game with a threat to capture the queen or to checkmate on e8.

17… Resigns

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
Paris 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Preti
Sicilian Defense

1. e4 c5

The Sicilian has evolved as Black’s most combative answer to 1. e4. Black attacks the opposite wing while keeping the center in mind.

2. d4 cd4 3. Nf3

There is almost no independent significance to this move order, as opposed to the typical 2. Nf3 and 3. d4, unless Black plays weakly with 3… e5.

3… e5

Black could be wishing for 4. Ne5 Qa5, or to keep his extra pawn, but White’s most promising path is to gambit a pawn on c3 to open the position and expose the backward d-pawn.

4. Bc4

Developing rapidly, and with a view to restraining …d5.

4… Bb4

An example of a most ineffective threat. White’s reply forces the bishop to move for a second time, and White was planning to play c3 anyway, in order to eliminate the d4-pawn. Black shouldn’t be discouraged from 4… d5, for he has a fair game after 5. Bd5 Nf6 6. 0-0 Nd5 7. ed5 Qd5 8. Ne5 Bd6.

5. c3 dc3

6. bc3

It’s important not to play 6. Nc3, which gives value to 4…Bb4. 6. Nc3 gets a new piece out, but it does not threaten. White gains time by recapturing with a threat, and then developing a piece.

6… Bc5

There is no good retreat for the bishop. 6…Ba5 7. Qd5 shows that the black queen is tied to the defense of a5.

7. Ne5

Combining against the bishop by 7. Bf7 Kf7 8. Qd5 gains one fewer pawn.

7…Qf6

This seems to be Black’s best try. He threatens mate on f2, plus the e5-knight, which guards the bishop when it reaches f7.

8. Bf7 Kf8

8… Ke7 might make it easier for Black to develop his rook later, and his king would be more comfortable in case of 9. Nd3 Bf2 10. Nf2 Qf7 11. 0-0.

9. Nd3 Bb6

Black is reluctant to trade pieces now that he is a pawn down, but the f7-bishop is such a good attacking piece that Black should prefer 9…Qf7 (9…Kf7 is bad: 10. Qh5 g6 11. Qc5, and White plays 12. Qc8 or 12. Bg5 next) 10. Nc5 Nf6.

10. Bb3 d6 11. Ba3

Developing with a threat to pawn fork by 12. e5.

11… Nc6 12. 0-0
Renewing the menace 13. e5.
12… Nh6

White’s initiative now grows to winning proportions. It’s logical to block the a3-f8 diagonal by 12… Nge7, and then White can develop normally with 13. Nd2 (then the greedy 13…Qc3 is punished by 14. Nc4, heading for d6 while threatening to trap the queen), but the odd-looking 13. Nb2 also aims for Nc4, and uncovers the queen’s power.

13. e5 Qg6
Black avoided 13… Ne5 14. Ne5 Qe5 15. Bd6.
14. Nf4 Qg4

15. Ne6

A nifty move that forces the black king into the open, though the sledgehammer 15. Qd6 Ke8 16. Nd5 is also effective.

15…Be6 16. Qd6 Kf7
White’s win is easier after 16… Ke8 17. Be6.
17. Qd7 Kg6 18. Be6 Qg5 19. Bd5

An economical move, opening e6 for the queen while the bishop can check or capture.

19… Ne5 20. Be4 Nf5

A ruinous self-pin, but Black hated the idea of 20…Kh5, while 20…Kf6 21. Qe7 is mate.

21. Qe6 Qf6 22. Bf5 Kh5

On 22… Kh6, White gets to make two backward attacking moves: 23. Bc1 Kh5 24. g4 Kh4, and then 25. Qd5 threatens 26. Qg2.

23. g4 Ng4

White wins the queen on 23…Kh4 24. Be7, or checkmates following 23…Kh6 24. Bc1.

24. Bg4 Resigns

Paris 1859
White: Budzinsky
Black: Paul Morphy
King’s Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4 3. Bc4

Black might be enticed into the early queen check 3…Qh4, when 4. Kf1 plus 5. Nf3 could follow, but Black attacks the bishop and the center instead.

3…d5

4. Bd5
4. ed5 shuts out the bishop.
4… Nf6

Developing with a threat to capture twice on d5, and if the bishop retreats, then 5…Ne4.

5. Nc3

Now if 5…Nd5, White’s knight comes forward. An even trade—a pawn for a pawn, or a minor piece for a minor piece—favors the side whose pieces go forward with the recapture.

5… Bb4

The most aggressive bishop development. Black is poised to take the knight that supports the bishop, while making it possible to castle.

6. d3

Purdy said “always unpin”—because our pieces have almost no value when they are pinned—so it must be a mistake to create pins on our own pieces. 6. Nf3 is the standard move, but 6. Qf3 deserves attention because it props up d5, threatens f4, and in case of …Bc3, White can opt for Qc3 with an eye on the long a1- h8 diagonal.

6…Nd5 7. ed5 0-0

Suddenly Black has … Re8 in store, and if White were to interpose with Ne2, then …f3 would be a nasty move. White must consider removing that pawn by 8. Bf4, though Black’s pawns are much healthier after 8…Qd5 9. Qf3 Re8 10. Ne2 Qf3 11. gf3.

8. Qf3 Re8

Bringing in more new force with the greatest threat.

9. Ne2 Bc3

Black is careful to capture the knight before the pin is broken. The c3-knight proves useful on 9…Qh4 10. Kf1 Bg4 11. Qf2.

10. bc3 Qh4

Introducing more new force while making the biggest threat, and providing support for the bishop at the skewering square g4.

11. g3

The best defense is a counterattack, but Black is enabled to develop with another threat of his own. 11. Qf2 is an effective counterattack.

11… Bg4 12. Resigns

12. gh4 Bf3 wins a knight.

Opening rule no. 3: Develop knights before bishops

Unless there is some good, threatening reason to play otherwise, small pieces should be developed before bigger pieces—knights before bishops, queens not too early, rooks often last to mobilize.

The clearest reason to develop the knights before the bishops is that knights take longer to reach the other side of the board.

Starting from their original squares, how many moves does it take the f1-bishop to reach g8? Two. How many moves does it take the b1-knight to reach g8? Four. If it takes you four days to reach your destination and it takes your friend two days, and you want to arrive at the same time, who should depart first?

A hastily-developed bishop is often exposed to attack, or a combination based on a double threat. Early in the game, it is easier for the knights to find safe squares than it is for the bishop.

Bela Crkva 1984
White: Radovan Djordjevic
Black: Marjan Kovacevic
Trompovsky Attack

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5

The f6-knight is secure, but the bishop hangs in midair.

2…c6 3. e3 Qa5 4. Resigns

Paris 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Duke of Brunswick and
Count Isouard de Vauvenargue
Philidor Defense

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6

Philidor’s defense does not make an equal threat like 2… d5 or 2… Nf6, so White is free to do whatever he wants, and he takes a greater share of the center.

3. d4

The white and black e-pawns control an equal amount of space, but the d4-pawn confers more space than the d6-pawn. White also has a lead in development, and his threat to capture on e5 is renewed.

3… Bg4

The bishop is developed too soon. 3… Nf6, 3… Nd7, 3… f5, and 3…ed4 are better moves.

4. de5

Purdy said we can almost never harm our position by breaking a pin. If 4…de5, White breaks the pin on his knight by 5. Qd8, and then wins a pawn by 5…Kd8 6. Ne5.

4… Bf3

The bishop has moved twice to trade itself for a knight that only moved once, a loss of time for Black. Black ought to prefer to lose a bit of material but gain some development by 4… Nd7 5. ed6 Bd6.

5. Qf3 de5 6. Bc4

Whenever possible, make a good developing move that threatens something.

6… Nf6

A natural move, breaking the queen’s line to f7, but 6…Qf6 was better, for then 7. Qb3 would then make just one threat rather than two.

7. Qb3

Don’t move the same piece twice if you can help it, but the creation of two threats—8. Bf7 and 8. Qb7—prevails over the principle.

7… Qe7

Black hopes to escape with the loss of just one pawn after 8. Qb7 Qb4 9. Qb4. The alternative 7…Qd7 would not have blocked Black’s bishop, but 8. Qb7 Qc6 9. Bb5 was possible.

8. Nc3

The developing move doesn’t make a threat of its own, but it restores the menace of 9. Qb7, snaring a rook. White could’ve also played 8. Bf7 Qf7 to deflect the black queen from the f8-b4 diagonal, and then 9. Qb7.

8… c6
The queen defends the b7-pawn along the rank.
9. Bg5

An aggressive developing move. White refrains from “castling as soon as possible, preferably on the kingside” because by castling queenside, he will save time putting his rooks on the open d-file.

9… b5

Black is in a bind. The bishop and both rooks are stuck, and the king knight is pinned. The black queen is tied to the defense of f7, and the queen knight cannot develop to d7 without losing the b7-pawn. 9…b6 was a far less provocative move.

10. Nb5

The piece sacrifice opens the lines toward the black king.

10…cb5 11. Bb5 Nbd7

The interposition creates a pin, and when the opponent has a pinned piece, pile up on it.

12. 0-0-0

The most available new force is mobilized with a threat to capture on d7.

12…Rd8

If 12…0-0-0, then 13. Ba6 wins. White still has one more piece to activate, but to lift the queen rook by 13. Rd2 or 13. Rd3 and then play 14. Rhd1 is slow. Instead, White makes room for the last piece in the most forceful fashion.

13. Rd7 Rd7

Now the rook is pinned, so White hits it again with the last chunk of new force.

14. Rd1 Qe6

In order to free the bishop and unpin the knight. Morphy unveiled his most famous combination.

15. Bd7 Nd7 16. Qb8 Nb8 17. Rd8 mate

Paris 1863
White: Arnous De Riviere
Black: Paul Morphy
Two Knights Defense

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6

Developing with a threat. 3…Bc5 isn’t as sharp, but that move prevents White’s bigger counterthreat by leaving the black queen in touch with g5.

4. Ng5

4. d4 makes a lesser threat, though it sees to control of the center and queenside development.

4… d5

4…d5 is the best move to defend against White’s threat to capture on f7, but Black can ignore the threat and take a lead in development with the risky and exciting 4…Bc5 5. Bf7 Ke7, after which Black could gain more time with …Rf8.

5. ed5 Na5 6. d3

Morphy’s invention, played against its inventor. The simple 6. d3 guards one bishop and frees the other. The modern preference is 6. Bb5 c6 7. dc6.

6…h6 7. Nf3 e4

8. Qe2

At the 1946 chess olympiad, grandmaster Bronstein surprised master Rojahn with the bishop sacrifice 8. de4, and after 8…Nc4 9. Qd4 Nb6 10. c4, White’s pawn structure stood in place of the white-squared bishop and controlled the center.

8… Nc4 9. dc4 Bc5 10. h3

Designed to make a hole for the knight and to keep a black bishop off g4. In Salwe-Marshall, Vienna 1908, White’s pieces became scattered: 10. Nfd2 0-0 11. Nb3 Bg4 12. Qf1 Bb4.

10…0-0 11. Nh2 Nh7

A surprising turn of symmetry. Black makes way for the f-pawn to fight for control of the center. For now, the d5- and e4-pawns command equal space, but the c4-pawn is better than the f7-pawn. If 12. Qe4, then 12… Re8 pins.

12. Nd2 f5 13. Nb3 Bd6 14. 0-0

White is “castling into it.” Black’s forces are aimed at White’s kingside, so White should head for the queenside, where his pawns control more space. 14. Bd2 plus 15. 0-0-0 is a safer play.

14… Bh2

Removing a defender of the king before the diagonal closes on the next move.

15. Kh2 f4

Opens the c8-h3 line for the bishop, and with the greatly disruptive …f3 in store.

16. Qe4 Ng5

Neither side has connected his rooks, so at move 16, the game is still in the opening, and Black is guided by the “knights before bishops” principle. The knight needs two moves to get across the board to attack the king, while the bishop needs just one, so the knight develops first, instead of 16…Bf5 17. Qf4 Bd3.

17. Qd4

Not one of White’s queen moves is attractive: 17. Qe2 f3, 17. Qd3 Bf5, 17. Qe1 Nf3, 17. Qg6 Rf6.

17… Nf3
Fatally weakening the white king position.
18. gf3 Qh4 19. Rh1 Bh3

The bishop’s introduction prevents the white king from running to f1, and …Rf6-g6 will close the checkmating net.

20. Bd2 Rf6
If 21. Rag1, then 21…Bf1 mate.
21. Resigns

Opening rule no. 4: Don’t move the same piece twice in the opening if you can help it

The hardest lesson for most chessplayers to learn is, “Get all your pieces out”. A decisive chess game will eventually end with an attack upon the enemy king, and for an attack against the king to be successful, we usually need three things:

1. Better control of the center

2. Better development

3. Better king safety

For superior development, give each of the pieces equal attention, developing them in turn. It’s a lot easier to preach that advice to ourselves than to practice it, especially in a tense game when we’re fidgeting in our seats, eager to fight. It might be tempting and fun to launch an early attack against an opponent, but the winning assaults are those where the aggressor has all of his pieces developed and ready to reinforce. Attacks in which the first wave is repelled while the second units sit on the back row enable the enemy to recover and regroup, and probably even launch a counteroffensive.

Mobile 1855
White: Judge A.B. Meek
Black: Paul Morphy
Scotch Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4

A good move, taking the center and renewing a threat.

3… ed4

The best answer. White will either sacrifice a pawn or use an already-developed piece to recapture. 4. Nd4 results in a long-term space advantage for White, but is not so spirited.

4. Bc4 Bc5

The threatening move 4…Nf6 is likely to lead to the harrowing opening 5. 0-0 Bc5 (5… Ne4 enables White to use two pins: 6. Re1 d5 7. Bd5 Qd5 8. Nc3) 6. e5 d5, with hectic play.

5. Ng5

A premature attack. Since the d4-pawn hampers the development of White’s queen knight, he should get rid of it: 5. c3, and then if 5… dc3, 6. Bf7 Kf7 7. Qd5 damages Black’s position.

5… Nh6

The old adage says “a knight on the rim is dim”, but White’s threat to f7 overrides the homily. The first question to ask after the opponent’s move is “What is his biggest threat?”. Black identified 6. Nf7 as the intent. The second question to ask is “What is my biggest threat?”. In this instance, Black would lose material after the greatly ineffective 5…Bb4 6. c3 dc3 7. bc3, and 5…d5 6. Bd5 is also bad for Black. The third question to ask is “Whose threat is greater?”. If the opponent’s threat is greater, defend against it. If your threat is greater, carry it out. In either case, bring up the most available new force. In this position, White’s threat is bigger, so Black had to deal with it, and 5… Nh6 defends while developing a new piece.

6. Nf7 Nf7 7. Bf7 Kf7

White threw both of his developed pieces at f7, and he suddenly trails in development.

8. Qh5 g6 9. Qc5 d6

Black’s attack on the queen opens a diagonal for the bishop’s development.

10. Qb5 Re8
Developing with a threat.
11. Qb3
Neglecting the future of his other pieces.
11… d5

The pawn will provide more central influence after Black breaks the pin on the b3-f7 diagonal.

12. f3

Another non-developing move, but not as wretched as 12. Qd5 Qd5. White should castle.

12…Na5

Black has an excellent reason for moving his knight again. By breaking the pin on his d5-pawn (“Always unpin!” said Purdy), Black is enabled to crash down the e-file with his heavy pieces.

13. Qd3 de4 14. fe4 Qh4

The most aggressive move that brings up the most new force.

15. g3 Re4

The most aggressive move that brings up the most new force.

16. Kf2 Qe7

16…Qf6 disconnects Black’s heavy pieces, and White would be relieved to trade the queens after 17. Qf3.

17. Nd2

This mistake enables the black rook to land on e3 with a threat. Better for White to make a bigger threat with 17. Bg5, and then 17…Qe6 18. Nd2.

17…Re3

18. Qb5

Realizing that 18. Qd4 would be clobbered by 18…Re2 19. Kg1 Bh3.

18…c6

Black is determined to drive the white queen away from defense of e2.

19. Qf1 Bh3

Always looking to bring up more new force with threats. The white queen is still tied to defense of e2: Black wins after 20. Qh3 Re2 21. Kf3 (21. Kf1 Re1 22. Kf2 Qe2 mate) Qe3 22. Kg4 h5.

20. Qd1 Rf8

It is almost magical that when the final unit joins the attack, it overwhelms.

21. Nf3 Ke8 22. Resigns

Opening rule no. 5: Make as few pawn moves as possible in the opening

If White were allowed to make two moves in a row to start the game, which two should he choose? White makes the best start toward the two goals of the opening—control of the center and development of the pieces—by 1. e4 2. d4:

White occupies two center squares and controls two others with his pawns, while he has freedom for almost all of his pieces.

What if White could make any five moves in a row at the start of the game? Then White should just checkmate by 1. e4 2. Bc4 3. Qh5 4. Qf7 mate.

Is it just a coincidence that even when we twist the rules of chess to permit White to make two moves or five moves in a row, it’s still best to make no more pawn moves than necessary to control the center and develop the pieces?

The pawns’ job is to create space on the chessboard for the bigger pieces to play, but after the pawns have done their job, the pieces must develop. The pawns should then be patient while staying mobile.

New Orleans 1850
White: James McConnell
Black: Paul Morphy
French Defense

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5

Black’s initial pawn move helped the second pawn reach the center with the game’s first threat.

3. e5

White stakes out a fifth row of space, but does nothing to develop his pieces.

3… c5

It is easier to knock down a structure by wiping out its foundation than by chiseling at the top. White’s center pawns have their base at d4, so Black strikes there, and also readies his queen to coordinate at b6.

4. c3 Nc6 5. f4

The first really unnecessary pawn move, bolstering the top of the pawn structure. 5. Nf3 is a better play.

5… Qb6 6. Nf3 Bd7

The smaller piece develops as well as it can in order to make room for the rook on c8.

7. a3

The valid idea is to play a3 plus b4, which coerces the c5-pawn to release its tension by moving or capturing, but White ought to postpone that until he develops his pieces.

7…Nh6

On the way to f5 to coordinate with the other black forces against d4.

8. b4 cd4 9. cd4 Rc8
Black has five pieces developed against one.
10. Bb2 Nf5 11. Qd3

Enabling Black to bring more pieces out with checks and captures.

11… Bb4

Black has a fine lead in development, but advantages in time are fleeting, so before White can catch up in development, Black must attack. 11…Bb4 is the biggest threat by the biggest unused piece, and Black’s second capture on b4 brings the bishop’s replacement forward with another threat.

12. ab4 Nb4

13. Qd2

Any queen move along the third rank loses the queen, while 13. Qd1 fails against 13…Nc2 14. Kf2 Qb2 15. Ra7 Ncd4 16. Qd2 (16. Ke1 Rc1 and 16. Kg1 Qb6 win for Black) Qb1.

13… Rc2
More new force.
14. Qd1 Ne3
Trapping the queen.
15. Resigns

New Orleans 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Charles Maurian
Muzio Gambit
Remove White’s queen knight

1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4

Black’s f4-pawn keeps the f-file shielded from White’s king rook after White castles, and the f4-pawn also restrains White’s queenside pieces. Black should therefore keep the f4-g5 formation together with 4… Bg7, which anticipates 5. h4, and prepares 5… h6 6. hg5 hg5 7. Rh8 Bh8.

4…g4

White’s initiative becomes fearsome after this.

5. d4 gf3 6. Qf3 d5

This is a good pawn move because it frees Black’s queenside pieces.

7. Bd5 c6

This is not a good pawn move. Black should develop with a threat to exchange pieces by 7… Nf6. When ahead in material, exchange as many pieces as possible, especially queens, in order to reduce counterplay.

8. Bf7 Kf7 9. Qh5

Black could develop with threats in case of 9. Qf4 Qf6 or 9. Bf4 Qh4 10. g3 (10. Bg3 Qf6) Qg4.

9… Kg7 10. Bf4 Be7

Perhaps it’s too late for the threatening 10…Nf6 because of 11. Bh6 Kg8 12. Qg5.

11. 0-0 Qd4 12. Kh1 Qe4 13. Rae1

13… Qg6

Black is three minor pieces ahead, but while making seven pawn moves and three queen moves, he left five of his pieces sleeping on the back rank.

14. Re7

Rubbing out half of Black’s development with a bang. If 14… Ne7, then 15. Bh6 Qh6 16. Qf7 is the gueridon (French for “occasional table,” and resembling the f7/g7/h6/h8 piece configuration) checkmate.

14… Kf8 15. Bd6 Resigns

15…Nf6 (15…Qf6 16. Qe8 mate) 16. Rf6 Kg8 17. Rg6 hg6 18. Qg6 Kf8 and White has several ways to checkmate.

New York 1857
White: John Schulten
Black: Paul Morphy
Falkbeer Countergambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5

Even though White cannot immediately earn full compensation for his pawn sacrifice, Black does not have to concede the center by 2… ef4. In fact, since White does not have a real threat to take on e5 (3. fe5 Qh4 is a huge bother), Black is encouraged to make a grab for the center.

3. ed5
Just as good is 3. Nf3 de4 4. Ne5.
3…e4

Black’s idea is to hinder White’s development by stealing f3 from the white knight while leaving the f4-pawn as an obstacle for the white bishop. 3… c6 is worth a try, but White shouldn’t play 4. dc6 to help Black’s development, but instead 4. Nc3 to help his own.

4. Nc3

The influence this game had on the theory of the Falkbeer Countergambit lasts today. White wants to eliminate the cramping e4-pawn, but Black’s pin at move 5 plus pawn sacrifice at move 6 are so effective that 4. d3 evolved as White’s best attempt.

4… Nf6 5. d3 Bb4 6. Bd2 e3

Black’s pawn sacrifice renews the diagonal pin, and opens the e-file for another pin by … 0-0 and …Re8.

7. Be3

7. Qe2 0-0 plus … Re8 is even more troublesome for White.

7…0-0 8. Bd2 Bc3

Black captures the unpinned knight before it can do anything useful, like guard the e2-square.

9. bc3

White was worried for his f4-pawn following 9. Bc3 Nd5. It is White’s concern for pawns that causes him to fall behind in development.

9…Re8 10. Be2 Bg4

11. c4

White’s pawns are a mess but he has two bishops on an open board after 11. Nf3 Bf3 12. gf3 Qd5 13. 0-0.

11…c6

The d5-pawn limits Black’s knight and queen, so Black plays to get rid of it.

12. dc6

White’s seventh pawn move is too obliging, helping Black develop his pieces. 12. h3 Be2 13. Ne2 Qe7 14. Kf2 makes room for the white rook.

12… Nc6

Now it’s too late for 13. Nf3 Bf3 14. gf3 Nd4 or 13. h3 Be2 14. Ne2 Nd4.

13. Kf1 Re2

An exceptional move. White freed himself from the pin on the file, so Black sacrifices rook for bishop to make a different pin along the diagonal.

14. Ne2 Nd4 15. Qb1 Be2 16. Kf2

16. Kg1 Nb3 combines a knight fork with a threat to checkmate, but 16. Kf2 is worse. 16. Kf2 invites the f6-knight to check on g4, and then coordinate with the black queen to attack on f2.

16… Ng4 17. Kg1

17. Ke1 Qe7 is frightening, but after 17. Kg1, the rest of the play is forced.

17… Nf3 18. gf3 Qd4 19. Kg2 Qf2 20. Kh3 Qf3 21. Kh4 Nh6

21…Ne3 makes the same two checkmating threats, but is not as mischievous as pulling a knight into the corner to win the game.

22. Qg1 Nf5 23. Kg5 Qh5 mate

Opening rule no. 6: Don’t bring your queen out too early

When the ninth world champion Tigran Petrosian was a boy, his chess teacher would ask if he was allowed to go out alone at night.

“No, sir,” Tigran would say, and the teacher would then ask if his little sister was allowed.

“No, sir!” said Tigran, and that’s how the chess teacher reminded the student that it is a dangerous world for little sisters and queens who go out too early.

Paris 1888
White: Frazer
Black: Taubenhaus
Scotch Game

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 ed4 4. Nd4 Qh4

When Kasparov revived the Scotch Game 10 years ago, modern players learned not to play 4…Qh4 as though they were testing a new idea.

5. Nc3 Nf6

The only move consistent with 4…Qh4 is 5…Bb4 to refresh the threat.

6. Nf5 Qh5
Black will survive 6…Qg4.
7. Be2 Qg6 8. Nh4 Resigns

New Orleans 1849
White: Paul Morphy
Black: James McConnell
King Knight’s Opening

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Qf6

A misplay common among Scholar’s Maters, who hope to continue 3…Bc5, 4…g5, 5… g4, 6… Qf2 mate.

3. Nc3 c6

Preventing 4. Nd5, but White has a lead in development, and he can also take control of the center with a threatening move.

4. d4 ed4 5. e5

Gaining space in the center and aiming at the hole on d6.

5… Qg6 6. Bd3

Developing with a threat. If Black plays 6…Qg2, the queen is deflected, which is worth a pawn.

6… Qg2 7. Rg1 Qh3 8. Rg3 Qh5 9. Rg5 Qh3

10. Bf1

It seems White didn’t want to have to move the bishop another time after 10. Bf5 Qh6 11. Rg3 dc3 12. Bh6 Nh6, but White leads in development and material after 13. Bh3 (restraining Black’s development by pinning the d7-pawn) cb2 14. Rb1 Ba3 15. Rg7.

10… Qe6

White has greater center control plus enough development to compensate for the pawn after 10…Qh6 11. Rg3 Qh5 12. Qd4.

11. Nd4 Qe7 12. Ne4
Using the space gained at move 5.
12…h6 13. Nf5

A very bad mistake. By failing to make the most forcing move, White enables Black to gain a winning material advantage with 13…Qb4 14. Nc3 hg5. White’s best play is 13. Nd6, and there could follow 13… Kd8 14. Rf5 f6 15. Qh5 Kc7 16. Nf7 Rh7 17. Qg6, which nabs the black rook.

13… Qe6

Black also fails to make the most aggressive move, but for Black there is no second chance.

14. Nfd6 Bd6 15. Nd6 Kd8
No better is 15… Kf8 16. Bc4 plus 17. Rf5.
16. Bc4
Developing with a threat.
16… Qe7 17. Nf7 Kc7

White also wins after 17…Qf7 18. Bf7 hg5 19. Bg5.

18. Qd6

Developing with a threat, which drives the black king to b6, and then White can make another energetic developing move.

18… Qd6 19. ed6 Kb6 20. Be3 c5 21. Bc5 Ka5

If 21… Kc6, then 22. Nd8 is an unusual checkmate.

22. Rg3 b5 23. Ra3 mate

Paris 1863
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Arnous De Riviere
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb4 5. c3 Bc5

Better is 5…Ba5 to avoid a third hit to the bishop after d4.

6. 0-0

Sidestepping 6. d4 ed4 7. cd4 Bb4, where White has to trade bishops on d2 or confuse his development with 8. Nbd2.

6… d6 7. d4 ed4 8. cd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Qf6

Black didn’t consider White’s reply, answering the threat of 10…Nd4 with a bigger threat.

10. Nd5

If 10. Bg5, then 10 …Qg6 menaces 11… Nd4. It’s too soon for 10. e5—White’s knight maneuver to f4 gives e4-e5-e6 more punch.

10…Qg6

10…Qd8 11. e5 de5 12. Ba3 Bd4 13. Nd4 Nd4 14. Qh5 is a position full of promise for White.

11. Nf4 Qf6

Neither 11…Qh6, inviting a discovered attack, nor 11…Qg4 12. h3 Qd7, leaving Black’s pieces knotted, is more appealing.

12. e5 de5 13. de5 Qf5
Certainly not 13…Ne5 14. Ne5 Qe5 15. Re1.
14. e6

Possessing superior center control, development, and king safety, White aims to open the file leading to the black king.

14… f6
If 14…fe6 15. Ne6, Black’s king is bare.
15. Nh4 Qc5 16. Be3

Developing new force with another threat to the black queen. If 16…Qc4, then the white queen enters on h5.

16… Qg5 17. Nf3 Qa5 18. Bb6 Qb6

Black seems to have picked up his queen out of habit, but he is keeping his queen in touch with c7. If 18… ab6 to mobilize the queen rook, then 19. Nd5.

19. Nd5 Qa5 20. Nd2

The white knights have chased the black queen all around the board, and now the threat is 21. Nb3 Qa4 22. Bb5. Additionally, the d1-h5 diagonal is reopened for the queen’s development.

20… Nd4 21. Nb3

An even exchange—pawn for pawn or knight for knight—favors the side whose pieces are developed or mobilized as a result of the trade. In this case, White introduces an entire rook into the game.

21…Nb3 22. ab3 Qc5

The only safe square for the queen, but on c5 she is exposed, and the possibility of a combination enables White to develop with crushing new force.

23. Qh5 Kd8

23…g6 plows into the discovered attack 24. Nf6.

24. Rad1

White’s threats of discovered check to win the queen or begin a checkmating attack—for example, 24…b6 25. e7 Ne7 26. Ne7 Ke7 27. Rfe1—were too much for Black to bear, so he resigned with only his poor queen lifted from the back rank.

24… Resigns

Opening rule no. 7: Castle as soon as possible, preferably on the kingside

When seven-time U.S. Open champion Fine wrote “Castle as soon as possible,“ he was caught between two ideals. He wanted to write succinctly, but merely to write “Rule no. 7: Castle” isn’t so instructive. He also wanted to write the truth about castling, but it would’ve been too wordy to write “Rule no. 7: In the absence of threats by you or your opponent, and without a move to fight for control of the center, then castle.”

Unfortunately, Fine’s choice of words has led to generations of chess students who play 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5, and without thinking, castle as soon as possible. White should strive for control of the center by 4. c3 plus 5. d4, and Morphy showed in dozens of games the value of the pawn sacrifice 4. b4, because after 4…Bb4, 5. c3 comes as a threatening move, to be followed by 6. d4.

One reason for castling is to bring one rook closer to the game. The rooks are the most difficult pieces to mobilize—they begin the game stuck in the corners and and sometimes have to be very patient while waiting for a suitable file to open. Castling gives them a start.

The adage “castle as soon as possible” can also be interpreted as “beware of what might happen if you don’t castle.”

Paris 1859
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Budzinsky
Petroff Defense

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6

Black develops with an equal threat. In the Petroff Defense, Black might choose to counterattack aggressively, or to defend a nearly symmetrical, balanced position.

3. Ne5
3. d4 is equally good.
3… d6

The least risky move. Black can gambit a pawn in two ways: 3…Nc6 4. Nc6 dc6 5. d3 Bc5 with good piece play but no center pawns, or 3… Ne4 4. Qe2 Qe7 (4… Nf6 5. Nc6 is one of the oldest tricks) 5. Qe4 d6 6. d4 de5 7. Qe5 Qe5 8. de5 Nc6 9. f4 Bf5 where White’s pawns are under fire.

4. Nf3

Cochrane’s knight sacrifice 4. Nf7 has cult appeal.

4… Ne4 5. d4 d5

White has allowed Black’s knight to take a place in the center, but the knight can be attacked, and the d5-pawn is less secure than the d4-pawn. The discussion is about whether Black can maintain his central knight outpost, or if the knight will be driven back with a loss of time.

6. Bd3

6…Be7

The fragile nature of Black’s position shows right away on the more active 6…Bd6, because the d5-pawn is left unguarded. For instance, 7. 0-0 0-0 8. c4 c6 9. Nc3 pressures both white squares in the middle.

7. 0-0 Nc6

Black ought to castle, but after 7…0-0 8. c4, it’s hard for him to maintain a pawn in the center: 8…c6 9. Nc3 Nc3 10. bc3, and White has captured toward the center while saving the option of cd5.

8. c4 Be6

The threatening move 8… Nb4 is better, and then 9. Be2 0-0 10. Nc3 Be6 sees the e2-bishop less actively placed, and the b4-knight supports d5.

9. Qb3

Morphy had the black side of this position against Lowenthal (5th match game, London 1858), and the Hungarian master took the black pawn out of the center: 9. cd5 Bd5 10. Be3 0-0 11. Nc3 f5 12. Nd5 with advantage for White.

9… Na5

The knight goes out of play. 9…Nb4 is still to be considered, while 9… dc4 10. Bc4 Bc4 11. Qc4 0-0 gives Black a tidy but narrow position.

10. Qa4 c6 11. Re1

A more effective threat than 11. Nc3, when Black can relieve the pressure on his knight with the capture 11…Nc3, and then the a5-knight is bettered by 12. bc3 Nc4. After 11. Re1, Black loses a piece on 11… Nc4 12. Bc4.

11… f5 12. cd5 Bd5 13. Bd2

Developing with another threat, and if Black moves his knight for a third time to capture on d2, White recaptures with a developing move that threatens e4 and controls c4.

13… Nd2

White gets much the better of it after 13…b6 14. Ba5 ba5 15. Ne5 Rc8 16. Nc3 Nc3 17. bc3.

14. Nbd2

Along with his lead in development, White has a threat to trap the knight with 15. b4.

14… b5 15. Qc2

Except for the bishop on d5, Black’s pieces are inactive. Even at the cost of the f5-pawn, he should take his last chance to castle, which mobilizes his king rook and unpins his bishop.

15… g6 16. Re7

Sending the black king for a walk, and most efficiently making way for the queen rook, but it is a speculative sacrifice.

16… Ke7

White centralizes powerfully on 16…Qe7 17. Re1 Be6 18. d5 cd5 19. Nd4.

17. Re1 Kf7

The black king has more friendly troops nearby after 17… Kd7. White keeps coming with 18. Ne5 (18. Bb5 Qb6 is good for Black) Kc7, and if 19. b4 (Black counterattacks again on 19. Bb5 Rb8), Black can swap several pieces by 19…Nc4 20. Ndc4 Bc4 21. Bc4 bc4 22. Qc4, and then stall White’s initiative by 22… Qd5 23. Qa6 Qb5. Alternatively, Black could’ve prevented the next sacrifice with 17… Kf6.

18. Bf5 gf5

Enables the white attackers to come forward. Better is 18…Qf6, developing with a threat, but after 19. Be4, Black has to watch out for 20. Bd5 cd5 21. Qc7.

19. Qf5 Qf6 20. Ne5 Kg7 21. Qg4 Kh6

Or 21… Kf8 22. Nd7.

22. Re3 Bg2 23. Kg2 Rhg8 24. Rh3 Qh4 25. Rh4 mate

New York 1857
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Amateur
Muzio Gambit
Remove White’s queen knight

1. e4 e5 2. f4

White might deflect Black’s center pawn, or capture it.

2…ef4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4

The fastest development, but nowadays 4. h4 is preferred for meeting the requirements of the position—that is, if the f4-pawn stalls White’s queenside development, and the g5-pawn supports f4, then that pawn formation must be knocked down.

4… g4

A misguided move for a number of reasons. The positional flaws in the move are:

1. 4…g4 does not control the center;

2. 4…g4 does not help develop the pieces;

3. 4…g4 takes support away from f4, easing the development of the white pieces.

The tactical drawback to 4…g4 is that White can simply ignore the threat and continue developing. 4… Bg7 is much better, and then 5. h4 comes late, because after 5…h6 6. hg5 hg5 7 Rh8 Bh8, f4 stands.

5. d4

White controls the center and has open lines for all his pieces.

5… gf3 6. 0-0

Castling brings the rook into play swiftly, and the isolated black pawns on the f-file offer flimsy shelter to the black king.

6…Bh6

The bishop offers much less support to f4 than the pawn did from g5. Black falls further behind in time in case of 6…fg2 7. Bf7 Kf7 8. Qh5 Kg7 9. Rf4.

7. Qf3 Nc6 8. Bf7

A successful attack against the king typically requires better center control, better development, and better king safety. White’s second piece sacrifice exposes the black king.

8… Kf7 9. Qh5

More forceful than 9. Bf4, after which Black’s best defense could be 9…Kg6 in order to stop a discovered check on the f-file or a direct check on h5.

9… Kg7 10. Bf4 Bf4

An even exchange favors the side whose pieces come out as a result of the trade. 10…Bf4 brings one white rook forward and makes room for the other. 10…d6 was much better, and Black is breathing easier after 11. Bh6 Nh6 12. Rf3 Ne7 or 12…Bg4.

11. Rf4
Threatening 12. Rf7 mate.
11…Nh6

12. Raf1

Now the idea is 13. Rg4 Ng4 14. Qg4 Kh6 15. Rf5 with mate in one or two more moves.

12… Qe8

The only defense. White is pushed back a step, but is not slowed down.

13. Qh4

The threat is 14. Qf6 Kg8 15. Qh6 and mate on f8 cannot be stopped.

13… d6 14. Qf6 Kg8 15. Qh6 Bd7

Black’s queen rook helps guard f8, and his bishop watches g4, so White heads for a different square on the g-file.

16. R4f3 Ne7

Black sends a defender to the kingside, so White calls up more new force for his side.

17. h4 Ng6 18. h5

18… Bg4

Sometimes a fierce attack results in nothing more than greater activity in the endgame. Black’s best defense is 18…Qe4 19. hg6 Qd4 20. Kh1 Qg7, and then White has better rooks after 21. Qg7 Kg7 22. Rf7 Kg6 23. Rd7.

19. hg6 hg6

The last mistake. White has an extra pawn in the endgame after 19…Bf3 20. g7 Qe7 (Black must prevent 21. Qf6) 21. Rf3 Re8 22. gh8(Q) Kh8, but instead he delivers the epaulette checkmate.

20. Rf8 Qf8 21. Rf8 Rf8 22. Qg6 mate

New Orleans 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Amateur
Two Knights Defense
Remove White’s queen rook

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6

3…Bc5 is a safer (but not better) development than 3… Nf6. It does not make a threat like 3… Nf6, but neither does it enable 4. Ng5 to make a bigger counterthreat.

4. Ng5 d5

The best answer, putting a pawn in the center and breaking the bishop’s line to f7.

5. ed5 Nd5

A mistake, re-opening the diagonal for White. Black has to make some kind of threat, like 5…Na5 or 5…b5.

6. Nf7 Kf7 7. Qf3 Ke6

Otherwise White regains his sacrificed piece too easily.

8. Nc3

Developing with more pressure on the pinned piece.

8… Nd4

8…Nb4 threatens …Nc2 and makes … c6 possible as a defense for the d5-knight, but White can keep up his attack with 9. a3.

9. Bd5 Kd6

Not 9… Ke7 10. Qf7 Kd6 11. Ne4 mate, but 9…Kd7 keeps Black’s king closer to home.

10. Qf7

Threatening 11. Ne4 mate, so Black should put a piece on e7 to make a flight square of d7.

10… Be6 11. Be6 Ne6 12. Ne4 Kd5

12… Kc6 loses touch with the knight, but White’s next forces the black pieces to separate.

13. c4 Ke4 14. Qe6 Qd4

Almost any other developing move is better than 14…Qd4, which takes some mobility from the king. For example, 14…Qf6 15. Qg4 Qf4.

15. Qg4 Kd3 16. Qe2 Kc2
Black would rather move to d4.
17. d3 Kc1

White has been able to castle since move 4, but each of White’s moves made a check, capture, or threat to check or capture, all of which take precedence over castling as soon as possible, preferably on the kingside.

18. 0-0 mate

Opening rule no. 8: Play to get control of the center

Control of the center is the primary goal of the opening. Fine devoted three of the 10 opening principles to center control—open with a center pawn, play to get control of the center, try to maintain a pawn in the center. In the middlegame, Fine instructs that every move should fit into a plan that is based on the principles, and one of those principles is to centralize the pieces. The player with greater control of the center is usually assured of having an advantage in mobility, and is less likely to fall into a cramped position.

Even in an endgame with just two pawns on the board, centralizing the pieces can mean the difference between winning and drawing, or drawing and losing.

Reti, 1922, White to play and draw.

Can White save this game? The c6-pawn will be chased down and captured right after it moves, and the white king is too far behind the h5-pawn.

1. Kg7

The king runs toward the center of the board, after which he can go to the queenside to help his pawn promote, or to the kingside to hunt down the enemy pawn.

1…h4 2. Kf6 Kb6

The pawns queen together on 2…h3 3. Ke7 h2 4. c7 Kb7 5. Kd7.

3. Ke5 Kc6

Now White has time to catch up to the h-pawn. 3…h3 4. Kd6 h2 5. c7 Kb7 6. Kd7 is also a draw.

4. Kf4 h3 5. Kg3 Draw

New Orleans 1847
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Alonzo Morphy
King’s Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4 3. Bc4

Black makes a threat against 3. Nf3 by 3… g5 4. h4 g4, but opposite 3. Bc4, …g5-g4 has no sting.

3… Qh4

The most double-edged answer. Black will have to move his queen again soon, but White loses the castling privilege.

4. Kf1
Not 4. g3 fg3 5. Nf3 g2 6. Nh4 gh1(Q).
4… Bc5

Black threatens 5… Qf2 mate, but it is an ineffective threat. The best defense is a counterattack.

5. d4
White has gained control of the center.
5…Bb6 6. Nf3 Qe7

In such positions it is usually best to play …Qh5 to pin the knight, but White will quickly relieve the pin by Bf4 and Nc3, guarding his queen.

7. Nc3 Nf6 8. Qd3

The 10-year-old Paul makes a simple developing move, but later in life, he might’ve preferred to gain space and make a threat with 8. e5.

8… c6

White’s control over d5 and the likely exposure of Black’s king on the e-file make it almost impossible for Black to play …d5 safely, so he should be content with … d6 and a bad position.

9. Bf4 d5 10. ed5 0-0

White’s leads in central control and development show well on 10…cd5 11. Nd5 Nd5 12. Re1 Be6 (no better is 12… Nf4 13. Re7 Ke7 14. Qe4 Ne6 15. d5) 13. Bd5 0-0 14. Ng5.

11. d6 Qd8 12. Re1 Re8 13. Ng5

The centralizing 13. Ne5 would not include the threat 14. Re8 Qe8 15. Bf7.

13… Re1 14. Ke1 Qe8 15. Kd2 Be6 16. Re1

As usual, bringing up the last piece leads to the knockout.

16… Nbd7

Black can move his king off the deadly a2-g8 diagonal with 16… Kh8, after which White’s plan is to capture one knight or two on f6 in preparation of Qh7 mate: 17. d5 cd5 18. Nd5 Nbd7 19. Be5 should create enough pressure for White to win.

17. Ne6 fe6 18. Re6

Checkmate by 18…Qd8 19. Re8 could follow, while 18…Qf7 19. Re7 is also winning.

18… Resigns

Paris 1858
White: Adolf Anderssen
Black: Paul Morphy
King’s Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4 3. Bc4 Nf6

Probably the soundest move, developing with a threat. After 4. Nc3, Black should aim to put a pawn in the center with 4… c6 and 5…d5.

4. e5

A mistake. White is attacking too soon, and has given up his control of d5. Black counters perfectly.

4…d5 5. Bb3

5. ef6 dc4 6. fg7 Bg7 leaves Black ahead in development and material.

5…Ne4 6. Nf3 Bg4

Black prepares 7…Bc5, which can’t be answered by 8. d4 because of 8…Bf3 9. Qf3 Bd4. Black could also play 7…Bf3 8. Qf3 Qh4 9. g3 (if the king moves, Black can knight fork) fg3 to win a pawn.

7. 0-0 Nc6

It’s still too soon for 7…Bc5, for 8. d4 Bf3 9. Rf3 leaves the queen in touch with d4, but 7…Nc6 develops with a threat to e5 and fights for control of d4. If 8. d4, then 8… Nd4 (9. Qd4 Bc5) is excellent for Black.

8. Ba4

The struggle for control of d4 rages on, but by pinning and capturing the knight, White invests two more moves in the bishop.

8… g5

Otherwise White had 9. d3 and 10. Bf4 in store.

9. Bc6 bc6 10. d4 c5

Smartly using his new ammunition to fire at the center. The threat is simply 10… cd4.

11. c3 Be7 12. b4 cb4

The position after 12…cd4 13. cd4 would be the same, but White would have had the weaker option 13. Qd4 c5.

13. cb4

13…0-0

13…Bb4 14. Qa4 wins a piece, so 13…0-0 develops with a threat to take on b4.

14. Qb3 Rb8

Because of this pin, Sergeant suggested 14. Qe1 for White.

15. a3 c5 16. Nc3

Alternatively, 16. dc5 Bc5 17. Kh1 Bf3 (17…Nf2 18. Kg1 Nd3 19. Kh1 Nc1 20. Rc1 Be3 is also good for Black) 18. gf3 (18. Qf3 Bd4 wins a pawn, and even worse for White is 18. Rf3 Nf2 19. Kg1 Nd3) Bd4 19. Bb2 (19. Ra2 Nc5 20. Qd1 Be5 21. bc5 Rb1 is no help for White) Nc5 20. Qc2 Bb2 21. Qb2 Re8 leaves Black ahead in material and development, and he threatens to win another pawn by 22… Nd3. 16. Qa4 must also be considered, but 16… cb4 17. ab4 Rb4 18. Qa7 Rd4 19. Nd4 Bc5 20. Qa4 Qb6 is overpowering.

16… Nc3 17. Qc3 cb4 18. ab4 Bb4 19. Qd3 a5

White was threatening 20. Ra7. 19…Qc7 is a bad defense, using a queen to defend one pawn, and giving the white rook space to play 20. Ra6 and 21. Rh6.

20. h4

A theme common to almost every King’s Gambit position where Black has played …g5. Even at move 20, White must break up Black’s pawns on g5 and f4 before his f1-rook and c1-bishop can play.

20… h6 21. hg5 hg5 22. g3 Rb6

Bringing up more new force in anticipation of 23. gf4 gf4 24. Bf4 Rg6, and then if White moves his king to the h-file, 24…Kg7 will introduce the other rook.

23. Ra2 Rg6 24. Rg2

A mistake, but Black’s light-squared bishop is a nuisance after 24. Nh2 Bc8 25. Rf3 Ba6 26. Qd1 fg3 27. Rg3 Bc4.

24… Bh3 25. e6 Bg2 26. ef7 Kg7

26… Kf7 27. Ne5 and 26… Rf7 27. Qg6 were the coffeehouse traps.

27. Kg2 Qc8

From d8, the black queen had 10 squares to which she could move. From c8, she may now choose from 18, including h3 and c2, where she checks; c1, where she captures; c4, where she skewers; and g4, where she pins. World champion Steinitz called 27…Qc8 a move of high positional genius, which is a fancy way of saying that 27…Qc8 prepares to develop Black’s queen with threats.

28. Ne5 Rh6
Coordinating the heavy pieces.
29. gf4 Rfh8 30. fg5 Rh2 31. Kg1

Moving the king to the third rank gives Black a skewer on h3.

31… Rh1 32. Kf2 R8h2 33. Ke3
33. Ke1 Qc1 34. Qd1 Qd1 35. Kd1 Rf1 mate.
33… Rh3 34. Nf3 Rf3 35. Rf3 Qc1

36. Kf2 Qg1 37. Ke2 Qe1 is the gueridon checkmate. 36. Qd2 Re1 37. Kd3 Qc4 mate is possible.

36. Resigns

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
Havana 1864
White: Paul Morphy
Black: P. Dominguez
Two Knights Defense

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4

White’s best answers to Black’s threat are to make a bigger threat by 4. Ng5 or to grab the center by 4. d4, with an equal threat. 4. Nc3 enables Black to equalize quickly with the fork trick 4…Ne4 5. Ne4 d5.

4… ed4 5. 0-0 Bc5

More levelheaded than 5…Ne4 6. Re1 d5 7. Bd5 (Canal’s 7. Nc3 deserves to be explored) Qd5 8. Nc3, when Black is pinned all around.

6. e5

6… Ne4

Black must fight for the center with 6… d5. Then after 7. ef6 dc4 8. Re1 Be6 9. Ng5 Qd5 10. Nc3 Qf5 11. Nce4 0-0-0, Black’s rooks are connected, and his pieces are developed behind a mobile pawn center. While avoiding the Max Lange Attack, Black has stranded his knight, and in order to save it, he must allow the e-file to be opened before he is castled.

7. Bd5

White occupies d5 before a black pawn, but even if Black could use the square, White is doing well with 7. Re1 d5 8. ed6 f5.

7… f5 8. ef6 Nf6 9. Bg5

A better move than 9. Re1, for 9…Ne7 renews Black’s threat to take on d5.

9… Be7
Worse is 9…Ne7 10. Bf6.
10. Bf6 Bf6 11. Re1 Ne7

Quite bad for Black is 11 …Be7 12. Ng5 Rf8 13. Qh5 g6 14. Qh7.

12. Ne5 Be5

Worse are 12… Rf8 13. Qh5 g6 14. Ng6 and 12… Nd5 13. Qh5.

13. Qh5

Much better than 13. Re5. White brings up the most available new force.

13…g6

White wins on 13… Ng6 14. Re5 Kf8 15. Qf3 Qf6 16. Rf5.

14. Qe5 Rf8 15. Nd2 c6

Black’s only chance was 15… d6. White finishes neatly, starting with a checkmating threat.

16. Ne4 d6 17. Nd6 Kd7 18. Be6 Kc7 19. Nc8 Qd6 20. Qd6 mate

New York 1857
White: Theodore Lichtenhein
Black: Paul Morphy
Two Knights Defense

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 ed4 4. Bc4
A good, rapid development.
4… Nf6 5. e5

Leads to a modern position, popular in the 1990s.

5… d5

In Morphy-Dominguez, Black got into all kinds of trouble for omitting … d5 after White played e5.

6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nd4 Bd7

8. Nc6

White slips, enabling Black’s recapture to make a threat. With 8. Bc6 bc6, White preserves his well-placed knight, which presses on Black’s doubled and backward c-pawn. Then a typical middlegame maneuver is Nc3-a4-c5, occupying the hole. 8…bc6 9. Bd3 Bc5

Suddenly Black is ahead in development and making threats.

10. Be4 Qh4

The same development theme from Morphy-Dominguez.

11. Qe2

This leaves the white queen stuck to the defense of f2, so White ought to castle now or on the next move. It is relatively easy to find a plan when an opponent has what Purdy called a “tied piece”—attack the tied piece.

11… de4 12. Be3

The mate threat on f2 is relieved but the white queen’s burden is only lessened slightly because the f2-pawn is pinned and does not defend the e3-bishop. The defensive power of a pinned piece is illusory, said Reinfeld.

12… Bg4 13. Qc4

White loses a bit of material on 13. Qd2 Rd8 14. Bc5 Rd2 15. Nd2, and even though White has two threats, Black’s queen is increasingly active after 15…Qg5.

13… Be3 14. g3

On 14. Qc6, Sergeant gives 14…Bd7 15. Qa8 Ke7 16. g3 Bf2 17. Kf2 e3 18. Ke1 (18. Kg1 e2) Qb4 19. c3 Qb2, winning. Also good for Black but less charming is 14. Qc6 Ke7 15. Qc7 Kf8, and then 16. 0-0 Be2 or 16. g3 Qd8.

14… Qd8 15. fe3 Qd1 16. Kf2 Qf3 17. Kg1 Bh3 18. Qc6 Kf8 19. Qa8 Ke7 20. Resigns

Opening rule no. 9: Play to maintain at least one pawn in the center

Pawns control squares and create space. If White plays a pawn to e4, black units cannot move to d5 or f5 without risk of capture because the e4-pawn controls those squares. Additionally, space has been carved out behind e4 for the white pieces. If the pawn went on to e5, it would no longer control a square in the center, but it would increase White’s space and mobility in the center.

The main positional objective in the opening is control of the center, and by keeping at least one pawn in the center, one is guaranteed some maneuvering room there, plus some hindrance of one’s opponent.

London 1858
White: Thomas Barnes
Black: Paul Morphy
Philidor Countergambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3

Now Black should prefer one of three equal counterthreats to 2…Nc6, but there is something to dislike about each of them. 2… Nf6 develops a piece, but the position’s symmetry often makes it difficult for Black to unbalance the position. 2…d5 enables White to capture either or both of Black’s center pawns. 2…f5 is the sharpest and most provocative move, but it does nothing to help Black’s development, and 3. Ne5 in reply foreshadows Bc4 with coordination against f7. Morphy compromised by anchoring his e5-pawn before playing …f5.

2… d6 3. d4

The best move, taking control of as much of the center as possible, and renewing the threat to win a pawn on e5. 3. Bc4 is not as principled a move, but it would dissuade Black from 3…f5 because he would have a hard time castling after that.

3… f5 4. de5

Capturing Black’s center pawn is logical. 4. Nc3 and 4. Bc4 are also good.

4… fe4 5. Ng5

The other forward move, 5. Nd4, does not make a threat.

5… d5

Black has superior numbers and space in the center, but he trails in development.

6. e6

Threatening 7. Nf7, but abandoning the center.

6… Bc5

Angling to meet White’s threat with a bigger threat (the defense 6…Nh6 could meet 7. Nc3 c6 8. Nge4 de4 9. Qh5 g6 10. Qe5 with attack). The tactics supercede the knights before bishops principle.

7. Nf7 Qf6

8. Be3

White doesn’t back down, and makes a threat of his own, though Black can answer with yet another attacking move. 8. Qe2 Be6 9. Nh8 Nd7 sacrifices a rook, but it is the type of position Black desires.

8…d4 9. Bg5 Qf5

9…Qe6 blocks the queen bishop, and prevents Black from making an immediate capture of a minor piece after 10. Nh8. If 9…Qg6, then 10. Be2 could be sticky.

10. Nh8

10. g4 Qg6 11. Nh8 Qg5 12. h4 might be very annoying to Black.

10… Qg5 11. Bc4

White tries to hold on to the e6-pawn, which fences in the black bishop and gives the h8-knight a support point for its retreat, but Black has better development, better center control, and even better king safety.

11… Qg2 12. Rf1 Nc6

Black’s center pawns create the space for Black to threaten the crushing …Ne5-f3.

13. Nf7

13… Nf6

Development with the aggressive continuation … Ng4xh2 in mind.

14. f3

A mistake, but well-intentioned. White wanted to prevent 14… Ng4, and he also thought that since his f1-rook was blocked by a pawn that he should get the pawn out of the way. The drawback to 14. f3 is that White’s king is suddenly hemmed in by the queen on g2, and any check might be fatal.

14… Nb4
Threatening 15…Nc2 to win the queen.
15. Na3

Now the knight cannot interpose on the e1-a5 diagonal. 15. Bb3 is worse, for it also runs into 15…Be6, but without getting a new piece into play.

15…Be6

Developing with a double threat. Black wins after capturing on f7 or c4.

16. Be6

The bishop is diverted from its defense of d3.

16… Nd3

If 17. cd3, then 17…Bb4 and since the knight and the pawn have been disabled from interposing on c3, 18. Qd2 Qd2 mate would follow.

17. Qd3 ed3

Some players take queens. Morphy took queens while making threats to checkmate.

18. 0-0-0
18. cd3 Qb2 makes a fork.
18… Ba3

The knight prevented checkmate, so it is captured.

19. Bb3 d2

Bringing up every bit of force with the most aggressive moves, and White cannot play 20. Rd2 because of 20…Qf1.

20. Kb1

White now threatens to take on a3, and Black cannot make a suitable counterthreat, so he moves his menaced piece.

20… Bc5 21. Ne5 Kf8

Making room for the last piece to join the game. 21…0-0-0 would allow perhaps two spite checks (22. Be6 Kb8 23. Nc6) instead of one.

22. Nd3 Re8

Meeting White’s threat of Nc5 with a heavier threat.

23. Nc5 Qf1 24. Ne6
24. Rf1 Re1 25. Re1 de1(Q) mate.
24…Re6 25. Resigns

Opening rule no. 10: Don’t sacrifice without a clear and adequate reason

All else being equal, the player with an advantage in material has a winning position. All else being equal. If the threats, piece mobility, pawn structure, center control, and king safety were roughly the same for both sides, and one side had a bit more material, then he has a winning advantage, but chess is rarely as clear cut as that, and opening rule no. 10 helps us recognize which positional features compensate for the sacrifice of one pawn.

1) Gain three extra moves in development.

People get very tied up in their material. Watch your opponents as they clutch their captured chessmen in their hands, or twiddle a pawn between their fingers. It’s the same for their real world material. People know how much they owe for their houses and their cars, and they remember the last ticker price for some company in which they are too heavily invested or not invested enough.

If you asked them if they’d give all that stuff up—the mortgages and car notes and antique furniture—for a chance to travel and some free time in which to do it, almost every one of them would agree in a heartbeat.

People think they want lots of material, but it becomes such a chore to maintain it all, and eventually they become bogged down in it. They really want the freedom to move around and travel—mobility—and the time to do it—development. Time and space!

It is much easier to learn this lesson at the chessboard than after you have taken out that second mortgage. If the sacrifice of one pawn—the smallest amount of material—results in the gain of three units of time, it is well justified. In practice, most opening gambits trade one pawn for two developing moves, and even those positions are more enjoyable to play than those where one is weighted down by material gain.

New Orleans 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Amateur
King’s Gambit

1. e4 e5

Every move in the opening should answer yes to two questions: Does this move help me control the center? Does this move help me get my pieces out? So far, so good for both players.

2. f4

The King’s Gambit is classically motivated, aiming to get rid of Black’s center pawn.

2… ef4

Losing control of the center and neglecting development, but White’s pawn sacrifice is not yet justified.

3. Nf3

A developing move that prevents the dangerous check …Qh4. White is ready to take control of the center with 4. d4.

3… c6

Not such a bad move, though it does nothing for Black’s development (the queen already has an open diagonal). Black should play … d5 next.

4. Nc3

For some reason Morphy did not play 4. d4. Maybe he had some reason to expect Black to miscue at move 5.

4… Bb4

A developing move, but a somewhat random one that does not fit with the position. 4…d5 5. ed5 Bd6 develops with a view to holding the f4-pawn which restrains White’s queen bishop.

5. Bc4

White merely continues developing into the middle of the board. White’s control of d5 persuades Black to capture the knight that hits d5, though White’s influence is not lessened.

5… Bc3

A mistake, spending Black’s only developed piece on an exchange that helps White’s queenside mobilize. 5…Ne7 plus 6… d5 is OK for Black.

6. dc3

Usually we try to capture toward the center, but 6. bc3 only gives the bishop two new choices, while 6. dc3 prepares the bishop to capture on f4 and opens six squares on the d-file for the queen.

6… Ne7

Too late, for White can now fill the hole in front of the d7-pawn, which takes … d5 out of the picture.

7. Qd6

White has two extra developing moves for his pawn, plus two more to come by Bf4 (which even recovers the pawn) and 0-0—Black’s queenside is completely stuffed; it’s hard to see how his bishop will ever get out.

7…0-0 8. Bf4 Ng6

Black hopes for some breathing room after 9… Nf4 10. Qf4 d5.

9. Bg5 Qe8

10. 0-0

Black made a threat, and the best way to deal with an opponent’s threat is to ignore it. White continues developing, and could win after 10…Qe4 11. Nd2 Qe5 (Black can eat himself to death by 11…Qc2 12. Qf8 Nf8 [White checkmates on 12…Kf8 13. Rf7 Kg8 14. Rd7 Kh8 15. Rd8] 13. Bf7 Kh8 14. Bb3 with a double threat) 12. Bf4 Qd6 13. Bd6 Rd8 14. Bf7 Kh8 15. Bc7 Rf8 16. Bg6 Rf1 17. Rf1 hg6 18. Rf8 Kh7 19. Rc8.

10…Kh8 11. Rae1 f6

Black’s plan was to gain a move by attacking the bishop, and then centralize with 12…Ne5, but White leaves the bishop hanging because he would welcome an open f-file. With his next two moves, Black pushes the f-pawn again, but in order to prevent its capture.

12. e5

Fully developed, White starts opening lines for his pieces. If 12…fg5 13. Ng5 Rf1 14. Rf1, White’s attack continues with 15. Bf7 plus 16. Bg6, or the long-legged 15. Qd1 plus 16. Qh5.

12… f5 13. Nd4

It’s easier for the player with greater space in the center to move his pieces to the other side.

13…f4 14. e6
To be followed, if possible, by 15. e7.
14… de6 15. Ne6 Be6 16. Re6 Qc8 17. Rg6

To attack the enemy king, a file must be opened for the heavy pieces. The capture forces the h-file open.

17… hg6 18. Qg6
Threatening Greco’s checkmate with 19. Qh5.
18… Qf5 19. Rf4

A neat simplifying combination, threading together a discovered check with an attack on a pinned piece.

19… Qg6 20. Rf8 Kh7 21. Bg8 Kh8 22. Bf7 Kh7 23. Bg6 Resigns

23… Kg6 24. Bf4 is a triumph for developed pieces over undeveloped pieces.

2) Deflect the enemy queen.

Forget for a second that the queen is Her Beautiful and Royal Highness. If two rival street gangs were planning to rumble, one side is going to have an edge if the other side’s meanest and biggest biker chick is on the other side of town.

At the chessboard, it is worth sacrificing one pawn to divert the enemy queen to the wrong side of town. The other player will lose time bringing his queen back to friendly territory, or the gambiteer will gain time chasing the queen around, or both.

Munich 1927
White: Werner Springe
Black: Rudolf Gebhard
Torre Attack

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 c6

Black is tempted by the unguarded b2-pawn. 3…d5 does more to control the center, and then White can continue the fight for the center with 4. c4 or 4. e3 plus 5. Bd3.

4. e4 Qb6 5. Nbd2 Qb2 6. Bd3 d5 7. 0-0

White is three developing moves ahead and has a greater share of the center.

7… Qb6 8. Qe2

White has an excellent development. His rooks are connected and could find good employment on b1 and e1.

8…de4 9. Ne4 Ne4 10. Qe4 Nd7 11. c4

White presses on, now with the idea of 12. d5 to crack Black open on the e-file while his king is stuck in the middle.

11… h6

Hoping to drive the bishop from the h4-d8 diagonal, after which Black can play … Nf6 to hit the white queen and suppress White’s push to d5, plus … Be7 and …0-0.

12. Qe6 fe6 13. Bg6 mate

New York 1857
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Amateur
Muzio Gambit
Remove White’s queen knight

1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4 3. Nf3 g5

The positional basis for this move—supporting the f4-pawn which restrains many white pieces—has entirely supplanted the tactical idea to attack the f3-knight .

4. Bc4 g4 5. 0-0

Rather than save his knight, White castles for the most rapid development.

5…gf3 6. Qf3
7. Qf4 and 8. Qf7 mate is possible.
6… Qf6 7. e5

Deflecting the queen from her defense of f7, and drawing her into heavier fire.

7… Qe5 8. Bf7 Kf7 9. d4 Qd4 10. Be3

The reasons behind 8. Bf7 were to expose the black king, and to create a pin on the f4-pawn, so that White can mobilize his bishop with a threat.

10… Qf6

White forks after 10…Qb2 11. Qd5 then 12. Bd4.

11. Qh5

A forceful move that frees the rook to take on f4, which makes room for the queen rook on f1.

11… Qg6 12. Rf4 Nf6 13. Rf6

Purdy said that the true test for any opening is whether it gives play to the rooks.

13…Kf6 14. Bd4

14… Ke7

A prettier finish arises from 14… Kf7 15. Rf1 Kg8 16. Qe5 Bg7 (16…Qg7 17. Rf8) 17. Qd5 Qe6 18. Qg5 Qh6 19. Qd8 Bf8 20. Qe8 and White’s threat of 21. Qf7 mate is decisive: 20… Qg7 21. Bg7 Kg7 22. Qf7 Kh6 23. Qf6 Kh5 24. Rf5 Kg4 25. Qg5 mate.

15. Re1 Kf7 16. Qd5 Qe6 17. Qf3 Ke8 18. Qh5 Kd8 19. Re6 de6 20. Bh8 Resigns

3) Prevent the opponent from castling.

Your opponent is also trying to castle as soon as possible, to bring his rook into the game and to secure his king behind a wall of pawns. It is worth one pawn to prevent him from doing so—his development will be disrupted and his king will be more vulnerable to an attack.

London 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Thomas Hampton
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3

White can build the ideal pawn center by 2. d4, and after 2…ed4 3. Qd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 d6, he is assured of a long-term advantage, but at the cost of a blocked queen bishop plus a bit of time.

2…Nc6 3. Bc4

3. d4 ed4 4. Nd4 is an improvement over 2. d4, but it is still a very quiet position where White counts on a small advantage in the long run. White is not developed suitably for 3. c3, when 3… d5 is the simple and good answer.

3… Bc5

Black has enough control over d4 to make 4. d4 a suspect gambit. White is developed well enough to try 4. c3, but 4… Nf6 finds Black making threats. The point of 4. b4 is that if a black piece can be drawn to b4, then c3 makes a threat.

4. b4 Bb4

At first glance, the Evans Gambit doesn’t come close to meeting the requirements for a pawn sacrifice as suggested by opening rule no. 10.

5. c3 Bc5 6. 0-0

White’s move order sidesteps an annoying check: 6. d4 ed4 7. cd4 Bb4.

6… d6 7. d4 ed4

Black gives up the center, but he loses a pawn on 7…Bb6 8. de5 de5 9. Qd8.

8. cd4 Bb6 9. Nc3

The space-gaining 9. d5 was more popular in earlier games. After the simple 9. Nc3, White has two extra developing moves and a mobile pawn center.

9… Nf6

An entirely natural developing move, but a mistake. White is enabled to open the e-file for his rook, and more importantly, the a3-f8 diagonal for his bishop. 9…Bg4 and 9…Na5 do not allow White to play so effectively.

10. e5

10…de5

Even worse for Black is 10… d5 11. ef6 dc4 12. Re1 Kf8 13. Ba3 Kg8 14. fg7 Kg7. If Black avoids the opening of the a3-f8 diagonal by 10… Ng4 11. ed6 0-0, White ruins his king position with 12. Bg5 Qd7 13. h3 Nf6 14. Bf6.

11. Ba3

When White’s queen bishop prevents Black from castling, the b-pawn sacrifice that opened the c1-a3 diagonal looks even smarter.

11… Bg4

A reasonable move. Black can’t castle kingside, so he takes a step toward queenside castling, while the bishop can guard f7 by moving backward to h5.

12. Qb3

Developing with a threat. White also avoids the queen trade that could follow de5, and he is ready for Rad1.

12… Bh5 13. de5 Ng4 14. Rad1

The biggest threat is delivered by the most available new force. The black queen is stuck on the back rank because White controls all the squares on the d-file and d8-h4 diagonal.

14… Qc8

Self-pinning by 14… Nd4 cannot be a good idea, when White has many good continuations, including 15. Qa4 c6 16. Nd4 Bd4 17. Rd4 Qd4 18. Bf7.

15. e6

Threatening mate in two beginning with 16. ef7, and by clearing the fifth rank, White has prepared a double threat.

15…f6

White checkmates by 15…fe6 16. Be6 Qb8 17. Bd7 Kd8 18. Bc6 Kc8 19. Qe6.

16. Qb5

The first threat is to capture on h5, while the second threat is to checkmate on the a4-e8 diagonal.

16… Bg6 17. Bd5

Black cannot cope with White’s threat to mate following 18. Bc6.

17… Resigns

4) Build up a strong attack.

Much of the time we will combine the reasons for an opening pawn sacrifice by gaining one or two extra developing moves, and deflecting the enemy queen a bit, while preventing castling for a while. It adds up to an attack.

New Orleans 1849
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Alonzo Morphy
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5

Castling as soon as possible does not help White to control the center. 4. c3 prepares 5. d4, but 4. c3 does not make a threat. Opponents are comforted by non-threatening moves, so the trick is to play c3 as a threat, and 12-year-old Paul offered his dad a pawn.

4. b4 Bb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 ed4 7. cd4

For the price of the wing pawn, White has placed two unopposed pawns in the center.

7…Bb6
A better move is 7…Bb4.
8. 0-0 Na5

Taking his knight away from the middle. White’s central retreat leaves the knight stranded.

9. Bd3 d5

The three standard requirements for a successful attack against the king are greater development, greater center control, and greater king safety. White has all three, so Black has erred in enabling White to open the e-file leading to Black’s king.

10. ed5 Qd5 11. Ba3

White had many options: 11. Re1 and 11. Nc3 were very good. 11. Ba3 prevents Black from castling kingside, so Black hurries to castle queenside.

11… Be6

Before Black can castle, White hits him with two strong threats.

12. Nc3 Qd7 13. d5

If the e6-bishop shelters the black king, it must be worth another pawn to tear it down.

13… Bd5 14. Nd5 Qd5

15. Bb5

The check plus discovered attack drives away the king’s last defender, and the black queen is sorry she got involved in the game so soon.

15… Qb5 16. Re1 Ne7 17. Rb1

Developing the last piece with a threat to the queen.

17… Qa6

Tucking the queen away from harm such as 17…Qh5 18. Re7 Kf8 19. Re5. The best move was probably 17…Qd7, but White has enough advantage to win following 18. Qd7 Kd7 19. Re7.

18. Re7 Kf8 19. Qd5 Qc4
The only defense to 20. Qf7 mate.
20. Rf7 Kg8
20… Ke8 21. Qd7 mate.
21. Rf8 mate

New York 1857
White: John Schulten
Black: Paul Morphy
King’s Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4 3. Bc4

The Bishop’s Gambit permits the check 3…Qh4, and after 4. Kf1, one side’s queen is deflected, while the other side has lost the castling privilege. It is a perilous position for both.

3… d5

The simple way to put a pawn in the center. 3… Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 5. d4 d5 is a little more roundabout but just as good.

4. ed5

Already a slip. White loses some center control and blocks his bishop. 4. Bd5 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 leads to a hard fight.

4…Nf6 5. Nc3 Bd6 6. d4

6…0-0 7. Nge2

Another misstep. White feared 7. Nf3 Re8, but 8. Ne2 plus 9. 0-0 is not so bad.

7… f3

A pawn sacrifice for the purposes of disrupting White’s kingside position, and opening the diagonal for the black-squared bishop.

8. gf3 Nh5

Threatening to bring up new force with 9… Qh4.

9. h4

White reacts poorly to the pressure. Black still has to make his case after 9. 0-0 Qh4 10. Rf2.

9…Re8

Black gathers momentum with simple developing moves. The pin prepares g3 as a landing place for a black minor piece.

10. Ne4 Bg3 11. Kd2

White didn’t like the looks of 11. N4g3 Ng3 12. Rh2, but in that position, Black doesn’t have enough pieces out.

11…Bd6 12. Kc3

White is flying around in a panic. 12. c3 builds a little shelter for White to play Kc2 before developing his queenside pieces. After 12. Kc3, Black can give away two more pawns to open lines for his attack.

12…b5 13. Bb5

White’s position is a jumble after 13. Bb3 b4 14. Kd2, but Black’s attacking scope is lessened.

13…c6 14. Nd6 Qd6 15. Ba4

The pin on the c6-pawn stops …cd5, but control of the a6-f1 diagonal goes over to Black.

15…Ba6

A developing move that threatens something is ideal.

16. Re1 Nd7 17. b3 Nb6 18. Bc6

18. Kb2 Na4 19. ba4 Qb4 mate is a possibility.

18…Rac8 19. Kd2 Rc6

The better-developed side wants an open position.

20. dc6

The remainder is forced.

20…Be2 21. Re2 Qd4 22. Ke1 Qg1 23. Kd2 Rd8 24. Kc3 Qc5 25. Kb2 Na4 26. ba4 Qb4 mate

Part 2: The Middlegame

The opening is difficult because it is harder to run a company with 16 employees than a company with just a few. The endgame is stressful because the mistakes are costlier—a slip in the endgame often turns a win into a draw, or a draw into a loss. The middlegame is a headache partly because it is so nebulous—it sometimes begins at move 10 or at move 20. Occasionally the middlegame is 40 moves long, and at times there is no middlegame at all.

We don’t always know when the middlegame will start and end, or its duration, and we don’t know which pieces will be present, either. Fine’s opening principles are specific about the handling of the pieces (knights before bishops, queen not too early), and so are his endgame rules (kings must be active, rooks belong behind passed pawns), but none of Fine’s middlegame advice refers to pieces by name because it isn’t certain which pieces will be on the board.

Instead, the player must evaluate these elements of a middlegame position—material balance, pawn structure, piece mobility, king safety, threats—and create short and specific plans based on those features. The task in the middlegame is to coordinate the pieces to carry out those short-term objectives, keeping in mind that two pieces in harmony are far more capable than two pieces working separately, and that the true secret to winning chess games is the creation of double threats—that is, causing one’s opponent to want to make two moves in a row.

Middlegame rule no. 1: Have all your moves fit into a definite plan

The middlegame begins when the player has connected his rooks and has developed one rook to an open or half-open file. Sometimes many pieces are exchanged before then, sometimes none. We can’t know for certain when the middlegame will begin, and we won’t know exactly when it will end, either (when there are too few pieces left for a checkmating attack against the king to succeed, the king can then become active, and the endgame begins). None of the middlegame rules refers specifically to pieces, because we can never be certain which pieces will be present in the middlegame.

If we don’t know which pieces will be present for the middlegame, how should we find the good moves? There must be some feature in the position that suggests a plan. We evaluate five aspects of a middlegame position in search of a plan:

Material. Are you ahead or behind in material? The player ahead in material usually plans to exchange pieces in order to reduce possible counterplay, while the player behind in material plans to avoid trades.

Pawn structure. How are the pawns for each side placed? Both sides aim to avoid doubled, isolated, or backward pawns, while inflicting them on the opponent. Doubled, backward, or isolated pawns have less mobility than healthy pawns.

Mobility. Do your pieces have freedom of movement? How do they compare to the opponent’s pieces? Plan to improve the mobility of an inactive piece. Plan to exchange pieces to free yourself in a cramped position. Plan to prevent your opponent from doing the same.

King safety. Is your king more or less secure than your opponent’s king? If you are justified in attacking your opponent’s king, how will you create weaknesses around the enemy king position? Can you avoid the same kinds of weaknesses around your king?

Threats. Above all, what is your opponent threatening?

After considering material balance, pawn structure, piece mobility, king safety, and enemy threats, ask: What am I going to do about it?

A middlegame plan must be short, made for just a few moves. Fine said it is a myth that chess masters figure out every little detail until White’s a-pawn queens ahead of Black’s h-pawn 30 moves into the future.

Plans must be made for specific reasons. Do not plan to capture all the enemy pieces, or even two of them. Plan to reduce the mobility of one piece, or isolate one pawn, or weaken one square in front of the enemy king—one great difference between masters and duffers is that duffers plan to do everything, while masters plan to do one thing at a time.

Plans must be flexible. It might have been your plan to read to the end of this section, or to the end of the page before getting a drink, but when your cat starts knocking cans off the top of the refrigerator, you might have to change your mind. Opponents and cats are like that—they have their own ideas, and you often have to deal with theirs first.

A plan must be based on the the principles. Fine’s middlegame principles are based on 400 years of accumulated chess knowledge, and are still valid. To follow Fine’s middlegame advice is to mind the lessons laid out by the masters before and after him. Purdy summed up every good move with two principles instead of 30: Examine every move that smites (look at every check, capture, and threat), and: Use inactive force.

Every time it is your move, you must ask “What are his threats? What are my threats? How can I bring some more force into the game?”.

Paris 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: P. Chamouillet and others
in consultation
French Defense

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5

The French Defense is a counterattacking opening. Black made the first threat, and if White develops and defends with 3. Nc3, then 3…Nf6 or 3…Bb4 develops to renew the threat.

3. ed5

The French enables White to close the position by e5, immediately with 3. e5, or later (for instance, 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5). Closed positions were not to Morphy’s liking, so he met the threat by capturing on d5, even though 3…ed5 frees Black’s bad queen bishop.

3…ed5 4. Nf3 Nf6

This position might also arise from Petroff’s Defense: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Ne5 d6 4. Nf3 Ne4 5. d3 Nf6 6. d4 d5.

5. Bd3

Kasparov, the 13th world champion, aimed for greater center control here with 5. c4.

5…Bd6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Nc3

An unsophisticated move. White loses the option of c4, and also the supporting move c3 in case Black plays …c5.

7…c5 8. dc5

Black has an isolated pawn, but it is the only center pawn, and it is the furthest-advanced pawn, giving Black more board room in which to operate.

8…Bc5 9. Bg5 Be6 10. Qd2 Nc6 11. Rad1 Be7 12. Rfe1 a6

For White, a most important position. His development is complete, and we can say one’s opening is done when the rooks can see each other and one stands on a file unblocked by friendly pawns (in this position White has improved both rooks).

White must evaluate five aspects of this middlegame position before making a short, specific, and flexible plan:

Enemy threats. The first thing to consider in any position is: what are my opponent’s threats?

When asking yourself “what did his last move do?”, it saves thinking time to check off the opponent’s threats from biggest blow to smallest annoyance, and it is easier to find those moves by looking at his biggest pieces first, and then the smaller units in order of descending size.

The greatest threat possible is a check. Does White have to answer a check? No.

The second-biggest nuisance is a capture. Did Black make a capture with his last move? No.

Does Black have a threat to check or capture?

Is Black threatening to make a check? Can his queen make a check? Can the rooks, bishops, knights, or pawns make a check. No.

Is Black threatening to make a capture? Can his queen take anything? Can any of the other black units capture? No. Black has no threats. After determining the opponent’s greatest threat, if any, then find the biggest threat for your side.

Does White have any checks, captures, or threats? 13. Bh7 makes a check, but White does not have a good follow-up after 13…Kh7. White’s capture 13. Bf6 trades a bishop for a lesser knight, and then 13…Bf6 improves the mobility of the black bishop. White’s other captures, 13. Nd5 and 13. Ba6, lose a piece.

Can White make any effective threats to capture or check?—that is, an effective threat is one that Black must not ignore, because it would do real harm to him if it were carried out. A threatening move is also effective if the enemy does not improve some facet of his position by defending against it.

In this position, White cannot make an effective threat (for example, 13. Ne5 is not an effective threatening move because if White continued by capturing on c6, Black’s recapture …bc6 would bolster his isolated pawn).

Effective threatening moves trump positional moves, so threats were considered first and foremost. White determined that Black had no threat that he had to meet, and that he had no threat of his own to make, so he sought a positional plan He evaluated the position according to:

Material. The armies are equal in size.

Pawn structure. White’s pawns are flawless. Black has an isolated d-pawn (in this instance, the d-pawn is bad because it cannot be defended by another pawn, but good because it gives Black an advantage in space, and controls the center), and some black-squared weaknesses on the queenside (b6 and d6 cannot be influenced by a black pawn).

Mobility. White’s major pieces are developed and ready to move across the board, while Black’s are not. White’s bishops are further advanced and more aggressively placed than Black’s (White’s bishops can check and capture). The knights are developed symmetrically, but the black knights have forward support points at e4 and c4.

King safety. The kings are equally and very safe, surrounded by friendly pieces and unmoved pawns.

It is an exceptionally quiet position, with no threats for either side, and the positional features are mostly balanced. The only feature in the position that favors White, and suggests a plan, is his lead in development.

Advantages in time are not concrete—if one dawdles, his opponent will catch up in development, so one must convert his extra time into energy—threats!—before the development on both sides is equalized.

White asks, where can I make a threat? Which black units can be threatened? Where can I coordinate my pieces? How can I bring more force into the game?

Before making his 13th move, White imagined the ideal coordination of his pieces: if the defending black knight on f6 were removed, then the white queen could cooperate with the d3-bishop to checkmate on h7. White’s plan, therefore, is to move the queen to a square from which she can proceed to h7.

White’s plan to play Qf4-h4 is short, just two moves long. It is flexible—White has room to change his mind. It is made for a specific reason□□□—at ca threat to checkmate. Finally, White’s plan follows middlegame principle no. 9—by centralizing the action of the queen, White improves her mobility from four squares to 16.

13. Qf4 Nh5

Black reacts poorly, enabling White to continue his maneuver while at the same time menacing the knight. 13…Nb4, threatening to capture a vital attacking piece, was a better move.

14. Qh4

14…g6

After 14…Bg5 15. Qh5 (15. Bh7 Kh7 16. Ng5 Kg6 defends one knight and pins another) Bh6, 16. Bf5 threatens to win a pawn by 17. Be6, or to bring up new force with 17. Ne4. 14…Nf6 is worse, losing at least a piece to 15. Bf6.

15. g4

The biggest threat White has available that uses new force.

15…Nf6 16. h3 Rc8

Black probably gave some thought to 16…Nb4, but by this time he was troubled by his lag in development.

17. a3 Re8 18. Ne2

Continuing the migration of white pieces toward the black king. When White follows with Nf4, he will threaten Ne6.

18…h5

Black is trying to win a pawn on g4, but exposes his king. Black should have hatched a middlegame plan based around the positional feature that favors him: he has the only center pawn, and can centralize the action of his pieces after gaining space with the pawn. 18…d4 19. Nf4 Bd5 20. Nd5 Nd5, and Black has improved.

19. Nf4

Black hardly imagined that his h5-pawn would also be menaced by this move, but he can’t carry out his threat: 19…hg4 20. Ne6 fe6 21. Bg6 plus 22. Bf6 wins for White.

19…Nh7

An ineffective threat, since White can meet it by carrying out his own threat.

20. Ne6 fe6 21. Re6
The best defense is a counterattack.
21…Bg5 22. Rg6 Kf8 23. Qh5

There is no rush to take on g5. 23. Qh5 makes two threats.

23…Rc7 24. Ng5

Threatening mate in two beginning with 25. Qh6.

23…Ree7 25. Qh6 Ke8 26. Rg8 Resigns

In view of 26…Nf8 27. Rf8 Kd7 28. Bf5 Re6 29. Qe6 mate.

New York 1859
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Thomas Jefferson Bryan
Evans Gambit
Remove White’s queen knight

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb4 5. c3 Bc5

With White’s queen knight in his pocket, Black would find 5…Ba5 6. d4 ed4 7. 0-0 Bc3 worthier than usual, because White cannot gain time with 8. Nc3.

6. 0-0 d6 7. d4 Bb6

Black saw how the material handicap helps him in this position. Rather than surrender the center by 7…ed4 8. cd4, Black can sit for 8. de5 de5 because White will not trade queens in order to win a pawn after 8. Qd8.

8. de5 de5 9. Qb3 Qf6 10. Bb5

Before …Na5 forks queen and bishop. Black’s next prompts White to shift the queen also.

10…Be6 11. Qa4 Ne7

White has invested two moves in repositioning his queen and bishop, and Black must do the same with 11…Bd7, for 12. Bg5 Qg6 13. Rad1 Nf6 is fine for Black. 11…Ne7 results in the ruin of Black’s position—White uncorks a skewering development, plus four captures in a row.

12. Bg5 Qg6 13. Be7 Ke7 14. Bc6 bc6 15. Ne5 Qf6 16. Nc6

16…Kf8

The greatest factor in one’s chess skill is the ability to store tactical and positional patterns in memory and then put them into practice, which often facilitates planning. White recognizes a classic checkmating pattern, but it requires breaking the black queen’s connection with e7, so White planned for two pawn jabs to drive off the queen. Had Black identified the pattern, he would’ve walked into a relatively harmless discovered check with 16…Ke8.

17. e5 Qg5 18. h4 Qg4

Black can avert the smothered checkmate by 18…Qd8, which shows no appreciation for art.

19. Qa3 Kg8

If the black queen covered e7, 19…Ke8 spoils the ending.

20. Ne7 Kf8 21. Ng6 Kg8 22. Qf8 Rf8 23. Ne7 mate

New Orleans 1866
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Charles Maurian
Evans Gambit
Remove White’s queen knight

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6

Especially at queen knight odds, Black should consider the Center Counter Defense with 1…d5 for after 2. ed5 Qd5, White doesn’t have 3. Nc3 available. Morphy found that 3. c4 stretched his position too far in Morphy-Pindar, London 1859: 3…Qd8 4. d4 e5, and White could not play 5. de5 because Black could trade queens plus bishops by 5…Bb4 6. Bd2 (White would much rather interpose with the c-pawn) Qd2 7. Qd2 Bd2.

3. Bc4 Bc5

The Fried Liver Attack is also weakened by the absence of the queen knight: 3…Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. ed5 Nd5 6. Nf7 Kf7 7. Qf3 Ke6, where White usually hits the pinned knight again with 8. Nc3.

4. b4 Bb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. 0-0 d6 7. d4 ed4 8. cd4 Bb6 9. d5

Morphy’s favorite 9. Nc3 is impossible. The idea behind 9. d5 is to ensure the opening of the e-file by 10. e5, because 10…d5 cannot be played in reply.

9…Na5 10. e5 Nc4 11. Qa4 Qd7

White gains time by harassing the queen, so 11…Bd7 is better.

12. Qc4 Ne7 13. Re1 de5

Black’s king gets stuck in the middle for neglecting to castle.

14. Ne5 Qd5

15. Qa4

Black hoped White would help him develop by 15. Qd5 Nd5 16. Ng6 Be6 17. Nh8 0-0-0, with a threat to the cornered knight.

15…Bd7 16. Nd7 Qd7 17. Re7

The sacrifice of rook for knight prevents Black from castling, and enables White to develop the last two pieces with threats. 17…Ke7 18. Ba3 Ke8

Sergeant wrote that Black is “by no means badly off” after 18…Kd8 19. Rd1, and then 19…c6 gives the king a hiding place so that he might keep his rooks connected: for instance, 20. Rd7 Kd7 21. Qg4 Kc7 22. Qg7 Rad8.

19. Re1 Be3

An imaginative move. Black intends his bishop sacrifice to disrupt the harmony of White’s pieces. If 20. fe3, the file becomes closed to the rook, and on the obvious 20. Re3, the white queen and rook are no longer coordinated on d1, so 20…Kd8 leaves White with nothing better than the lesser endgame that follows 21. Qd7 Kd7 22. Re7 Kc6 23. Rf7, and Black has a material advantage plus the passed c-pawn.

20. Qb3

An outstanding reply, renewing the coordination with the rook. 21. Re3 Kd8 22. Rd3 is one threat, while 21. Qb7 is introduced as another menace.

20…Kd8 21. Qb7

21…Rc8

21…Qc8 22. Rd1 plus Qc6 leads to a fast checkmate.

22. fe3

22. Re3 preserves the rook’s mobility, but 22…Qd1 would punish White for his inattention.

22…Qd3

An idle threat which shows disregard for the other pieces. 22…c5 improves the mobility of three black pieces and discovers a threat to the white queen. Then 23. Qf3 Rc6 24. Rd1 Rd6 25. Qa8 Ke7 gives Black two threats.

23. Bb4 f5

Black was aware of 24. Qf3 to get the heavy pieces together on d1, and planned to meet that with 24…Qe4. White had a different, most startling coordination in mind.

24. Re2

The threat is 25. Rd2, pinning or driving the black king from defense of the rook, and it cannot be parried by 24…Qd1 25. Kf2 or 24…Qe2 25. Qd5 Ke8 26. Qe6 Kd8 27. Qe7 mate.

24…Re8 25. Rd2 Re3 26. Rd3 Rd3 27. Be7 Resigns

A double attack comes with 27…Kd7 28. Qb5.

Middlegame rule no 2: When ahead in material, exchange as many pieces as possible, especially queens

Opening rule no. 10 offers that a gambit in the early going can be justified if the sacrificer gains three extra moves in development or builds up a strong attack.

In the middlegame, any material superiority confers a winning advantage if the mobility and safety are equal, but compensation for a material deficit can be had in better development or an attack against the king.

How should the materially-richer player deal with positions where he is behind in development or being attacked or both? When the wealthy player is lagging in development, trading pieces will reduce the other side’s numbers, and therefore limit the possible counterplay. If the attack has already begun, trading the pieces will lessen the weight of the enemy punches. One’s opponent will be quite deflated if his queen—his most powerful attacking piece—is swapped.

However, one has to be most careful not to lose time when exchanging. Who wins in an even material exchange? The side whose pieces come forward as a result of the trade.

Fourth match game
Paris 1859
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Augustus Mongredien
Two Knights Defense

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6

In the second game of the match, the president of the London Chess Club played 3…Bc5, and Morphy won a brief Evans Gambit, which might’ve persuaded Mongredien to change his mind for the fourth match game.

4. Ng5 d5 5. ed5 Na5 6. d3

Morphy’s invention has all but disappeared from modern practice, which favors 6. Bb5.

6…h6 7. Nf3 Bg4

Better is 7…e4, meeting White’s threat of Ne5 with a greater threat, and undermining the defender of the bishop.

8. h3

A pawn down, Black has to swap bishop for knight or lose another pawn to 8…Bh5 9. g4 Bg6 10. Ne5.

8…Bf3 9. Qf3 Bd6 10. Bb5

Moving the bishop a second time, but taking great advantage of the increased pressure on c6.

10…c6

10…Nd7 11. Bd2 is not much of an improvement for Black.

11. dc6 bc6 12. Bc6 Nc6 13. Qc6 Ke7 14. Nc3

Castling as soon as possible enables 14…Rc8 to skewer.

14…Rc8 15. Qf3

White could’ve made a threat by 15. Qa6, but Mongredien was not a troublesome opponent, and perhaps Morphy’s attention was wandering a little.

15…Re8 16. 0-0

16. Nd5 would be a blunder: 16…Nd5 17. Qd5 Bb4.

16…Kf8

17. Bd2

An uncommonly modest developing move, taking the sting out of …Bb4 but failing to threaten with Be3. Also, if the black bishop moves off the d-file, a pin on the d3-pawn would be created.

17…g5

An aimless move, exposing Black’s king and severely weakening the pawn structure. Black could discover an attack against the d2-bishop and undermine the c3-knight’s support by 17…e4 18. de4 Ba3.

18. h4 Nh7 19. Qf5

It is a huge hole on f5, from which the white queen has her eye on several black pieces.

19…Kg7 20. hg5

To attack the enemy king, first open a file to gain access for the heavy pieces.

20…hg5

Black can bail his knight out of the corner with 20…Ng5, but the isolated h6-pawn is then a target.

21. g3

Introducing a brief plan to bring the rooks to the h-file.

21…f6 22. Kg2 Rh8 23. Rh1 Rc7 24. Rh2 Qc8

Black thought to chase the white queen from her dominating post before White brought over the rest of his pieces by Rah1 and Ne4 (or Rh6), but White is pleased to trade, more so with no loss of time.

25. Qc8 Rhc8
25…Rcc8 prevents a fork.
26. Rah1

White can reserve the lesser threat Nb5 until the last piece enters the game with its threat.

26…Nf8 27. Nb5 Rd7 28. Nd6 Rd6

29. Bb4 Resigns

The skewer will bring about another swap, and a rook ending where White has greater rook activity plus two extra pawns. For instance, 29…Rb6 30. Bf8 Rf8 31. Rh7 Kg8 (31…Kg6 32. g4 and 33. R1h6 mate) 32. Ra7 Rb2 33. Rhh7 threatens mate.

Havana 1864
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Celso Golmayo
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4

There are a few recorded instances of Morphy playing the quiet 4. c3.

4…Bb4 5. c3 Bc5

The first official world champion, Steinitz, showed that 5…Ba5 is the right retreat, avoiding another attack by d4, and with a latent pin on the c3-pawn or prevention of Re1. Modern masters advocate 5…Be7, which would save a pawn after 6. d4 d6 7. de5 de5 8. Qd8 Bd8.

6. 0-0 d6 7. d4 ed4 8. cd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Nf6

A common mistake, enabling White to open the a3-f8 diagonal. 9…Na5 and 9…Bg4 are better.

10. e5 de5 11. Ba3 Bd4 12. Qb3

Developing with a threat to checkmate in two moves.

12…Be6 13. Be6

The most aggressive move renews the checkmating threat.

13…fe6 14. Qe6 Ne7 15. Nd4

Meeting Black’s threat to capture on f3 as sharply as possible, by taking the attacking piece.

15…ed4

16. Rfe1

The best defense is a counterattack. Black threatened …dc3, so White made a bigger threat, 17. Be7 plus 18. Bf6.

16…Qd7
If 16…Ng8, then 17. Nd5 piles on.
17. Qe7

Again White had to make the most forcing move. If 17. Be7 Qe6 18. Re6, then 18…Kf7 threatens …dc3 and …Ke6.

17…Qe7 18. Re7 Kd8 19. Rd1

Black’s threat to c3 lingers, but White’s last piece develops with a pin.

19…b6 20. Rd4 Kc8 21. Nb5

Coordinating the pieces with the idea of 22. Rc7 Kb8 23. Bd6.

21…Kb8 22. Rc7 Re8 23. g3

Every time it was Morphy’s move, he asked himself what his opponent threatened, and at that time it was 23…Re1 mate.

23…a6 24. Bd6 Ne4

If 24…ab5, White sets a discovered check wheel in motion with 25. Rg7 Kc8 26. Rc7 Kb8 (26…Kd8 27. Be5 and mate next) 27. Rh7 Kc8 28. Rc7 Kb8 29. Rf7. After 24…Ne4, White plays to trade off all the pieces while he is material ahead in order to eliminate possible counterplay.

25. Re4 Re4 26. Re7 Kc8 27. Re4 ab5 28. Re8 Kb7 29. Ra8 Resigns

New York 1859
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Hubert Knott
Muzio Gambit
Remove White’s queen rook

1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4

A rook handicap is so large that if Black could achieve better or equal development, and prepare to exchange white pieces as they came out, the game would just about be over. 2…d5 would be an excellent start, but considering the odds of queen rook, Black also does well to decline the gambit with 2…Bc5, preventing White from kingside castling while queenside castling is impossible. Further, Black would threaten 3…Bg1.

3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4

In 1859, it was thought gentlemanly to lose time by enabling, and then accepting, opening sacrifices. 4…Bg7 5. h4 h6 holds White’s queen bishop out.

5. d4 gf3 6. 0-0 d5

A good move, especially if Black continues with 7…Nf6.

7. Bd5 Bg4

Black develops with a threat to discover a double attack by 8…fg2, but he is out of step. If Black threatens to trade the bishop first by 7…Nf6, then 8. Bb3 Bg4 would avoid a threat to b7.

8. Qd3 fg2

9. Rf2

Not 9. Rf4 because 9…Bh6 10. Bf7 Ke7 leaves Black with too many threats of his own.

9…c6

Black ought to try 9…f3 to keep the f-file closed, and then 10. Bb7 (the skewer reappears on 10. Nd2 Bh6) Nd7 11. Ba8 Qa8 12. Nd2 Ngf6 is good for Black.

10. Bf7 Kf7 11. Bf4 Nf6

Black can’t dodge trouble by running for the g-file: 11…Kg7 12. Qg3.

12. e5 Nbd7 13. Nc3 Bg7 14. Ne4

White’s last three moves demonstrate the mobility conferred by greater center control. Black, with a material advantage, must now reduce White’s attacking force by 14…Ne4, and then Black is safe after 15. Qe4 Kg8 or 15. Bg5 Nf2.

14…h6 15. ef6 Nf6 16. Be5 Rf8 17. Nf6 Bf6 18. Bf6 Qd7 19. Qh7 Ke8 20. Qg6 Rf7 21. Bg5

A most clever move, preventing Black from 21…Kf8 because of 22. Bh6, while 21…hg5 also loses to 22. Qg8 Ke7 23. Rf7 Ke6 24. Qg6.

21 Bf3 22. Rf3 Qd4 23. Re3

The best defense is a counterattack.

23…Kf8 24. Bh6 Rg7 25. Bg7 Qg7 26. Qd6 Kg8 27. Rg3 Resigns

Middlegame rule no. 3: Avoid doubled, isolated, and backward pawns

In the opening, a pawn’s job is to help control the center. In the endgame, the pawn’s goal is to promote to a new queen, but only the most mobile pawns can achieve that goal.

Pawns are best when they are united, placed abreast of each other. White can create a passed pawn—a pawn with no enemy pawns on the same file to block it, and no enemy pawns on an adjacent file to capture it—by 1. g5, 2. h5, 3. g6. The most valuable type of pawn is the passed pawn.

If White’s pawn pair is less mobile, it is more difficult or even impossible to make a passed pawn. We avoid doubled, isolated, and backward pawns because they are not as mobile as healthy pawns.

One pawn can block two doubled pawns.

One pawn can restrain two isolated pawns.

One pawn can hold a pair if one of the pair is backward.

For a pawn to have maximum mobility in the endgame, it should retain its mobility in the middlegame. The activity of the pieces is more important, though, and it is better to take on a weakness in the pawn structure than it is to immobilize the pieces.

First American Chess Congress
New York 1857
White: Louis Paulsen
Black: Paul Morphy
Four Knights Game

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3

A timid move, whether or not it is preceded by 3. Bc4.

3…Nf6 4. Bb5

4. d4 leads to stale equality, unless White risks 4…ed4 5. Nd5. Even crazier, but a real crowd pleaser, is 4. Ne5 Ne5 5. d4 plus 6. f4.

4…Bc5

Intending to meet 5. Bc6 dc6 6. Ne5 with 6…Bf2 7. Kf2 Qd4, but the bishop could be forked by 5. Ne5 Ne5 6. d4.

5. 0-0 0-0 6. Ne5

White’s delay in this capture enables Black to attack on the e-file. 6. d3 d6 7. Bc6 bc6 8. Bg5 is a pin that takes a while to break.

6…Re8 7. Nc6

White is losing time, but 7. Nd3 Bb6 leaves him cramped.

7…dc6 8. Bc4 b5

The immediate 8…Ne4 can be met by 9. Ne4 Re4 10. Bf7 Kf7 11. Qf3. If White keeps his bishop on the diagonal by 9. Bb3, then 9…Bg4 gains a move.

9. Be2 Ne4 10. Ne4 Re4 11. Bf3 Re6

12. c3

White aims for 13. d4, but his d-pawn is made backward, and Black is enabled to stifle White’s development by filling the hole on d3. 12. d4 is a poor pawn sacrifice—12…Qd4 13. Qd4 Bd4 14. Bf4 Bb2—but 12. d3 leaves both players with questions about how to finish developing.

12…Qd3 13. b4

The development 13. Re1 intends to swap rooks, followed by Qe2 to attack the blockading queen, and Black does not have a good developing move in reply. If 13…Re1 14. Qe1, Black would have to give up his c6-pawn in order to preserve his bind on d3 by 14…Bf5.

13…Bb6 14. a4 ba4

If 14…a6, then White demonstrates two pins by 15. ab5.

15. Qa4

Now White has Qa6 in store to lift the blockade on d3, but she is on the wrong side of the board for defending her king.

15…Bd7 16. Ra2

If he is ever to develop his queenside pieces, White must play Qa6 and let 16…Qc2 happen.

16…Rae8

Threatening 17…Qf1. The addition of the most new force also enables the combination that Black begins at move 18.

17. Qa6 Qf3

A much celebrated sacrifice. To attack the enemy king, first open a file for the heavy pieces.

18. gf3 Rg6 19. Kh1 Bh3
Menacing 20…Bg2 21. Kg1 Bf3 mate.
20. Rd1

Black checkmates after 20. Rg1 Rg1 21. Kg1 Re1.

20…Bg2 21. Kg1 Bf3

22. Kf1 Bg2

A more efficient checkmate is 22…Rg2 23. Qd3 Rf2 24. Kg1 Rg2 25. Kh1 Rg1.

23. Kg1 Bh3 24. Kh1 Bf2 25. Qf1 Bf1 26. Rf1 Re2 27. Ra1 Rh6 28. d4 Be3 29. Resigns

New York 1857
White: Paul Morphy
Black: John Schulten
Ruy Lopez

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5

This opening has given Black headaches for more than 500 years. White is ready to castle two moves ahead of Black, and his pressure on the center is increased by the possibility of capturing first on c6, then e5.

3…Bc5 4. c3 Nge7 5. 0-0 0-0

Fighting for control of the center should take precedence over castling. 5…Bb6 6. d4 ed4 7. cd4 d5 prevents Black from being run over in the center.

6. d4 ed4 7. cd4 Bb6 8. d5 Nb8
9…Nb4 would not preserve Black’s lost time.
9. d6

A highly disruptive move, which results in at least the isolation of Black’s d-pawn, plus the delay of his queen bishop’s development.

9…cd6

If 9…Ng6, White would reject 10. dc7, which would help Black develop his pieces, in favor of 10. Bg5 (developing with a threat) or 10. e5 (to maintain the bind on d6).

10. Bf4 Bc7

An undeveloping move, and pointless because it doesn’t save the pawn from capture. The great teacher Purdy said in partial jest that we shouldn’t take the opponent’s weak pawns; we should leave him to worry about them. Black plays the whole game in a defensive mind, but 10…f5 directly challenges White in the center, and after White plays Bd6, Black would have more options than …Re8 for breaking the pin on the e7-knight.

11. Nc3

Knights before bishops and queens. White brings more force into the game, and when White’s queen moves to d6, the rooks will be connected.

11…a6 12. Bc4 b5

13. Bb3

The bishop that defined the Ruy Lopez is pushed back to the diagonal it would taken if White had played 3. Bc4 in the Giuoco Piano, Two Knights Defense, or Evans Gambit. However, the bishop is more secure on b3 than on c4, and Black’s b5-pawn is liable to be attacked by a4.

13…Bb7 14. Bd6 Bd6 15. Qd6 h6

Another unnecessary defensive move, since Ng5 would not make a threat. Black is a center pawn behind after 15…Nbc6 16. Rad1 Qb6 17. Qd7 Rad8, but the bind is lifted from the black position.

16. Rad1 Nc8

More backward motion. 16…Nbc6 still made sense.

17. Qf4
The best retreat, coordinating against f7.
17…Nb6

Black moved his knights five times to reach this position.

18. Ne5

White makes two threats: 19. Bf7, and 19. Ng6 Re8 20. Bf7.

18…Qf6 19. Qf6 gf6

Black’s pawn position is in tatters, and the newly-isolated kingside pawns can be forked.

20. Ng4 Kg7 21. Nf6 Bc6

If 21…Kg6, then 22. Rd6 threatens another fork. Black appears determined to leave his b8-knight at home to watch over the d7-pawn, but it could be too late for 21…Nc6 22. Nd7 Nd7 23. Rd7, which puts White ahead in threats, mobility, and material.

22. e5 a5 23. Rd3

Bringing his rook forward with a threat of 24. Rg3 Kh8 25. Bf7, because 25…Rf7 27. Rg8 is mate.

23…Rh8 24. Ncd5

Improving another piece with a threat to exchange while ahead in material.

24…Nc4 25. Bc4 bc4 26. Rg3 Kf8 27. Nb6 Ra7 28. Rd1

Instead of gaining a black pawn, White gains a whole rook.

28…Bb5

Black spends two moves to guard a pawn that White has already ignored, while White coordinates his pieces to make a checkmate.

29. Rd4 Rc7 30. Rdg4 Resigns

Black didn’t wait for 31. Rg8 Rg8 32. Rg8 Ke7 33. Re8 mate.

New Orleans 1849
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Alonzo Morphy
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6

A passive developing move. Black can pose a problem for White by making an equal threat.

3. Bc4 Bc5

Black can dodge the Evans Gambit and the Giuoco Piano by the highly-defensive 3…Be7. Then after 4. d4, Black can maintain his center with 4…d6 5. de5 de5 while preserving his castling privilege after 6. Qd8 Bd8. Black’s aggressive option was 3…Nf6.

4. b4 Bb4 5. c3 Bc5
A better retreat is 5…Ba5 or 5…Be7.
6. d4

With experience, Paul learned to improve the move order with 6. 0-0.

6…ed4 7. cd4 Bb6
Black should play 7…Bb4.
8. 0-0 Na5 9. Bd3 Ne7

Later, Alonzo tried 9…d5 and Paul played one of his earliest brilliancies after scorching the e-and d-files open: 10. ed5 Qd5 11. Ba3 Be6 12. Nc3 Qd7 13. d5 Bd5 14. Nd5 Qd5 15. Bb5 Qb5 16. Re1.

10. Nc3 0-0 11. Ba3 d6

12. e5

The pawns’ job is to make space for the bigger pieces. 12. e5 opens a diagonal for one bishop (e4 is available for a knight also), while an exchange of pawns on d6 leaves an isolated pawn as a target for the other bishop.

12…Bf5

Black could’ve preserved his pawn structure and tested White’s understanding of the Greco sacrifice by 12…de5, and then White can play incorrectly with 13. Bh7 (13. de5 c6 14. Qc2 was more likely) Kh7 14. Ng5 Kg8 15. Qh5 Bf5.

13. ed6 cd6 14. Ne4 d5

Enabling White to ruin Black’s kingside pawns. Better was 14…Bc7.

15. Nf6 gf6

On 15…Kh8, White could regain his pawn cleanly by 16. Be7 Qe7 17. Nd5, or he could persist in ruining Black’s structure with 16. Bf5 gf6 17. Be7 Qe7 18. Qd3.

16. Be7 Qe7 17. Bf5

A middlegame with opposite-colored bishops has arisen, which strongly favors the side that is making threats. The attacking side has, in a sense, an extra piece because his bishop cannot be opposed by the other side’s bishop.

17…Nc4 18. Re1 Qd6 19. Ne5

White plays with the exuberance of youth, though 19. Nh4 plus 20. Qh5 is a sounder way to conduct the attack. 19. Qc2 is also to be considered, but the queen wields more power when she is in front of the bishop, and 19. Qc2 does not help the knight go forward.

19…fe5 20. Qg4

Forcing the king toward the corner, instead of 20. Qh5 Rfe8, when the black king can run out on f8.

20…Kh8 21. Qh5 Kg7 22. Qg4 Kh8 23. Qh5

23…h6

To draw by threefold repetition after 23…Kg7 24. Qg4 Kh8 25. Qh5 would be less sporting.

24. Re5

A well-calculated move in a double-edged position. If 24. de5, White’s king can be hounded: 24…Bf2 25. Kf2 Qb6 26. Kf1 Ne3 27. Ke2 Rg8.

24…Ne5 25. de5 Qc6

The queen has to stay in touch with the h6-pawn, else Qh6 leads to mate. White’s plan, therefore, is to break that connection.

26. e6 Kg7 27. g4

Bringing up another fighting unit while making a flight square for the king, which enables the rook to leave the defense of the back rank.

27…Qc3 28. g5

Quite a concept. Black can go two rooks ahead, but neither black rook is developed while the white bishop attacks unopposed. In the black king’s area, the black forces are outnumbered.

28…Qa1 29. Kg2 Qf6

Faced with the threat of 30. Qh6 Kg8 31. Qh7 mate, Black panics. He can put the black squares to winning use by 29…Kg8 30. Qh6 (or 30. gh6 Kh8) Qg7.

30. gf6 Kf6 31. ef7

More than a capture. White has taken control of e6 and g6, and for a moment e8 plus the checking square g8.

31…Rf7 32. Qg6 Ke7 33. Qe6 Kf8 34. Qh6 Rg7

The rook is pinned by a smaller piece after 34…Kg8 or 34…Ke8.

35. Bg6

More than an interposition. White threatens 36. Qh8 Rg8 37. Qf6 mate.

35…Kg8 36. h4

The race to bring the most new force into the game is often won by the side who pushes his passed pawns.

36…d4 37. h5 d3 38. Qg5 Rd8 39. h6 d2 40. Qf6

The threat of mate is much stronger than the capture 40. hg7.

40…Rgd7 41. Bf5

The black bishop rarely factored into this game, while the white bishop has been worth more than two rooks.

41…d1(Q) 42. h7

An obstruction sacrifice. Black’s king will be blocked from h7 by his own rook.

42…Rh7 43. Be6 Rf7 44. Bf7 Kh7
44…Kf8 45. Be6 Ke8 46. Qf7 mate.
45. Qg6 Kh8 46. Qh6 mate

Seventh match game
Paris 1858
White: Daniel Harrwitz
Black: Paul Morphy
Dutch Defense

1. d4 f5

The Dutch Defense doesn’t help Black’s development, and permanently weakens his kingside, but despite its flaws, it has always had adherents among players who wish to unbalance the position immediately while taking control of e4. It was good enough for Morphy and Botvinnik, who were the best players of their times.

2. c4

A most natural move. A young Capablanca wrote in his account of the 1913 Havana international tournament that the attacking 2. e4 is best.

2…e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7

An improvement over 4…Bb4, which Morphy played In the third match game. White’s initiative from having the first move enables him to harry the b4-bishop, and then Black might retreat with loss of time, or capture on c3 to leave the g5-bishop unopposed. Here Black avoids that problem by developing the bishop to e7 first.

5. e3

Over the years it has been seen that g3 plus Bg2 is very good against the Dutch, when the bishop can assist with a queenside attack from long range, or help White achieve the pawn advance e4 in one step rather than two.

5…0-0 6. Bd3 b6

The queen bishop had no future on the c8-h3 diagonal. From b7, it coordinates against e4.

7. Nge2

Leaving the f-pawn free to fight for center control, while can knight could go on to g3 or f4 to hit some white squares.

7…Bb7 8. Bf6

In the fifth match game, Harrwitz played 8. 0-0, and then Morphy gained some freedom by bringing about an exchange with 8…Nh5 (but not 8…Ne4 9. Be7 Qe7 10. f3, which improves White’s position in the center).

8…Bf6 9. 0-0 Qe7

Baiting White into a mistaken Nb5, since Black plans to develop with …Na6 anyway. The knight’s typical development to d7 is discounted because it could not easily continue to f6, and Black isn’t angling for the center advance …e5 because the f5-pawn is hanging.

10. Qd2 d6 11. f4

This looks like a stretch. 11. f3 c5 12. d5 Na6 13. e4 seems more focused.

11…c5

Black’s center pawn formation influences every square in the center though none of the pawns actually occupies a center square. The c5-d6-e6-f5 formation does not provide much maneuvering space for Black, but if White captures either of the frontmost pawns, then …dc5 or …ef5 replaces the pawn while Black gets to use a newly-opened file.

12. d5

White should not disturb the central balance, for he would benefit structurally and spatially from …cd4 ed4, but gains nothing from dc5 or d5. 12. d5 neither makes a threat nor creates space for White’s pieces, because Black controls d4, the square behind the pawn. Further, White can’t bring more pressure to bear on e6. 12. Rad1 develops while keeping White’s options open.

12…Na6 13. de6

After Black’s recapture, the center pawns are nearly symmetrical, and any activity White might create along the d-file could be equally matched by Black on the e-file. White probably should persist in the center with 13. e4, which could result in greater space after 14. de6 fe4 15. Ne4 Qe6 16. f5.

13…Qe6 14. Rae1

Neither side has much hope for advantage. After White’s more natural alternative 14. Rad1, there could follow 14…Nc7 (14…Rae8 15. Nd5 is also even) 15. Bc2 Rae8 (15…Qc4 loses) 16. Ng3 Qe3 (16…g6 17. Qd6 [Black improves his structure on 17. Rfe1 Bc3 18. Qc3 d5] Qe3 is about the same) 17. Qe3 Re3 18. Nf5 Re6 19. Rd6 (19. Nd6 is a mistake due to 19…Bd4) Bd4 (the zwischenzug pushes the white king one square further from activity in the endgame) 20. Kh1 Bc3 21. Re6 Ne6 22. bc3. White has an extra pawn, but his queenside is in tatters, which should provide Black with sufficient counterplay.

14…Bh4 15. Ng3

White is planning to allow the doubling of his g-pawns in order to play along the h-file, but his king safety will suffer some for that, and a wing attack is not warranted while the center is neither closed nor under White’s control. 15. Rd1 is still OK, when 15…Rae8 can be met by 16. Nd5.

15…Qg6

The position is so close that Black opted to coordinate his pieces rather than perhaps prematurely disturb the quiet with 15…Bg3.

16. Nd5

Preventing the damage to White’s pawn position by 16. Nce2 takes White’s most central piece backward, and obviously does not mesh with White’s intent.

6…Bd5 17. cd5 Bg3 18. hg3 Nc7

19. Kf2

White pursues his plan by clearing the rank for his rook while guarding his g3-pawn, but the scheme lacks spirit. White can uncoil his position by sacrificing the g-pawn: 19. e4 fe4 (19…Qg3 20. e5 also holds promise) 20. Re4 Qg3 21. Re7.

19…Rae8 20. Rh1 Re7

Black has opened e8 for two pieces, and it will almost surely be the knight to use it first. For the same reason knights should be developed before bishops in the opening, knights should be reintroduced before rooks in the midgame: it takes the knight two moves to become useful again on f6, while just one move is needed for the f8-rook to improve itself.

21. Rh4 Qf7

Black had a few reasonable answers to White’s threat of 22. g4, and selected the one that made a threat.

22. Be2

More consistent is 22. Bc2, keeping the bishop trained on f5 and h7. Then 22…c4 23. g4 Qd5 24. Qd5 Nd5, and White has to be careful: 25. Bf5 (25. gf5 is better for its obstruction of the f-file) g6 26. Bb1 (26. Bc2 Nb4 27. Bb1 g5 is also good for Black) Nf4 27. ef4 Rf4 28. Kg3 Re1 and Black wins.

22…Ne8 23. Qd3

White starts to drift, perhaps feeling a bit discouraged. His threats along the h-file could be thwarted by …Nf6 or …h6, and after Black plays …Nf6, the knight in cooperation with the f5-pawn restrain a mass of four white pawns. In fact, Black’s superior pawn mobility enables him to cultivate a kingside initiative ahead of White. White might persevere with 23. Reh1 Nf6 24. Bf3, and Black hasn’t the resources he finds later: 24…g5 (24…Rfe8 or 24…h6 are better in this instance) 25. fg5 Ne4 26. Be4 fe4 27. Rf4.

23…Nf6 24. Bf3 g6 25. Re2

White is protecting his rook, for if he plays 25. e4 too soon, he runs afoul of a pin on the e-file: 25. e4 fe4 26. Be4 Rfe8. However, White has deprived his bishop of its safe squares, which means …g5 will include the threat …g4. There is also a drawback to 25. g4: 25…g5 breaks the kingside open while Black’s pieces are much better coordinated.

25…Rfe8

Black is as patient as ever, though the immediate 25…g5 26. fg5 Ne4 27. Kg1 Ng3 with …Rfe8 and …Qg7 to follow reveals many flaws in White’s position.

26. b3

Whatever White had in mind with this move, it proves more helpful to Black, who makes splendid use of the a1-h8 diagonal.

26…Qg7

Because of the rook on e8, Black’s advance …g5 takes a bit more preparation. 26…Qg7 prevents a bishop skewer on h5, and creates long-term prospects of …Qa1 and …Qb2.

27. Rh1 h6 28. Kg1

The king has stepped beyond the reach of a knight check, but the white rooks are further out of touch with each other.

28…g5 29. fg5

White hated to concede space on the kingside while uniting Black’s pawn front, but other moves lose material: 29. Bh5 Rf8 30. Re1 Ne4 wins at least a pawn. It might be best to sacrifice a bishop for two pawns with 29. Qf5 g4 30. Qd3 gf3 31. gf3, when White has a flock of center pawns and Black’s extra knight has no outpost squares.

29…hg5 30. Bh5

White’s surrender of the center by 29. fg5 gave Black an outstanding answer to 30. Qf5 in 30…Re5. White’s position is breaking down.

30…Ne4

Black’s rook is indirectly protected by a mate threat: 31. Be8 Qa1 32. Kh2 Rh7.

31. Re1 Rf8 32. Bf3 Ng3 33. Rh3 Qe5

A strong centralizing move. Black’s major pieces coordinate against e3, and the queen’s protection of g3 makes a true threat of …g4.

34. Rh6

This is White’s last forward motion. The rest of the game is played on White’s side of the board.

34…g4 35. Bd1 Kg7 36. Rh4 Rh8 37. Rh8 Kh8 38. Bc2 Rh7

Black is poised to win an endgame by 39…Rh1 40. Kf2 Ne4 41. Ke2 Re1 42. Ke1 Qg3 43. Ke2 Qg2 44. Ke1 Qg3 (44…Qg1 immediately enables the counterattack 45. Qf1) 45. Ke2 Qf2 46. Kd1 Qg1 47. Ke2 Qh2 48. Ke1 g3.

39. Qd2 Qb2

Black threatens 40… Rh1 41. Kf2 Ne4 or he might just nab the a-pawn.

40. Rd1 Rh1 41. Kf2

41…Rf1

With one mistake, Black turns a win into a draw. Black puts White in zugzwang by 41…Rd1 42. Qd1 Ne4 43. Ke1 (in his book, M. Shibut gives 43. Kg1 Nc3 44. Qd3 g3 45. Qf5 Qc1 46. Qf1 Ne2) Nc3 44. Qd2 g3 45. Bd1 Qa1. Now White’s pieces are hopelessly tied down, so before Black improves the position of his king, White can try 46. e4 (idea 47. Qh6), but Black simplifies to a winning pawn ending by 46…Qd1 47. Qd1 Nd1 48. Kd1 Kg7 49. Ke2 Kf6 50. Ke3 b5.

42. Kg3

42. Rf1 would hand the game back to Black because of 42…Ne4.

42…Qe5 43. Kh4

Shibut believes that Morphy blundered with 41…Rf1 because he thought he would checkmate with 43… Kg7 44. Rf1 Qh2 45. Kg5 Qh6, but overlooked 46. Kf5. Now Black is a piece down for nothing, so he had to settle for a perpetual check.

43…Qf6 44. Kg3 Qe5 Drawn

Middlegame rule no. 4: In cramped positions, free yourself by exchanging

Transportation planners sometimes get it all wrong when they scheme to lessen traffic congestion by building more and bigger roads. The best way to relieve crowded roads is to reduce the number of cars. The chessboard is a small town, and when one’s pieces block his other pieces, the best way to unclog the traffic is to get the pieces off the board by exchanging them.

When Capablanca, the supremely gifted third chess champion of the world, talked about increasing the size of the board to 8 x 10, and adding an additional piece to the board, it was because he was better than everyone else at managing the flow of his pieces, and he wanted to make chess more difficult for himself.

Capablanca’s predecessor as world champion, Lasker, invented a good defense to the Queen’s Gambit in which Black eases his cramped position by exchanging two sets of minor pieces.

1. d4 d5 2. c4

Aiming for center control by taking or deflecting Black’s pawn.

2…e6
Playing to maintain a pawn in the center.
3. Nc3 Nf6

First the players develop with direct pressure on d5.

4. Bg5 Be7

Then they develop with indirect influence on d5, White by pinning the f6-knight and Black by unpinning.

5. e3 0-0 6. Nf3 h6

Not an idle threat. If White forms a Qc2/Bd3 battery, it will not threaten a pawn on h7.

7. Bh4

Black, whose pieces are bunched up behind the e6-d5 pawn wall, can effect two swaps.

7…Ne4 8. Be7 Qe7 9. Qc2

White has several good moves: 9. cd5, 9. Rc1, and 9. Bd3.

9…Nc3 10. Qc3

Black’s position is at greater ease than before.

In Morphy’s games, an ounce of prevention was worth a pound of exchanges. He gave himself open positions with both colors by being willing to give up a pawn or two to get them out of the way. Modern players scoffed at Morphy’s uncomplicated Exchange French—1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. ed5—until today’s champion Kasparov used it.

Paris 1859
White: H. Laroche
Black: Paul Morphy
Bird’s Opening

1. f4

Henry Bird’s move controls e5 in the center, and in many games is the prelude to a kingside attack, but it does not aid White’s development.

1…e6 2. e4
Now it’s a French Defense.
2…d5 3. e5 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c4

White keeps a greater share of the center with 5. d4, though Black’s force is well coordinated after 5…Qb6.

5…d4 6. d3 Nh6

More flexible than 6…Nge7. Black has two squares—f5 and g4—for the improvement of the knight, and the f8-bishop remains free.

7. Be2 Be7 8. Nbd2 0-0 9. Ne4 f5 10. Neg5

The exchange 10. ef6 would increase the mobility of several black pieces. Instead, Black has to make the effort to untangle his pieces through trades.

10…Nf7 11. Nf7 Rf7 12. 0-0 b6 13. Bd2 Bb7 14. h3 h6

With the center closed, both players look to the kingside for maneuvering room.

15. Nh2 g5

16. Bf3

White is also feeling cramped. 16. Bf3 makes some space for the queen, and pins the c6-knight. Also, it was the b7-bishop’s influence that dissuaded White from playing 16. g4 to take equal space on the kingside—the white king could not feel secure on h1.

16…Rg7 17. a3

17. g4 is still a bit inappropriate, for Black can develop with threats: 17…gf4 18. Bf4 Bg5 19. Qd2 Bf4 20. Qf4 Qh4.

17…Qc7 18. Qe2 gf4 19. Bf4 Bg5

Developing with a threat, so White is compelled to swap on g5, which brings Black’s pieces forward. In an even trade of material—pawn for pawn, bishop for bishop, and so on—the side whose pieces go forward gets the better of the deal.

20. Bg5 Rg5 21. Rae1 Kh7 22. Kh1 Rag8 23. Rf2 Ne7

Continuing with the general migration of the pieces to the kingside, where Black has a space advantage and where the white king resides.

24. Bb7

With this exchange, Black’s queen gains mobility and coordination. White could’ve played 24. b4 and if 24…Bf3 25. Nf3, the white knight is improved with a threatening move.

24…Qb7 25. Qf3 Qc7

The white pieces are stuffed in the corner, so Black declines the exchange 25…Qf3 26. Nf3, which eases White’s cramp.

26. g4

White has gained space on the kingside, especially in view of Black’s possibility of …f4 plus …Nf5. However, the h1-a8 diagonal is wide open, and the white king is fenced in by the black rook battery on the g-file.

26…Ng6 27. Qe2 Nh4 28. Nf3 Qb7

29. Kh2

Black’s pieces have mobilized and coordinated as well as they could, and now Black cashes in his superior development for an extra pawn in a simplified position while maintaining his advantage in piece activity.

29…Nf3 30. Qf3

If 30. Rf3, White’s king stays exposed while the black queen is still on the board.

30…Qf3 31. Rf3 fg4 32. Rf6

A better move than 32. hg4. In an endgame with rooks, a rook must be active at almost any cost.

32…Rh5

The primary function of a rook in a rook ending is to capture things. If the rook cannot capture something, it should threaten to capture something.

33. Re6 Rh3 34. Kg2 Rd3 35. Rf1

White would’ve preferred to keep his rook behind his passed pawn, but Black has …Re3 to get his own rook behind it. White rejected the active 35. Re7, because Black counters by 35…Rg7, and the white rook has to move again. Surely not 36. Rg7, because it reduces White’s potential counterplay, and brings the black king closer to the e-pawn.

35…g3

Passed pawns must be pushed.

36. Rff6 Rd2 37. Kg1 Rh2 38. Rf7 Rg7 39. Rg7 Kg7 40. Rf6

White judged the straightforward 40. Re7 Kf8 41. Ra7 Re2 42. Rb7 h5 43. Rb6 Re5 as being too much to bear, so he cut the black king off from approaching the e-pawn. The first job for a rook in a rook endgame is to attack. The second job for a rook in a rook endgame is to cut off.

40…Re2

Rooks belong behind passed pawns, and now the e-pawn is a goner.

41. Rf3 Re3 42. Rf1

42. Re3 de3 brings about the curious pawn position in which isolated pawns indirectly protect each other. If 43. Kg2, then 43…e2.

42…d3 43. Kg2 d2
Threatening 44…Re1.
44. Rd1

The rook in front of the passed pawn shouldn’t budge. Rooks belong behind passed pawns.

44…Rd3 45. Kf1 Kf7 46. Ke2 Rd4 47. Kf3

If 47. Rd2, Black reduces to a pure pawn ending, the easiest type of ending to win: 47…Rd2 48. Kd2 g2.

47…Ke6 48. Kg3 Ke5 49. Kf3 Rd3 50. Resigns

Black will continue bringing more force into the game with 50…Kd4 51. b3 Kc3.

Middlegame rule no. 5: Don’t expose your king while the enemy queen is still on the board

Grandmaster Fine said in broad terms that a chess position could be evaluated in terms of force, mobility, and safety. If mobility and safety were equal, then the player with an advantage in force had a winning position. If force and safety were equal, the player with greater mobility had an advantage. However, if safety is not equal, the relative importance of force and mobility go out the window. If one’s king is not safe, it rarely matters how much extra force and mobility one has—one might be in a lot of trouble.

In the opening we aim to castle quickly, and it’s worth a pawn to prevent the enemy from doing so. In the middlegame, we avoid making unnecessary pawn moves in front of our king—every pawn move creates some kind of weakness—and we will make any material investment to open files or diagonals leading to the other king.

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
New Orleans 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Amateur
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb4 5. c3 Ba5

One reason 5…Ba5 is preferable to 5…Bc5 is immediately apparent: 6. d4 does not threaten the bishop.

6. d4 ed4 7. 0-0 dc3

Black lost sight of the second reason to prefer …Ba5. Black can fight for center control and develop a piece with 7…Nge7 8. cd4 d5, while White is unable to develop naturally with Nc3 or Re1. After 7…dc3, White is enabled to recapture on c3 with a developing move.

8. Ba3

A more powerful move order is 8. Qb3, and since the c1-bishop is at home, Black is prevented from 8…Nh6. Then after 8…Qf6 9. e5 Qg6 10. Ba3 Nge7 11. Rad1, the a3-bishop is improved by its coordination with the e5-pawn.

8…d6 9. Qb3 Nh6 10. Nc3 Bc3

Black makes this trade before the knight skips away to leave the bishop staring into space, but the bishop has moved four times now, and White’s recapture sets up a powerful queen-and-bishop battery.

11. Qc3 0-0 12. Rad1

The d6-pawn is pinned in two different directions, and White is poised for 13. e5 rip the position open.

12…Ng4 13. h3

A curious instance in which White forces Black to make the move he wanted to make anyway. It is also unusual that the side behind in material wants to trade—here White wants to swap his f3-knight in order to make way for his f-pawn and rook to join the game.

13…Nge5 14. Ne5 Ne5 15. Be2

White must preserve his attacking bishop—he intends to return it to c4 after chasing the knight with f4—but 15. Bb3 meets 15…Be6.

15…f5

A very bad move, exposing the king while lagging in development. Also, White cannot be stopped from opening the e-file, so grandmaster Reti recommended 15…f6 plus …Ng6 to make it more difficult for White to push e5.

16. f4 Nc6 17. Bc4 Kh8 18. Bb2

A further drawback to 15…f5 is that the a1-h8 diagonal can no longer be blocked with …f6.

18…Qe7 19. Rde1

Better than 19. Rfe1 because after 20. ef5, a rook on d1 bites rock on d6, but the unmoved rook on f1 can wait for the pawns on f4 and f5 to get out of the way.

19…Rf6 20. ef5 Qf8 21. Re8

One of Morphy’s most celebrated moves, designed to deflect the black queen from her guard of f6 so White can crash across the diagonal.

21…Qe8 22. Qf6 Qe7

The other possibility was 22…Ne5, and White can continue with his sacrificial idea by 23. fe5 gf6 24. ef6 Qe5 25. f7 Bd7 26. Be5 fe5 27. Re1, and the surprises for Black keep coming in event of 27…Bf5 28. Rf1.

23. Qg7 Qg7 24. f6

24…Qg2

Reti’s recommended defense 24…Qf8 leads to a beautiful finish, and is understandably presented as the real game when sharing with others: 25. f7 Ne5 26. fe5 h5 27. e6 Kh7 28. Bd3 Kh6 29. Rf6 Kg5 30. Rg6 Kf4 and White weaves the mating net by bringing up the last available piece: 31. Kf2 h4 32. Rg4 mate.

25. Kg2 Bh3 26. Kh3 h5 27. Rg1 Resigns

Consultation game
London 1858
White: Howard Staunton and
Rev. John Owen
Black: Paul Morphy and Thomas
Barnes
Philidor Countergambit

1. e4

Morphy sailed across the Atlantic in 1858 to test himself against the best players in Europe, especially Staunton, who had agreed to play a match with Morphy. Staunton, however, then cited his job, his health, and the match stakes as reasons to postpone the match until the frustrated American went home. Morphy managed to face Staunton in two consultation games and won both.

1…e5 2. Nf3 d6

If Black counterattacks immediately with 2…f5, White is enabled to centralize a knight while taking a black pawn out of the center with 3. Ne5.

3. d4 f5 4. de5 fe4 5. Ng5 d5

Black has a majority of pawns in the center, but he trails in development, so it is not a gambit of material, but of time.

6. e6 Nh6

A more solid answer than 6…Bc5 7. Nf7 Qf6, with which Morphy won one of his best games against his consultation partner Barnes later in his visit to London.

7. Nc3 c6 8. Nge4

This sacrificial idea has no chance against 6…Bc5—1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. de5 fe4 5. Ng5 d5 6. e6 Bc5 7. Nc3 Qf6 8. Nge4 de4 9. Ne4 Qe6 10. Qh5 g6 11. Qc5 Qe4, and Black is winning.

8…de4 9. Qh5 g6 10. Qe5 Rg8 11. Bh6

The side behind in material should avoid exchanges, especially in a position where his opponent recaptures with a developing move. 11. Bg5 makes the biggest threat, and if Black replies with his biggest threat, 11…Qd6, he loses to 12. Qd6 Bd6 13. Ne4, when White has several strong moves in store.

11…Bh6 12. Rd1 Qg5
Made possible by 11…Bh6.
13. Qc7

White’s threats of 14. Qf7 mate and 14. Qc8 compel Black to sacrifice the a8-rook. Most of the time, Black sacrifices the other rook in this opening.

13…Be6 14. Qb7

14…e3

The best defense is a counterattack. Black threatens 15…ef2 16. Kf2 Qe3 mate, while 15. fe3 Qe3 16. Be2 leaves White’s king stuck in the center.

15. f3 Qe7

Now when White takes the rook on a8, his queen cannot get out of the corner on a7 or b7.

16. Qa8 Kf7

A necessary but useful move. Black has broken the pin on his knight and also defended it, while his king heads for the relative safety of the h8-corner.

17. Ne4

White’s scheme is to free his queen by 18. Nd6 plus 19. Qb7. Staunton said that he and Owen should’ve planned to develop the king bishop to c4 with a pin by playing 18. Rd4.

17…Bf4 18. Be2

18…Kg7

The king was still exposed to a combination, so 18…Qc7 would have been premature: 19. g3 Nd7 20. Rd7 Qd7 (20…Bd7 21. Bc4) 21. Qg8 Kg8 22. Nf6 Kg7 23. Nd7. After 18…Kg7, the e6-bishop guards g8, and the king can stay off the fork.

19. 0-0 Qc7

A move with two purposes. The black queen and bishop have coordinated to attack h2, and c6 is guarded, so Black threatens to trap the queen by the discovered attacks 20…Nd7 or 20…Na6. However, c5 is available now to the white knight, so White can play Nc5 to hit the e6-bishop and cover the queen’s escape on b7.

20. Nc5 Bh2 21. Kh1 Bc8

A very tense position. Black has exposed the white king, and kept the white queen stuffed in the corner, but his bishop has been driven backward, and his discovered attacks spoiled.

22. Rd4

White would like to continue with 23. Ra4, threatening at least to free his queen from the corner.

22…Bg3

The best defense is a counterattack. Black menaces 23…Qe5 with a double threat.

23. Re4 Kh8

Making way for …Qg7, and suddenly the black king is more secure than the white king.

24. Rd1 Qg7

25. Rh4

White might’ve been hoping to run for safety on the white squares with 25. Kg1 Qh6 26. Bc4 Qh2 27. Kf1 Qh1 28. Ke2, but Black can obstruct the path with 26…e2 27. Be2 Qh2 28. Kf1 Qh1 mate.

25…Bh4 26. Qb8

The white queen is finally sprung, but Black has gained a rook in material while cultivating a strong attack.

26…Ba6 27. Qh2 Be2 28. Rd7 Qh6 29. Ne4 Bc4

Centralizing the action of the bishop while freeing the passed pawn to advance.

30. Nf6 e2 31. Re7 Qc1 32. Qg1 Qg1 33. Kg1 e1(Q) 34. Re1 Be1 35. Resigns

Middlegame rule no. 6: All combinations are based on a double attack

The only thing that never changes about a game of chess is that the players alternate moves. White moves, Black moves, White moves. The secret to winning chess games, said Purdy, is to cause your opponent to want to make two moves in a row. In other words, if White attacks two things with one move—a double threat—Black will want to make two moves in a row to meet both threats, but the rules don’t let him, and White is enabled to carry out one threat with his next move.

Chernev and Reinfeld, two of the most prolific American chess authors of the 1940s and ’50s, used to say that combinations were the successful chessplayer’s means of imposing his will on his opponent—that is, he would like to carry out a threat he makes, but the only way to ensure that is to make a combination, which leaves his opponent unable (usually!) to defend against one threat or another.

The chief factor in chess skill is pattern recognition. Good players store thousands of tactical and positional motifs in their heads and can put them in play over the board. One might say that masters don’t think so much, that they’ve done all their thinking already during their study of tactics. They don’t have to reinvent the wheel—they see the position before them, and find a position in their heads which closely matches it. Then they ask, “what kind of move worked before, and does the same kind of move work here?”

The winning moves on the chessboard are the double threats, the patterns of which can be learned from books of tactical problems. Do not dwell on a diagram—after a minute of study, go to the back of the book for the answer. Put the newly-acquired pattern in mind, and move to the next problem. The practice is like using flashcards to improve one’s vocabulary when learning a foreign language.

New York 1857
White: Napoleon Marache
Black: Paul Morphy
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6

The defensive development is the most popular move among masters, who have learned how to defend accurately until they recognize the moment to counterattack. Students do well to counterattack right away by 2…Nf6 or 2…d5.

3. Bc4 Bc5

Morphy again opted against a counterattack. 3…Nf6 invites complications following 4. Ng5.

4. b4 Bb4 5. c3 Ba5
Along with 5…Be7, the best retreat.
6. d4 ed4 7. e5

A mistake in a very well-known position, giving up center control. 7. 0-0 was much better.

7…d5

Now White must lose a move with his bishop or give Black a move with his queen.

8. ed6 Qd6 9. 0-0
Better is 9. Ba3, developing with a threat.
9…Nge7

A careful move, blocking the a3-f8 diagonal so that Black can castle in case of Ba3, and preventing a rook check on e1.

10. Ng5

Another miscue, moving the knight a second time to make an ineffective threat, one that can be met with a developing move. 10. Ba3 was still in order.

10…0-0 11. Bd3

White is playing poorly. Black increases his lead in mobility by developing with an attack, even though it entails the sacrifice of rook for bishop.

11…Bf5 12. Bf5 Nf5 13. Ba3 Qg6 14. Bf8 Qg5

Forcing White to use another measure of time to retreat his bishop.

15. Ba3

15…dc3

A powerful capture. White’s knight is restrained from entering the game on d2, and Black has prepared to develop his last piece with a threat.

16. Bc1 Qg6 17. Bf4 Rd8 18. Qc2 Ncd4

Threatening to capture the queen or perhaps 19…Ne2, forking.

19. Qe4

Each queen move is accounted for in Black’s favor: the counter-attacking 19. Qa4 runs into 19…c2 20. Qa5 Ne2 21. Kh1 Nf4. Other replies are met more simply: for instance, 19. Qd1 c2, 19. Qc1 Ne2, or 19. Qd3 Ng3, and Black wins in each case.

19…Ng3

All combinations are based on a double attack. Black has discovered an attack to the queen and further threatens 20…Nde2 mate.

20. Resigns

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
Philadelphia 1859
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Benjamin Tilghman
King’s Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4

Black can take the greater share of the center with 2…d5, and after 3. ed5 e4, White’s king knight is stifled by the e4-pawn, and his queen bishop hampered by the f4-pawn. Black can countergambit differently with 2…Nc6 3. Nf3 f5.

3. Nf3

The moves that allow Black to play 3…Qh4—3. Bc4, 3. Nc3, 3. d4—are riskier but often lead to most exciting positions.

3…g5

Black’s idea is to shore up the f4-pawn to restrain White’s queenside. Black’s future lies in his advantages in pawns and space on the kingside.

4. Bc4 d6

A slip, enabling White to break up the f4-g5 wall. 4…Bg7 is best.

5. h4 g4
If 5…f6, 6. Ng5 ruins Black quickly.
6. Ng5 Nh6 7. d4 f6

It’s already a very difficult position for Black, who has fallen behind in center control and development, and is about to lose his material lead. If 7…Qf6, White simply plays 8. 0-0.

8. Bf4 Nc6

Black is in trouble on the dark squares after 8…fg5 9. Bg5 Qd7 10. 0-0, when 11. Qd2 looms.

9. 0-0 Qe7 10. Nc3 Qg7

Finally …fg5 is a genuine threat, but Black has fallen too far behind in development.

11. Ne6 Be6 12. Be6

12…Ke7

Black gave up on castling, with 13. Nd5 coming after 12…Be7 or 12…Nf7.

13. Nd5 Ke6

White had something in store for Black’s alternate king moves—13…Ke8 14. Bh6 Qh6 15. Nc7, or 13…Kd8 14. Nf6.

14. Bh6 Qh6 15. Qg4

Middlegame rule no. 7: When your opponent has one or more pieces exposed, look for a combination

The first question to ask yourself at every turn is, “What is my opponent threatening?”. The second question to ask is “What am I threatening?”. After the threats for both sides are uncovered, then they must be weighed against each other. If the opponent’s threat is more dangerous, we meet it. If our threat is greater, we make it. In either case, we strive to bring up the most new force.

Good players always think in terms of threats, and putting unused force to work. They keep their eyes open for something to threaten.

When our opponents leave a piece unguarded (it’s also vulnerable if it’s already attacked as many times as it is guarded), it is exposed to a threatening move, and the best idea is to threaten it plus something else.

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
Paris 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Henri Baucher
Philidor Defense

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 ed4

Black’s second move bolstered his e5-pawn, so now he can hit back in the center with 3…Nf6 or 3…f5. It’s a thought to combine 3…ed4 with …g6 plus …Bg7 to pressure the long diagonal, but White’s fourth move dismisses that idea.

4. Qd4

White’s early queen move depends on giving up bishop for knight to preserve White’s lead in development. Later, White has to move the queen again to centralize the smaller pieces.

4…Nc6 5. Bb5 Bd7 6. Bc6 Bc6 7. Bg5 f6

Better is 7…Nf6, developing and leaving a diagonal open for the king bishop, while White would be reluctant to play 8. Bf6 to give Black two bishops on an open board. Black can also develop with a threat by 7…Be7, and then 8. Be7 Qe7 9. Qg7 Qf6 10. Qf6 Nf6 will be equal, but 8. Qg7 Bf6 9. Qh8 Bh8 10. Bd8 Bb2 11. Bc7 Kd7 is better for White.

8. Bh4 Nh6 9. Nc3 Be7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Qc4

Another effect of 7…f6 is that White can rearrange his queen without loss of time.

11…Kh8

12. Nd4
Centralizing with a threat.
12…Qd7

Black could keep an eye on e6 with 12…Bd7 and also help prepare …f5 to free his pieces.

13. Rad1 Rf7

A very odd move. Black has blocked f7 from the knight, which was its most likely way to get off the side of the board. Black has also tied the knight to the defense of the rook, so the knight cannot move at all. The rook lost mobility by moving to f7. Black could’ve given up a pawn in one reasonable way (13…f5 14. Be7 Qe7 15. Nc6 bc6 16. Qc6) and one lesser way (13…Nf7 14. Ne6 Rfe8 15. Nc7 Qc7 16. Qf7).

14. f4 a5

Maybe 13…Rf7 was meant to prepare 14…f5 15. Be7 Re7, where Black doesn’t have to sacrifice a pawn.

15. f5

White has made his e4-pawn backward on a half-open file, but the outpost he created for himself on e6 is further advanced than e5 is for Black. The white pawn on f5 restricts Black’s mobility in that area, and the freeing move …f5 is now out of the question.

15…Rff8 16. Ne6 Rg8 17. a4

Perhaps White was spoiling a potential skewer by …Bb5 in case he plays Nd5, or maybe he thought to prevent Black from gaining more queenside space by …b5.

17…Ng4 18. Qe2 Ne5 19. Bg3

White’s rooks cannot move up to d3 or f3 on the way to the kingside until the e5-knight is destroyed.

19…Qc8

Similarly, Black plans to dislodge the bone in his throat at e6.

20. Be5 de5

In general, Black would’ve preferred to capture toward the center with 20…fe5, but here he looked forward to improving his bishop on c5.

21. Rf3 Bd7

On d7, the bishop is attacked once and only defended once, so it is as vulnerable to a combination as an unguarded piece.

22. Rh3

Threatening mate in two starting with 23. Rh7.

22…h6

White also builds a winning attack after 22…Re8 23. Qh5 h6 24. Ng7.

23. Qd2
Threatening 24. Qh6 gh6 25. Rh6 mate.
23…Kh7 24. Qd7 Bd6 25. Rh6 Kh6 26. Rd3

The f5-pawn and knight coordinate perfectly to trap the black king.

26…Kh5 27. Qf7 Resigns

Black could see 27…Kg4 28. Qg6 Kh4 29. Rh3 mate coming.

Middlegame rule no. 8: To attack the enemy king, open a file (or less often a diagonal) to gain access for the heavy pieces

In a superior position—where one has better development, better center conrol, better king safety—one must attack, but a king nestled safely behind a wall of pawns and pieces cannot be easily bothered, so the attacking side must make a breach in that wall, sometimes at any material cost. Middlegame principles 5 and 8 go hand in hand—a king is most vulnerable when exposed.

London 1858
White: Henry Bird
Black: Paul Morphy
Philidor Countergambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5

Morphy was so fond of fighting for control of the center with his f-pawn. Against Luquesne in Paris 1858, and Dr. Lewis in Philadelphia 1859, he played 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nh3 to preserve his f-pawn’s mobility.

4. Nc3
Just as good as 4. de5 or 4. ef5.
4…fe4 5. Ne4 d5 6. Ng3 e4

The drawback to Black’s opening is that he makes so many pawn moves. White should strive to balance the center while keeping his development lead.

7. Ne5 Nf6 8. Bg5

Better to finish the kingside development with 8. Be2, 9. 0-0, and then 10. f3 to neutralize the center.

8…Bd6

9. Nh5

White threatens 10. Nf6 gf6 11. Qh5 with mate next, but 9. Nh5 does not bring up any new force.

9…0-0

Now 10. Nf6 leads to 10…gf6 11. Bh4 Qe8 12. Ng4 Qh5 with a double threat, and if 10. Bf6, then 10…gf6 11. Ng4 f5 gives Black a strong central pawn mass.

10. Qd2 Qe8

Breaking the pin and making a double threat against e5 and h5.

11. g4

Sergeant suggests 11. Nf6 gf6 12. Bf6 Rf6 13. Qg5 Rg6 14. Ng6 Qg6 15. Qd5, though Black has a lead in development plus greater board room (the e4-pawn confers more space to Black than the d4-pawn does to White) while two minor pieces will outperform a rook in the midgame.

11…Ng4

Black loses material and time on 11…Bg4 12. Nf6 gf6 13. Ng4 fg5 14. Qg5.

12. Ng4

Here Sergeant’s recommendation of 12. Ng7 is good. The knight is a goner, so it should make a “desperado” capture that disturbs Black’s king position while keeping the material balance.

12…Qh5 13. Ne5 Nc6

Developing with a threat, which White meets by developing with a greater threat.

14. Be2 Qh3
The most mobile square for the queen.
15. Nc6 bc6 16. Be3

Now White can castle without dropping the f2-pawn.

16…Rb8

Developing with a threat. The test of an opening, said Purdy, is whether it gives the rooks good play. Black’s rooks are excellent, and he has won control of the center.

17. 0-0-0

17…Rf2

The point to Black’s surprising rook sacrifice might’ve escaped White, but the rook cannot be ignored, because Black threatens another pawn with 18…Rh2 or to simplify the game by 18…Qe3 19. Qe3 Bf4.

18. Bf2 Qa3

A brilliant move. White won’t fall for 19. ba3 Ba3 mate, but Black has a double attack against a2 and b2, so the lines to the white king will be opened.

19. c3

The e4-pawn shows its worth in the alternative 19. Qe3 Qb2 20. Kd2 Bb4.

19…Qa2
The menace is 20…Qa1 21. Kc2 Qb2 mate.
20. b4
Not 20. Qc2, for 20…Bf4 wins.
20…Qa1 21. Kc2

21…Qa4

Black sacrificed a rook to get this far. The white king is exposed, and hemmed into a corner by a wall of his own pieces. The key will be for Black to bring more force into the attack.

22. Kb2

White must also be looking for ways to get his pieces into the game, but before considering mobility, White must consider king safety. A commonsense idea is to keep one’s king off the lines occupied by the enemy’s heavy pieces. In this position, 22. Kc1 Bb4 23. cb4 Rb4 would save a move for White because …Rb4 isn’t check, so White can improve his king’s and queen’s mobility with the threatening 24. Qg5. Then Black might have to settle for a draw by perpetual check following 24…Rb1 because White flees into a winning position after 24…Qa3 25. Kd2 Rb2 26. Ke1 Qb4 27. Kf1 Bh3 28. Kg1 Re2 29. Qd8 Kf7 30. Qc7.

22…Bb4

Another sacrifice designed to open the files for the heavy pieces.

23. cb4 Rb4 24. Qb4
White will be checkmated on other moves.
24…Qb4 25. Kc2

Another mistake of the earlier type, enabling Black to play aggressively with his biggest unused piece, the c8-bishop. 25. Ka2 holds Black at bay.

25…e3 26. Be3 Bf5 27. Rd3

Black’s passed pawn enters the game powerfully on 27. Bd3 Qc4 28. Kb2 Bd3 29. Rd2 a5.

27…Qc4 28. Kd2 Qa2 29. Kd1
Black also gains a rook after 29. Kc3 Qe2.
29…Qb1 30. Resigns

New Orleans 1850
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Ernest Morphy
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb4 5. c3 Ba5

Uncle Ernest makes the right retreat for the wrong reason.

6. d4 ed4 7. 0-0 Bc3

Enabling White to trade an unmoved knight for a bishop that moved four times, entailing a great loss of time for Black.

8. Nc3 dc3 9. Ba3 d6 10. Qb3
Developing with a double threat.
10…Nh6 11. Qc3

11…Qf6

The same position arose in Morphy-Amateur, New Orleans 1858, and Morphy got all his pieces working after 11…0-0 12. Rad1 Ng4 13. h3 Nge5 14. Ne5 Ne5 15. Be2 f5 16. f4 Nc6 17. Bb2 Qe7 18. Rde1. After Uncle Ernest’s 11…Qf6, Black’s king cannot find good shelter.

12. e5

Opening the a3-f8 diagonal will prevent Black from castling kingside, and if the e-file opens, his king could be in danger.

12…de5 13. Rfe1 Bd7 14. Rab1

Preferring to develop with a threat to making a routine recapture.

14…0-0-0 15. Ba6

A startling coordination of the pieces. The threat is 16. Bb7, winning the game right off.

15…Na5

If Black opens the b-file with 15…ba6, White wins with 16. Qb3 Be6 (16…Rde8 17. Qb7 Kd8 18. Qa8 Bc8 19. Red1 Nd4 20. Rb8) 17. Qb7 Kd7 18. Rbd1 Nd4 19. Ne5 Ke8 20. Rd4 Rd4 21. Qc6 Kd8 22. Qa8 Bc8 23. Nc6 Kd7 24. Nb8 Kd8 25. Be7 Qe7 26. Nc6, according to Sergeant.

16. Rec1

Making the biggest possible threat. If 16. Qa5, then 16…Qa6 counterattacks, and White’s initiative will be slowed by the trade of queens or a retreat.

16…Bc6

The black queen’s communication with the queenside is broken, and White crashes in. Similarly, 16…c6 17. Qa5 ba6 18. Qa6 Kc7 19. Qb7 mate.

17. Qa5 ba6

Otherwise Black has a lost game materially, but the b-file is open for White’s heavy pieces.

18. Qa6 Kd7 19. Rc6

All combinations are based on a double attack: 19…Qc6 20. Ne5.

19…Qf5 20. Rc7 Ke8
20…Kc7 21. Qb7 mate.
21. Qc6 Qd7 22. Rb8
A clever pin, threatening 23. Qd7 mate.
22…Qc6 23. Re7 Kf8 24. Rd8 Qe8 25. Ree8 mate

New Orleans 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Thomas Worrall
Falkbeer Countergambit
Remove White’s queen knight

1. e4 e5 2. f4

Many of Morphy’s brightest games arose from a King’s Gambit at queen knight odds. The absence of the b1-knight enables the white queen rook to join the game one move sooner.

2…d5

Rather than gain a pawn but concede center control by 2…ef4, Black occupies the center. The game takes on a much different character.

3. ed5 Qd5

The most difficult move for White is 3…e4, which restricts the white king knight, and leaves the f4-pawn in place to hamper the c1-bishop. 3…e4 is even better at knight odds, because White cannot play Nc3 to hit the pawn.

4. Nf3 e4 5. Ne5

Surely Black would’ve preferred this position with the knight on g1. Now White has 6. Bc4 in store to skewer queen and f7-pawn.

5…Be6 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. Qe2

A piece behind, White wants to avoid exchanges, but he can less afford to lose time by ducking them. 7. Qe2 develops a new piece, and if 7…Bc4, then 8. Qc4 goes forward with the recapture and hits f7.

7…Nf6 8. d4 Bc4

Black’s center pawn disappears along with his chance to swap bishops after 8…ed3 9. Bd3.

9. Nc4
Not 9. Qc4 because 9…Qb4 trades the queens.
9…Qe6 10. 0-0 Nc6 11. c3 Bd6

If Black recognized the importance of White’s 12. f5, gaining space and mobility for queen bishop and king rook, he probably would’ve prevented it. 11…Qf5 does so directly, while 11…Qg4 makes a threat and takes the immediate sting out of f5.

12. f5 Qe7 13. Bg5

13…0-0-0

An inadvisable move. In games where the players castle on opposite wings, both sides can fling pawns into the other’s castled position and not expose their own king. Purdy wrote that in games of opposite castling, sacrifice anything but time. In this position, White’s initial odds of a piece have become of little consequence because his queenside pawns have a head start in the race to the other side.

14. b4 Nb8 15. a4 c6 16. b5 Qc7 17. h3 Rde8 18. Bf6

Black released his knight from the pin, so White captured it before it moved away to leave the bishop staring at nothing.

18…gf6 19. Rfb1 b6

Otherwise a continuation like 20. b6 ab6 21. Nb6 Kd8 22. c4 finds the black king wandering.

20. a5 cb5 21. ab6 Bh2

White will make a new queen after 21…Qc4 22. Qc4 bc4 23. ba7.

22. Kh1 ab6 23. Rb5 Nc6 24. Rab1

Coordinating the rooks. 24. Nb6 Kd8 25. Ra8 Nb8 is not as convincing.

24…Bf4 25. Nb6 Kd8 26. Nd5 Qd6 27. Qa2 Resigns

Black might have tried 27…Ne7 28. Qa8 Nc8 to defend the back rank, but 29. Rb8 Kd7 (29…Qd7 30. Nb6) 30. R1b7 Kc6 31. Nb4 wins for White.

Middlegame rule no. 9: Centralize the action of your pieces

The opening is a battle for center control, the middlegame a struggle to coordinate the pieces, and the endgame a race to promote a pawn, while the importance of the center never diminishes. Especially in even middlegame positions, when threats are present for neither side, and no particular feature in the position suggests a plan, then centralizing the action of one’s pieces ensures their maximum mobility.

The principle of force says that given equal mobility and safety, an advantage in force confers a winning position. The principle of mobility says that in positions of equal force and safety, an advantage in mobility gives an advantage. A player who centralizes his pieces runs a lesser risk of drifting into a cramped position because his pieces have their greatest mobility. He also stands a better chance of gaining an advantage in mobility, which can then be converted into attacking moves.

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
Paris 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Guibert
Center Counter Defense

1. e4 d5

At first glance, the Center Counter looks sharp because Black opens with a center pawn and even gets to make the first threat. However, White’s capture compels Black to make an early queen move or two knight moves (…Nf6xd5) to recapture, and during that time, White just puts a strong pawn on d4.

2. ed5 Qd5 3. Nc3 Qd8

A less backward move is 3…Qa5, but 3…Qd8 fits into a scheme where Black pressures d4.

4. d4 e6

A weak move, shutting in the bishop. 4…g6 plus …Bg7 and …Nh6-f5 aims at d4, while leaving the diagonal open for the queen bishop. The same position could have arisen from the French Defense by 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. ed5 Qd5 4. Nc3 Qd8, when Black’s misplay is more evident.

5. Nf3 Bd6 6. Bd3 Ne7 7. 0-0 h6

These fearful moves—…Qd8, …Ne7, …h6—might suggest a player intimidated by his renowned opponent, but his grim defense around move 19 could suggest a dour defender at all times.

8. Be3 c6

This is the sturdy pawn formation Black desires, but his game would be much less cramped with the bishop on g4 and the knight on f6.

9. Ne5 Nd7 10. f4 Nf6

Cramped positions ought to be relieved by exchanging, but in this instance 10…Ne5 11. fe5 would increase White’s bind on the position.

11. Ne4

White wants to avoid exchanges since his opponent is cramped, but one cannot have everything. The centralizing move also makes room for the c-pawn to contribute.

11…Nf5 12. Bf2 Bc7 13. c3 Nd5

The sad state of Black’s queenside leaves him wondering what to do after 13…Ne4 14. Be4, while 13…Nd5 attacks f4.

14. Qf3 Qe7 15. Rae1

15…Be5 16. de5

An unusual decision, springing the f2-bishop, but keeping the f-file closed and declining a strong center pawn position. White might’ve looked ahead to something like 16. fe5 0-0 17. g4 Nh4 18. Qg3 Ng6 19. Nd6 Ngf4 20. Bc2 g5 21. Be3, when he might sacrifice a rook unclearly on f4. White decided that he should preserve his f-pawn in order to play for f4-f5 rather than hope for d4-d5, since d5 is firmly in Black’s grip.

16…h5

White’s choice of 16. de5 makes sense after 16…b6 17. g4 Nh4 18. Qg3 Ng6 19. Nd6 Kf8, and the advance f5 looms dangerously.

17. Bc5 Qd8 18. Nd6 Nd6 19. Bd6 g6

Black is four moves behind in development, and trailing in king safety and center control, but as long as he can keep the lines closed—19…g6 halted 20. f5—he will keep breathing.

20. Qg3

White would gladly invest a bishop to open the position for his better-developed pieces. White contemplates 21. Bg6 fg6 (21…Rg8 is much better) 22. Qg6 Kd7 23. Qf7 Ne7 24. Be7 Qe7 25. Rd1, winning.

20…Ne7 21. Rd1 Bd7 22. Rd2 h4 23. Qg4

White could’ve reserved some mobility for his queen with 23. Qf2, which also puts Bc5 in store to answer …Qb6.

23…Nf5 24. Bf5

White’s decision is critical. Middlegames of opposite-colored bishops heavily favor the side with the initiative—the ability to make threats—because his bishop cannot be opposed and, in effect, the attacker is playing a piece ahead. The dangers are that the opponent will steal the initiative or that an endgame will arise in which the opposite bishops make an easy draw.

24…ef5

Black could not capture toward the center with 24…gf5 because 25. Qg7 wins, but it is unlikely that White’s newly-mobile e-pawn will become a factor.

25. Qf3 Qb6 26. Kh1 0-0-0
Suddenly White’s king is in more danger.
27. c4 h3 28. g3 Be6

Not 28…c5 to prepare …Bc6 because that blocks the queen’s coverage of g1. Neither is 28…Qa6 a legitimate double threat because White would ignore the threat to a2 and play 29. Qc3, because if 29…Qa2, then 30. b4 plus 31. Ra1 launches the attack.

29. Qc3 Rd7 30. Rfd1 c5

There is some risk taken with this move. Both c-pawns are vulnerable while fixed on the color of the enemy bishop.

31. Kg1

Without this preventive move, Black could meet 32. Qa3 by 32…Qc6 then 33…b6. With his next move, it seems that Black has missed the import.

31… Rhd8 32. Qa3 a6
Otherwise Bc5 makes a skewer.
33. Bc5 Qc6

Has the effect of tying the white rook to the second rank because of …Qg2 mate.

34. Bd6 f6

34…Bc4 would be a mistake due to 35. b3 plus 36. Rc1.

35. Rd5 Bd5 36. Rd5

The strong threat of 37. Rc5 compels Black to give the exchange right back, relieving White, who is a pawn ahead, of the difficulties of an ending with opposite bishops.

36…Rd6 37. ed6

Not 37. Rd6, because 37…Qg2 mate is still lurking.

37…Kb8

38. Qd3 Rd6

A cognizant play. White’s rook is held down by the possible checkmate on g2.

39. Qd2 Rd5 40. cd5 Qc5 41. Kf1 Qc4

White has to be careful not to move his king to the e-file because …Qe4 precedes the queen’s invasion on g2 or h1.

42. Kf2 Qc5 Drawn

It’s hard to believe that grandmaster Fine originally wrote opening rule no. 5 as “make one or two pawn moves in the opening, not more.” While Dr. Fine was teaching players to develop the pieces rather than make too many pawn moves, some followed his advice too closely, and created countless positions like this—1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. d3 h6 6. 0-0 d6 7. h3 0-0:

It’s too difficult for either side to gain the lead until someone blunders. How can White cultivate an advantage in the center? To play d4 would cost an important pawn, while it costs two moves to prepare it with Nd5 plus c3. The f-pawn is pinned and blocked. For reasons of center control, the 17th-century chess teacher Philidor said that we should not block our c- and f-pawns (twice Morphy played 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nh3 to leave his f-pawn free).

An advantage in space or numbers in the center affords greater mobility. Take the Four Pawns Attack in the King’s Indian Defense, for example: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 (already 5. e5 would be too much for Black to handle) 5. f4 0-0 6. Nf3:

When White plays e5 or d5 later, it gains additional space, while opening a square for one knight to centralize, and improving the mobility of one bishop. (In the meantime, Black will try to poke holes in White’s pawn front, which makes the game interesting.)

If White were allowed to make six unanswered pawn moves to start the game, a favorable formation is:

The center is surrounded by white pawns, and even though White doesn’t control e4 and d4 with pawns, it is a fairly sure bet that his pieces can use that space.

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
London 1859
White: Paul Morphy
Black: P. Maude
Two Knights Defense

1. e4

Morphy faced eight leading members of the London Chess Club in a simultaneous blindfold exhibition on April 13, 1859, after a day of travel from Paris. The weary master won two games before abandoning the remaining six as draws at 1 a.m.

1…e5

Blindfold exhibitors quickly vary their openings from board to board in order to differentiate the board images inside their heads. For instance, a six-board blindfold exhibitor might play 1. c4, 1. d4, 1. e4, 1. f4, 1. b3, 1. g3 to create divergent paths immediately. Morphy played 1. e4 at each board, and while two opponents opted for a semi-open defense, six played 1…e5. Against them, Morphy varied his attacking lines. He played two King’s Gambits, one Scotch Gambit, one Evans Gambit, one Philidor Defense, and a Two Knights Defense.

2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. ed5 Na5 6. d3 e4

Black has already given up one pawn on d5, and 6…e4 costs another. It is vital to play 6…h6 to coerce the knight away from its influence of e4.

7. Qe2 Qe7

Black’s problems are compounded by 7…Nd5 8. Qe4, which wins at least a piece (a tragedy for Black would be 8…Ne7 9. Bf7 Kd7 10. Qe6 mate).

8. Ne4

8…Ne4

Black avoids the exchange of queens and the pawn weaknesses that would result from 9. Nf6 gf6 10. Qe7, but White’s central position is much improved. Black could lose a miniature after 8…Qe5, hoping for 9. Nf6 gf6 10. Qe5 fe5, but 9. Bf4 Qb2 10. Nf6 Kd8 11. Qe8 mate is in the air.

9. de4 Qb4 10. Nd2 Nc4

Black loses more time with this exchange, but otherwise his knight was stranded on a5.

11. Qc4 Qb6 12. 0-0 Bd7

White’s center pawns deprive the bishop of a better square. The threat of 12…Bb5 is happenstance.

13. a4 c6

A mistake. White, who holds advantages in center control, development, and king safety, would welcome …cd5 ed5 to open the e-file.

14. Nf3 Bd6 15. Be3 Qc7 16. Qd4

White uses his space to make the positional threat of the suffocating 17. e5. The material threat to g7 is partly a bluff—Black could even win after the incredibly greedy 16. Qd4 h6 17. Qg7 0-0-0 18. Qf7 Rhf8 19. Qh7 Rh8 20. Qg7 Rdg8 21. Qd4 Bh2 22. Kh1 Be5.

16…f6 17. c4

White increases his command over the board. 17. c5 looms.

17…c5 18. Qd3

With 18. Qd1, White could avoid the complications that follow, but that undeveloping move is most out of character.

18…Bg4 19. Nd2

Black’s threat of 19…Bf3 will result in some fracture of White’s king position, and White decided to sacrifice the h2-pawn to enable the centralization of his knight. 19. h3 Bf3 20. gf3 saves a pawn but does not capitalize on White’s space advantage.

19…Bh2 20. Kh1 Bf4

Black should preserve his bishop with 20…Bd6. The desperate alternative 20…h5 21. g3 h4 wins after 22. Kh2 hg3, but White would keep a decisive lead with 22. d6 or 22. Bf4.

21. g3 Be3
Again 21…Bd6 is preferable.
22. Qe3 Kd7

Black might have feared 23. Kg2 and an attack along the h-file if he castled kingside, or 23. Nb3 b6 24. a5 in case of queenside castling. However, to leave his king in the center must be viewed as a grave misjudgement.

23. f4 b6 24. e5

White has surrounded the center. He intends 25. Ne4, after which the flexibility conferred by center control is clear—Black could not be certain of White’s direction; the knight could head for f6, d6, c5, or f2.

24…f5

Black controls e4 and d4, but without maneuvering room for his pieces, he can’t use the squares.

25. Nf3

White’s plan to encroach further by 26. e6 and 27. Ne5 compels Black to swap.

25…Bf3 26. Qf3 h5

Black’s material disadvantage is just one pawn, but he is so far behind in mobility and king safety that his game is lost. For four moves in a row, Black moves to, or on, the edge of the board.

27. Rad1 Qd8
Avoiding 28. d6 plus 29. Qb7.
28. d6 Rb8 29. Rfe1 Rh6

No matter what Black plays at move 29, White would answer 30. e6, but 29…Rh6 or 29…Re8 prevents immediate defeat.

30. e6 Re6 31. Re6 Ke6 32. Qd5 Kf6 33. Re1 g6

A better defense is the counter-attacking 33…Qg8, but White’s win inevitably follows 34. Qe5 Kg6 35. d7 plus 36. Qe8.

34. Re7 Resigns

Middlegame rule no. 10: The best defense is a counterattack

Grandmaster Fine summarized the sound principles of chess play in 30 nuggets, while Purdy, the first world correspondence chess champion, was able to break it down to two: Use inactive force, and Examine moves that smite.

Fine said the same things: Develop with threats, and The best defense is a counterattack. We must get the pieces out, and we must make threats.

If a group of chessplayers is asked to examine a position where one side is faced with a threat, many of them will react in terror. Run! Flee! Defend! It is the successful players who first look for a way to ignore that threat, by making a bigger or equal threat of their own. When we do not make a threat, it gives our opponents comfort, because they are enabled to do whatever they want. When we make threats, their choices are restricted. Threats create an imbalance in the position, and in the opponent’s mind, and he who is off balance is easier to tip over.

London 1859
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Johann Lowenthal
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3

In his 1858 match against Lowenthal, Morphy favored 2. f4.

2…Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb4 5. c3 Bc5

The most backward 5…Bf8 was seen as recently as 1995 and as long ago as Anderssen-Mayet, Breslau 1867, when Black went astray at move 7: 6. d4 ed4 7. 0-0 Na5 8. Bf7 Kf7 9. Ne5 Ke7 (9…Ke8 10. Qh5 g6 11. Ng6) 10. cd4, and White had some promise for his sacrificed piece.

6. 0-0 d6 7. d4 ed4 8. cd4 Bb6 9. d5

The simple development 9. Nc3 was named the Morphy Attack, but the space-gaining 9. d5 looks to attack with e5 later, and Black will not have room to counter with …d5.

9…Ne5

The disadvantages to this move are that Black loses his grip on c6 and White can threaten e5, so Sergeant endorsed 9…Na5.

10. Ne5 de5 11. Bb2

11…Qe7

Black finds castling too difficult after 11…f6 12. Nc3 Nh6 (on 12…Ne7, the discovered check d6 is in store if Black castles) 13. Qh5 Nf7 14. d6 with a strong initiative.

12. Bb5 Bd7
Black would’ve liked to have played …c6.
13. Bd7 Kd7

White maintains the advantage if Black returns the gambit pawn: 13…Qd7 14. Be5 f6 15. Bb2 Ne7 16. Qh5 g6 17. Qf3.

14. Qg4

Bringing up the most new force with a double threat.

14…f5

White coordinates queen and bishop after 14…Ke8 15. Qg7 Qf6 16. Be5.

15. Qf5 Ke8 16. Be5

The black king is exposed, persuading White to keep his queen on the board rather than swap it with 16. Qe5.

16…Nh6 17. Qf4 Kd7

17…Rf8 18. Qg3 Rf7 might have been an improvement, but 19. Nd2 followed by Nc4 shows White’s clear superiority—Black has nowhere to go with his pieces.

18. Nd2 Rae8 19. Nc4 Bc5

20. Rad1

Threatening to blow the position open with 21. d6. 20. Rfd1 leaves f2 vulnerable to 20…Rhf8, and 20. Bc7 was weaker still, because White brings up no new force and has three pieces under attack after 20…Qe4.

20…Bd6 21. Bd6

Generally it is preferable to capture with the smallest unit possible, but 21. Nd6 cd6 results in a threat for Black plus a skewer on the e-file.

21…cd6 22. Rb1
Improving the rook with a threat.
22…b6
If 22…Qe4, 23. Rb7 wins straight off.
23. Rfc1

Developing the last piece with the threat of 24. Rb6 ab6 25. Nb6.

23…Qf6

Black found a bigger threat to distract White from carrying out his own. 23…Rhf8 brought up a new piece, but Black is thinking that in case of 23…Qf6 24. Qg3, then he can play 24…Re4 and the queen still defends d6.

24. Qe3 Ng4

Black makes a threat. The first thing White looks for is a bigger threat.

25. Nb6 ab6

White wins after 25…Kd8 26. Rc8 Ke7 27. Rc7 Kf8 28. Nd7.

26. Rc7 Kd8

White’s heavy pieces and d5-pawn cooperate splendidly on 26…Kc7 27. Qb6 Kd7 (27…Kc8 28. Rc1 Kd7 29. Qc7 mate) 28. Qa7 and mate next.

27. Qb6 Qf2

White had to take this into account before making his 25th move.

28. Qf2 Nf2

Will the attack on White’s rook give Black the time to escape with his knight? Not if there is a bigger threat to make.

29. Ra7 Nh3 30. gh3 Kc8 31. Kf2 Resigns

Black can try for counterplay by 31…Rhf8 32. Ke3 g5 with the idea of …Rf4 to coordinate the rooks, but White simplifies with 33. Ra8 Kc7 34. Rc1 Kb7 (34…Kd7 35. Ra7 Kd8 36. Rc6) 35. Re8 Re8 36. Rc6.

Part 3: The Endgame

Imagine yourself a musician presented with an unfamiliar, tricky piece of sheet music. You might sit down with your instrument and play the composition from the top, until you reach some difficult measure, and what might happen then? You might slow down, stumble, and even stop. You’ll return to the top and start over, and this time you might get through that difficult measure, but along comes another challenging passage, when you… slow down, stumble, stop.

What if a music teacher suggested that you learn to play the final measure first? Then after learning the last measure, adding the next-to-last measure, and then the second-to-last, and so on. In this way, you are always heading toward parts of the song you already know. After you have added each passage going backward, what happens when you reach the top? You can play the whole song.

Chess ought to be learned the same way. Students should learn how to play the end of a chess game first—how to checkmate and how to queen a pawn—so they can always move toward positions they know how to play. No matter how hopeless one’s position might be, one can always aim to make whichever checkmating pattern most closely resembles the position at hand.

We are not allowed to put pieces back on the board in order to play an opening we know, but we can always take some pieces off to use our endgame skills.

Endgame rule no. 1: To win without pawns, you must be a rook or two minor pieces ahead (two knights excepted)

To win an endgame with pawns, promote a pawn to gain superior force. To win an endgame without pawns, the stronger side must have enough power to force a checkmate: that is, at least a rook or two minor pieces (except two knights) extra, and also command the ability to bring about the checkmate.

It is essential to learn the checkmating techniques with the queen, the rook, the two bishops, and bishop plus knight. The checkmating procedure with queen plus king against king is the easiest of the four because the greatest amount of force is available. It should be one of the first things one learns at chess, because it enables one to win a game when one has the tiniest material advantage—king plus pawn against king—while the checkmating procedure itself requires coordination between king and queen. Beginning students make their first step toward proficient play when they start to use the pieces cooperatively.

Paris 1858
White: Adolf Anderssen
Black: Paul Morphy
King’s Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4

From 17 games with Morphy, Anderssen won only three, and two of those—including this game—when Morphy was ill with a stomach flu. Anderssen understood that he was facing a genius, and he delighted in the experience, clapping his hands after their games.

3. Nf3 g5 4. h4

The most testing move. If White is to develop his queen bishop most smoothly to f4, he must break up the g5-f4 pawn structure.

4…g4 5. Ne5 Nf6

The simplest of many options. Develop with threats, knights before bishops.

6. Ng4

Enabling Black to put a pawn in the center with a discovered threat. 6. d4 is most principled.

6…d5 7. Nf6

White has lost some time, but his pawn structure is straighter.

7…Qf6

8. Qe2

Even at the cost of blocking his bishop, White hastens to develop his queenside because castling kingside would leave the h4-pawn hanging.

8…Bd6

A double-edged move, and as it turns out, the exposed nature of this bishop leads to Black’s defeat. The best way to meet an opponent’s threat is to ignore it, said Purdy, and in this instance, Black is gambiting, relying on his better development following 9. ed5 Kd8. The alternatives are 8…de4 9. Qe4, which improves the mobility of two white pieces, while 8…Be7 9. Nc3 (9. ed5 0-0 gives Black what he wants) is like the game with the bishop on a less active but less exposed square.

9. Nc3 c6 10. d4

A very good move, offering a pawn sacrifice of his own while the threat of 11. e5 compels Black’s acceptance.

10…Qd4
Black loses a piece after 10…de4 11. Ne4.
11. Bd2 Rg8

A feistier move than 11…0-0, which doesn’t coordinate the rook and bishop, and doesn’t even make Black’s king much safer.

12. ed5 Kd8 13. 0-0-0

The great German attacking master was now in his element, with an exchange sacrifice in store while the enemy king is in the center.

13…Bg4 14. Qe4

14. Qd3 Qd3 15. Bd3 results in a lesser threat.

14…Qe4 15. Ne4 Bd1 16. Nd6 Bh5 17. Bf4 cd5 18. Nb7 Ke7

To flee to a white square would enable the knight to hop back out with another check, but white minor pieces are swarming all over in any case.

19. Bb5

Stifling Black’s queenside pieces. If 19…Nd7, then 20. Re1 wins the knight.

19…Rg2 20. Re1 Kf6
White mates in two on 20…Kf8 21. Bh6.
21. Re8 Bg6 22. Nd6

The threat to checkmate by 23. Be5 wins a rook.

22…Nc6 23. Ra8 Rc2 24. Kd1 Nd4 25. Re8

Renewing the white pieces’ coordination on e5.

25…Bh5 26. Ke1 Nf3 27. Kf1 Rb2 28. Be2

A powerful pin, including the threat 29. Bf3 Bf3 30. Be5.

28…Ra2 29. Bg5 Ng5

White’s pieces harmonize on 29…Kg7 (29…Kg6 30. Rg8 mate) 30. Nf5 Kg6 31. Ne7 Kg7 32. Rg8 mate.

30. hg5 Kg5 31. Re5 Kf6 32. Rh5 Resigns

A win is certain for White, but the sequel takes longer than the game. It could go: 32…d4 33. Rh7 Ke5 34. Nf7 Ke4 35. Nd6 Kd5 36. Nb5 a6 37. Nc7 Ke4 38. Na6 Ra1 39. Kf2 Ra2 40. Nc5 Kd5 41. Rh5 Kc6 42. Nd3 Kd6 43. Rd5 Kd5 44. Nb4 Ke4 45. Na2 d3 46. Bd1 Kd4 47. Ke1 Ke3 48. Bh5 d2 49. Kd1 Kd3 50. Nb4 Kc3 51. Nc2 Kd3 52. Be2 Kc3 53. Ne3 Kd4 54. Kd2 54…Ke4 55. Bc4 Kd4 56. Bd5 Ke5 57. Kd3 Kf6 58. Ke4 Kg6 59. Ke5 Kg7 60. Nf5 Kh8 61. Ba2 Kh7 62. Kf6 Kh8 63. Ne7 Kh7 64. Ng6 Kh6 65. Bg8 Kh5 66. Ne5 Kh4 67. Kf5 Kg3 68. Ng4 Kg2 69. Bc4 Kf3 70. Bd3 Kg3 71. Be2 Kh4 72. Nf6 Kg3 73. Ne4 Kh4 74. Kg6 Kh3 75. Kh5 Kh2 76. Bf1 Kh1 77. Kg4 Kh2 78. Bh3 Kg1 79. Kg3 Kh1 80. Ng5 Kg1 81. Nf3 Kh1 82. Bg2 mate.

Endgame rule no. 2: The king must be active in the endgame

In the middlegame we keep our king position intact because an unexposed king is safer from harm. We reach the endgame when enough pieces have been exchanged to preclude a checkmating attack, and then the king must emerge from hiding and attack.

In the early stages of a chess game, one inactive piece can be compensated for by superior activity from five or six others, but in the later phase—when we are reduced to just two or three pieces—the king makes up a huge percentage of one’s entire fighting force, and he must be active. A mobile king influences as many squares—eight—as a mobile knight. One of Fine’s pithiest phrases is one of the most reproduced and useful bits of endgame advice: the king is a fighting piece—use it!

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
Birmingham 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Rev. George Salmon
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 d5

A suspect move. Black is opening the position when White’s king is one move closer to safety than Black’s, and White’s capture will create a second threat. In nine recorded examples of 4…d5 (just one in the 20th century), Black has won just once, when White wasted a move with 5. Bb5 in Kipping- Lowenthal, also in Birmingham 1858.

5. ed5 Nb4 6. 0-0

In any position that is at all open (but in the absence of threats), said Purdy, castle as soon as possible. White has a lead in development, a safer king, and a threat to remove Black’s only center pawn.

6…Ne7 7. Ne5 0-0 8. d4 Bd6

Black should have played 8…Bb6 to keep his queen’s eye on d5.

9. Nc3 Bf5 10. Bb3 a5 11. a3 a4 12. Na4 Nbd5 13. c4 Ra4

14. cd5

Perhaps White declined to make the bigger capture 14. Ba4 to avoid complications, and the disappearance of his center pawns: 14…Nc3 15. Qb3 Ne2 16. Kh1 Nd4 17. Qe3.

14…Ra5 15. Qf3

White could not make a bigger threat than … Nd5 (15. Bd2 drops the a3-pawn), so he defended with a move that brought up the most new force.

15…Bg6
Otherwise his knight could not move.
16. Re1 Bb4

Such threats are often more harmful to the player who makes them. Black has not introduced any new force, and his bishop is in a precarious state. The black rook must maintain the pin on the a-file, but when White breaks the pin, the bishop is truly menaced. Better is 16…Nf5 to threaten 17…Nd4, plus development of the queen on the h4-d8 diagonal followed by … Rfa8.

17. Re2 Nf5 18. Bb2

Defending d4 and a1, and so 19. ab4 is threatened.

18…Qa8

19. g3

White’s back rank was vulnerable in the event of … Ra3. 19. g4 might’ve been better because it makes a threat, but then White also had to contend with the possibility of 19…Nh4. 19. Bc2 to attack f5 was also to be considered.

19…Qa7

Improving his queen with a threat, a clearheaded move in a complicated position. Better for White is 19…Ba3 20. Nc4 or 19…Ra3 20. Ba3 Nd4 21. Qe3 Ne2 22. Qe2 Ba3 23. Qa2.

20. Ng6

Black’s potential counterplay is reduced by the exchange, and e5 is vacated for the rook.

20…hg6 21. Re5

A tricky move, preparing a discovered attack. White could have also created a passed pawn with the simpler 21. Rc1 Ba3 22. Rc7 Bb2 23. Rb2 Ra1 24. Kg2 Nd4 25. Qe3 Qa5 (25…Nb3 26. Qb3 coordinates all the heavy pieces) 26. d6.

21…Ba3 22. d6

A double attack, threatening 23. Ra5 to remove a guard of a3, and 23. dc7.

22…Bb4 23. Rea5

Better than 23. Raa5 Ba5, when the pin on the a-file is lost.

23…Ba5 24. Qd5

A sharp bit of coordination, hitting the pinned bishop, and burdening the black rook with a second job, defending f7 and the queening square.

24…b6 25. d7 Qa8 26. Rc1

White’s pressure on the a-file was relieved by 24…b6, so the rook improves itself with a threatening move.

26…Qd5 27. Bd5 b5 28. Bc6 Nd6

28…b4 is a terrible thing to do to a bishop, and enables 29. Re1 Nd6 30. Re8, winning.

29. d5 Bd2 30. Rd1 Bg5 31. f4

The endgame is all about saving time. White economically paves the road for his king to enter the game while making a threat.

31…Bd8 32. Ba3

Pinning the knight saves a few moves over 32. Re1 Nc4 33. Bd4 Nd6 34. Bc5.

32…f5 33. Re1 Kf7 34. Bb5 Rh8
Worse is 34…Nb5 35. Bf8 Kf8 36. Re8.
35. Bd6

A pivotal decision. White has to be certain of wresting control of the queening square before moving into an ending with opposite-colored bishops.

35…cd6 36. Re8 Rf8 37. Kf2

The white king is a fighting piece against which Black is powerless. The black king can’t leave its defense of the rook, which in turn is tied to defense of the bishop, while the black bishop is limited to moving back and forth on the d8-a5 diagonal.

37…g5

38. Ke3 g4 39. Kd3 g5 40. Bc6 gf4 41. gf4 Rg8 42. Kc4 Rf8 43. Kb5 Rg8 44. Ka6 Rf8 45. Kb7 Rg8 46. Kc8

White’s king arrives with a double threat.

46…Bb6 47. Rg8 Kg8 48. d8(Q) Resigns

Endgame rule no. 3: Passed pawns must be pushed

The key to endgame play is efficient and time-saving play. The first player to create and promote a passed pawn wins the race to introduce the greatest amount of new force into the chess game.

A passed pawn changes the entire focus of a game. The player with the passed pawn plans at all costs to advance it, while his opponent must play to stop the passer and/or create his own.

For the whole of the chess game, every move should aim to bringing the most new force to bear on the position. Nothing brings more new force to one’s side than promoting a pawn.

Paris 1863
White: Arnous De Riviere
Black: Paul Morphy
Four Knights Game

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3

Enabling Black to make instant equality by 4…Ne4 5. Ne4 d5.

4…Bc5

The same trick does not work for White: 5. Ne5 Ne5 6. d4 Nc4.

5. d3 h6 6. Qe2 0-0 7. Na4

Unless White is certain of capturing the bishop with his next move, this is an errant knight excursion. He should’ve waited for Black to play …d6.

7…Be7
Leaving the knight poorly placed on a4.
8. a3

White thought Na4 was a good move for him, and similarly thought …Na5 a good move for Black, so he made air for his bishop on a2. Other players would prefer to invest their time in 8. 0-0, and then if 8…Na5 9. Bb3 Nb3 10. ab3, White’s queen rook is developed for free.

8…d5

Taking advantage of the knight’s departure from the center.

9. ed5 Nd5 10. 0-0 Bg4 11. Be3
Something had to be done about …Nd4.
11…Kh8

In preparation of …f5, Black avoids a self-pin.

12. Nc3 Nc3 13. bc3 f5 14. Bc1

White would’ve preferred to meet the threat of …e4 with a less backward move, but 14. Bd2 loses a piece to 14…e4 15. de4 fe4 16. Qe4 Bf3.

14…Bd6

Black is still ahead in development after this repositioning, which puts the bishop on a more active diagonal, and frees the queen to develop along the d8- h4 diagonal. Black’s coming …e4 break will therefore come with greater force.

15. Rb1

It can almost never harm, and almost always helps, to unpin. 15. Qe3 e4 16. Nd4 must be a more solid path.

15…e4 16. de4

16…Ne5

Bringing more force to the attack immediately, instead of 16…fe4 17. Qe4 Bf3 18. gf3 Ne5, which isn’t bad. Black threatens 17…Nf3 18. gf3 Qh4 with mate coming.

17. Ne5

Black has a winning double attack in store after 17. ef5: 17…Bf3 18. gf3 Qh4, and Black threatens the bishop on c4 and a mate following …Ng4.

17…Be2 18. Ng6 Kh7 19. Nf8 Qf8 20. Be2 fe4

Rather than protect the b7-pawn, Black preferred to gain some central influence while restricting the unopposed white bishop.

21. Rb7 Ba3

It is somewhat amazing that White’s small misplays at moves 7 and 8 are punished in the endgame. When White returned his knight from the edge and Black exchanged on c3, the a3-pawn became isolated, while the light-squared bishop never made use of the luft White created on a2. Instead, the a-pawn was captured a dozen moves later, resulting in a passed a-pawn for Black.

22. Be3 a5

The passed pawn advances immediately after it is created.

23. Rc7 Bd6

The bishop has to make way for the pawn, so it clears out while making a threat.

24. Rd7 Be5 25. f3

Threatening a discovered attack, so Black’s passed pawn must stay put.

25…Qc8 26. Re7

Threatening the bishop, so again the black passer has to wait.

26…Qc3 27. Bf2

Since 27. Bf2 does not make a threat, Black pushes his passed pawn.

27…a4 28. f4 Bd4 29. Re4 Bf2 30. Rf2 a3 31. Bd3 g6 32. f5 a2 33. fg6 Kh8 34. Resigns

New York 1857
White: Hiram Kennicott
Black: Paul Morphy
Scotch Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 ed4 4. Bc4
Another good gambit is 4. c3 dc3 5. Nc3.
4…Bc5 5. Ng5

The same premature attack happened two years before in Meek-Morphy, Mobile 1855.

5…Nh6 6. Nf7 Nf7 7. Bf7 Kf7 8. Qh5 g6 9. Qc5 d6

White gave up both of his developed minors for this, and now his queen is pushed around while Black gets to make an easy threatening development with …Re8.

10. Qb5 Re8 11. 0-0

Much better than Meek’s further waste of time with 11. Qb3 d5 12. f3 Na5, when Black soon crashed down the e-file.

11…Re4 12. Qd5 Re6 13. Bg5 Qe8 14. f4 Kg7

There is hardly another move to consider. Black’s rook is unpinned, and his king gets off the f-file before White opens it for his rook.

15. f5

White is still attacking prematurely as long as his queenside is undeveloped.

15…gf5 16. Qf5 Rg6

The rook had to get out of the bishop’s way, and Black looked for a square where the rook might hit something. Black is just trying to get his queenside pieces out—the discovered attack is a bonus.

17. Bf6 Kg8

18. Qf4 Bh3
Developing with a threat.
19. Bg5 Qe3

The most aggressive move that brings up the most additional new force.

20. Qe3

Any even exchange—queen for queen, pawn for pawn, and so forth—benefits the side whose pieces are improved with the recapture. Black now has a monstrous passed pawn, while 20. Kh1 (20. Rf2 Rg5) Bg2 21. Kg2 Rg5 22. Kh1 Qf4 leaves Black two pawns ahead.

20…de3 21. gh3

White should’ve tried 21. Be3 Rg2 22. Kh1 Rh2 (22…Re8 is more active, but 23. Rf3 seems to hold up) 23. Kh2 Bf1 24. Nc3, where White is two pawns down but has the lead in development while Black has the difficulties associated with an endgame with opposite-colored bishops.

21…Rg5 22. Kh1 e2

Black is winning the endgame whereas White has not yet finished his opening.

23. Re1 Nd4 24. Na3 Re8 25. Resigns

Black was about to play 25…Nf3.

Endgame rule no. 4: The easiest endings to win are pure pawn endings

Pure pawn endings are the easiest to win because the weaker side hasn’t anything bigger with which to fight back.

One elementary example uses the outside passed pawn:

Black’s king is forced to the queenside to deal with the passer while White’s king mops up the kingside.

Purdy said that pawn endings are to chess as putting is to golf. That is, a golfer can hit a 320-yard drive to within a foot of the hole, but if he four-putts the green, it’s just a bad hole. A chessplayer can play the opening and middlegame phases like a master, but if he mucks the endgame, it is all for nothing.

One is only as good at chess as one knows the pawn endgames. In the opening, one might get away with making one or two or 15 second-best moves without despair, but in the endgame, mistakes are much more costly—a miscue in the endgame often swings half a point, turning a win into a draw, or a draw into a loss. One must know how to win the following position as White to move and know how to draw as Black to move, and there is only one correct answer in either case.

Simultaneous exhibition
London 1859
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Henry Bird
King’s Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef4

The e1-h4 diagonal is now vulnerable, and if Black could make another move, it could go 3…Qh4 4. g3 fg3 5. h3 g2 6. Ke2 Qe4 7. Kf2 gh1(N) mate.

3. Nf3

White takes care of …Qh4, but Black insists on checking at h4.

3…Be7 4. Bc4 Bh4 5. g3

The Cunningham Double Gambit is more enterprising but riskier than 5. Kf1.

5…fg3 6. 0-0 gh2 7. Kh1

It’s not entirely joking to say that the white king is safer behind a black pawn than a white one. Black cannot capture the black pawn.

7…d5 8. Bd5 Nf6

Ordinarily, Black’s sequence would be ideal. First …d5 put a pawn in the center with a threat, and then …Nf6 developed a piece with a threat. In this position, though, …Nf6 broke the black queen’s communication with the bishop. Maybe Black was hoping for 9. Nh4 Nd5, but since the d5-bishop is a goner, it makes a “desperado” move.

9. Bf7 Kf7 10. Nh4 Re8

11. d3

White could play 11. Nc3, but at some point Black will break the pin on his f6-knight to threaten the e4-pawn again, and White would probably play d3. It is rarely wrong to play a move that you are going to play next (or soon) anyway, and 11. d3 follows the principle that a defensive task should be handled by the smallest unit possible, so that the bigger units can attack.

11…Bh3

Developing with a threat. White replies with a bigger threat.

12. Qh5 Kg8 13. Rf6

White knew that after Black got out of check, two of his heavy pieces would be under attack. He also knew that Black would be ahead in king safety and slightly ahead in development and material. So, he surely had this exchange sacrifice in mind when he played 12. Qh5. At the cost of little more material, the king safety is somewhat evened.

13…gf6 14. Nc3

Knights before bishops. 14. Bf4 is a prophylactic move, preventing …Re5. White instead planned to make Bf4 a threatening move.

14…Re5 15. Qf3

The queen had to move—15. Nf5 Bf5 16. ef5 Re1 17. Kh2 Qd6 is very bad for White—so she looked for the biggest threat she could make.

15…Qd7 16. Bf4

Developing with a threat. Black judged to return the rook rather than fall further behind in development.

16…Nc6 17. Kh2

An outstanding move. Rather than 17. Be5 Ne5, which brings the black piece forward, White aimed to use his last piece, but the rook’s most aggressive development to g1 was not possible because of the h2-pawn. So White took it, and threatened the bishop.

17…Bg4 18. Rg1 h5 19. Be5

Now that all the pieces are out, it’s time to capture the rook.

19…fe5 20. Nd5

Centralizing with a threat. Black makes an equal threat.

20…Nd4

21. Nf6

The game probably fades to a draw after 21. Qg4 Qg4 22. Nf6 Kf7 23. Ng4 hg4 24. Rg4 Nc2.

21…Kh8 22. Qe3

Since he still is a rook ahead in development, White chose a more complicated move that gives him two threats (23. Nd7 and 23. Qh6) over the simplifying 22. Nd7 Nf3 23. Nf3 Bf3 24. Ne5, though White ought to win in that case, too. For instance, 24…Be2 25. Re1 Re8 26. Re2 Re5 27. Rg2 Kh7 28. Kh3 Kh6 29. Kh4, and Black hasn’t a useful move.

22…Qg7 23. Nh5 Qh7 24. Rg4 Qh5 25. Qh3
Breaking the pin with the threat of 26. Ng6.
25…Kh7 26. c3

The heavy kingside skirmish has settled, and the only threat left on the chessboard was …Nc2. White answered that with the biggest threat he could make.

26…Ne6 27. Rg6

Sergeant points out 27. Ng6 as a winning double threat. After 27…Qh3 28. Kh3, the e5-pawn is lost.

27…Re8

Enabling White to make an exceptional simplifying combination. Black puts up more resistance with 27…Qe2 (27…Ng7 28. Rg3 makes a strong threat of 29. Nf5) 28. Rg2 Qh5 and could even win after 29. Ng6 (better 29. Rg3) Qh3 30. Kh3 Rg8.

28. Re6 Re6 29. Qe6 Qh4 30. Qh3

The game must reduce to a pawn ending in which White cannot be stopped from creating a passed pawn.

30…Qh3 31. Kh3 c5 32. Kg4 Kg6 33. Kf3 Kf6 34. Ke3 Ke6 35. d4 ed4 36. cd4 cd4 37. Kd4

The standard procedure is to use the passed pawn as a decoy. Black will have to use his time to take the e-pawn while White moves to the queenside. In the opening, give up a bit of material to gain mobility for the pieces. In the ending, give up a bit of material to gain mobility for the pieces.

37…Kd6 38. e5 Ke6 39. Ke4 Ke7 40. Kd5 Kd7 41. e6 Ke7 42. Ke5 a6 43. a3 Ke8 44. Kd6 Resigns

44…Kd8 45. e7 Ke8 46. Kc7 b5 47. Kb6, and so on.

Sixth match game
Paris 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Daniel Harrwitz
Philidor Defense

1. e4 e5

Harrwitz, the resident chess professional at the legendary Cafe de la Regence in Paris, was Morphy’s first serious opponent in Europe. Morphy was a frail young man who fell ill during the sail across the Atlantic, and he lost the first two games of their match. Harrwitz ridiculed his American opponent, but Morphy recovered from his illness and ran off four straight wins. Suddenly, Harrwitz came down with something.

2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 ed4 4. Qd4 Nf6

There is no reason not to gain bishop for knight by 4…Nc6 5. Bb5 Bd7 6. Bc6.

5. e5

A poor move, giving up a short-term advantage in development and a long-term advantage in space in order to prevent Black from castling, but the queens leave the board and take most of the attacking chances with them. 5. Nc3 is natural and good.

5…de5 6. Qd8 Kd8 7. Ne5 Be6 8. Nc3 Bd6

A typical move in such positions is 8…c6 to aid the king’s mobility and to ward off the white knight. Sergeant liked 8…Bb4 to take the punch from White’s next.

9. Nc4 Bc4

A bad move, surrendering the better minor piece while helping White develop with a threat. 9…Be7 is about equal.

10. Bc4 Re8 11. Be3 Ke7

A purely defensive move that interferes with his own rook. The best defense is a counterattack: 11…Ng4, and White cannot play 12. Bf7 Ne3 13. Be8 Nc2 14. Kd2 Na1.

12. 0-0-0

Suddenly White’s position looks tidy and Black’s in disarray.

12…a6 13. Bg5 Nbd7

14. Ne4

In spite of Black’s fidgeting at moves 8 and 12, he could not prevent a blow to his bishop and his pawn structure. If the bishop flees with 14…Bb4 (on 14…Bc5, 15. Rd7 wins material), White can coordinate by 15. c3 Ba5 16. Bf6 Nf6 17. Ng5, but Black can then get his rook to the seventh rank with 17…Kf8 18. Nf7 b5 19. Bb3 Re2 20. Rd2 Rae8 with the cooperative …Bb6 to follow.

14…h6 15. Bf6 Nf6 16. Nd6 cd6 17. Rhe1

White goes into the endgame with a sounder pawn structure, superior development, and the better minor piece.

17…Kf8

The king was restricted to a less active square for the safety of the f7-pawn.

18. Re8 Ne8

Similarly, Black could not recapture with a developing move because of the d6-pawn: 18…Re8 19. Rd6 and then Black falls short after 19…Ne4 20. Rd7 or 19…Re1 20. Kd2.

19. Bd5

The threat ties the rook to the defense of the b7-pawn.

19…Rb8 20. Bf3

Restoring the pressure on d6, and so forcing the knight to stay in place.

20…g6 21. c3

To mobilize the king without blocking the rook. 21. c4 could inhibit the bishop—especially in the ending, do not place pawns on the same color squares as your bishop.

21…Ke7 22. Re1

Now that d6 has two guards, the white rook finds different employment.

22…Kf8

The superiority of the bishop over the knight is clear after 22…Kd7 23. Bd5 f6 (23…f5 24. Be6) 24. Bf7 g5.

23. Kc2 Nc7 24. Kb3 Ne6

25. Ka4

White would establish a bind on Black’s queenside if he plays 26. Ka5 next.

25…b6

Black should play the aggressive 25…Nc5, and White has to retreat with 26. Ka3 (26. Ka5 loses to 26…b6 27. Kb4 Nd3), and then 26…a5 means that White has to trade a pawn to play b4, which should ease Black’s defense. To win, trade pieces; to draw, trade pawns.

26. b4 h5 27. h4 Ke7 28. Re3

A bit of defense—Black’s …Rc8 won’t make a threat now—and perhaps creating some offense on f3 or g3.

28…Kd7 29. Bd5
Maybe Be6 plus Rg3 is in store.
29…Re8 30. Kb3 Rg8

In an ending with rooks, get an active rook at any cost. Since Black cannot play …Rc8 because of Bb7, forking, he looks toward …g5 to open a line for his rook, even if that would result in two additional isolated pawns.

31. Rf3 Ke7 32. a4

32…a5

If White plays a5 himself, it fixes the a6-pawn where it could be attacked by the bishop. However, 32…a5 weakens the white squares fatally.

33. Be6

White’s attacking plan is Kc4-b5, so he gives up the better minor piece to prevent …Nc7.

33…Ke6

White wins the race to queen after 33…fe6 34. Kc4 g5 35. Kb5 gh4 36. Kb6 Rg2 37. Ka5 h3 38. Rh3 Rf2 39. Kb6.

34. Kc4 g5 35. Kb5

After the weak move 35. hg5, 35…Rg5 finds Black preventing 36. Kb5 and threatening 36…Rg2.

35…ab4 36. cb4 gh4 37. Kb6 Rb8

Rooks belong behind passed pawns, but White’s connected passers are too much for the rook to handle after 37…Rg2 38. a5 h3 39. Rh3 Rf2 40. a6.

38. Ka5 Kd5 39. Rd3

A most important function for a rook in a rook ending is to cut off enemy mobility, but in this case, 39. Rc3 leads to 39…Ra8 40. Kb5 Rb8 when White will have to lose a pawn to keep the game going. Alternatively, 39. b5 could have led to a winning simplification after 39…Kc4 (39…Kc5 40. Rc3 Kd4 41. Rc6 wins) 40. Rf7 Ra8 41. Kb6 Ra4 42. Rf4 Kb3 43. Ra4.

39…Kc4 40. Rd6 Rb4

White wins on 40…Ra8 41. Ra6 Ra6 42. Ka6 Kb4 43. a5.

41. Rd4
Simplifying into an easier pawn ending.
41…Kd4 42. Kb4 f5 43. f4

An important gain of space that provides mobility for the new queen. White’s job is more arduous after 43. a5 f4 44. f3 (White could even lose on 44. a6 f3 45. gf3 h3 46. a7 h2) Ke3 45. a6 Kf2 46. a7 Kg2 47. a8(Q) h3 48. Qg8.

43…Ke3 44. a5 Kf2 45. a6 Kg2 46. a7 h3 47. a8(Q) Kg1 48. Qf3 Resigns

In view of 48…h2 49. Qg3 Kh1 50. Qf2 h4 51. Qf1 mate.

Endgame rule no. 5: When one pawn ahead, exchange pieces, not pawns

The general rule for the side trying to win the ending is to trade pieces, not pawns. The side trying to draw should trade pawns, not pieces.

In an endgame with pieces, if all the pawns are on the same side of the board, the stronger side needs to be two pawns ahead to win. Therefore, the strong side should plan to keep pawns on both sides of the board, and Purdy said that for drawing purposes, there is nothing like denuding the enemy of pawns on one wing. The secret to winning chess games is to cause the opponent to want to make two moves in a row, and in the endgame, to cause the opponent to want to be in two places at once. If the defender only has to mind one side of the chessboard, his task is much easier than if the aggressor can threaten on both sides of the board.

Each pawn exchange brings the defender closer to a position he can draw—each pawn that leaves the board is one fewer target remaining for the attacking side.

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
Paris 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: M. Seguin
Philidor Defense

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 ed4

Philidor’s defense has mostly disappeared from modern practice for its reputation for passivity. Few have been willing to carry Morphy’s baton with 3…f5.

4. Nd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7

The Danish grandmaster Larsen tried to put some life into Black’s position with 5…g6, but White’s attack with 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Qd2 0-0 8. 0-0-0 Nc6 9. f3 plus g4 and a kingside pawn storm is easy to manage.

6. Bd3

White might’ve been in an experimental mood. Rather than the natural 6. Bc4, he intended to free his bishop by f4 plus e5.

6…0-0 7. f4 c5

Black gains some breathing room at the cost of a weak pawn on d6. He would’ve been happier if he’d played …c5 a move sooner, because then if White had retreated to f3, he would’ve blocked his f-pawn from reaching the center.

8. Nf3 Nc6 9. 0-0 Bg4 10. Be3 a6 11. a4

Preventing Black from gaining more space with …b5. 7…c5 gained space but harmed Black’s overall position. 12…b5 would gain space at no positional cost, so White hindered it.

11…h6

This would be a useless move unless Black plans to improve his bad bishop by …Nh7 then …Bf6, which decentralizes the knight and gives up control of d5. A better method would be 11…Re8 with …Bf8, …g6, and …Bg7 to follow.

12. h3

Now Black must give up bishop for knight, or slide further into cramp by pulling his bishop back. Worst of all would be 12…Bh5 13. g4 Bg6 14. f5, when Black’s bishop is buried, and White has annexed almost the whole kingside as his territory.

12…Bf3 13. Qf3 Nb4 14. Rad1 Qc7
Threatening to take on c4.
15. b3 Nd3 16. cd3

A natural but shortsighted play is 16. Rd3, for 16…c4 could be messy, and White can use the d-file just as well after moving his new center pawn out of the way.

16…Rfe8 17. d4 Qc6 18. dc5

The most active continuation. White corrects Black’s positional defect, the backward pawn on d6, in exchange for a rook on the seventh rank plus the ability to advance e5.

18…dc5 19. e5 Qf3 20. Rf3 Nh7

21. Rd7 Rab8

A rook sent to defend one pawn is not a five-point rook but a one-point rook. Black could’ve abandoned that pawn to try to get his knight back into the game, but 21…Nf8 22. Rb7 Rab8 23. Rb8 Rb8 24. Nd5 is no help.

22. Nd5
Centralizing with a threat.
22…Bf8 23. Bf2

The plan is to improve the rook by shifting it to the c- or d-file, but to do so by 23. Rf1 first would not give the bishop additional mobility on the kingside.

23…Red8 24. Nb6

White could be too aggressive and lose a piece by 24. Ne7 Kh8 25. Rfd3 Be7.

24…Rd7 25. Nd7 Rc8 26. Rc3 Rc7

Black can try to keep another piece on the board by 26…Be7 27. Nc5 b6 28. Ne4 Rc3 29. Nc3, but it actually helps White because both white pieces are working while the black knight is still out of play.

27. Nf8 Nf8 28. Rc5 Rc5 29. Bc5 Ne6 30. Be3 g6

31. g4

Quickly, before Black plays …h5. Eventually, White will make a passed pawn by playing f5 plus e6, but he must prepare for f5 with g4. If Black had played …h5, then White has to exchange three sets of pawns on the way to achieving e6—first on g4, then on f5, and once more on e6. However, since White got g4 in first, if Black plays …h5, then White can play gh5 to avoid the swap of one pawn before pushing f5. When you are one pawn ahead, trade pieces but not pawns.

31…Nd8 32. Kf2 Nc6

Black repositioned his knight to control a5, so that White cannot answer …b5 with a5.

33. Ke2

White could prevent the exchange of a pawn by 33. Bb6, blocking the black b-pawn, but that is too passive a role for a bishop. Black also succeeds in trading one pawn after 33. Bd2 b5 34. a5 b4.

33…b5 34. ab5

White would rather have a b-pawn than the a-pawn that remains after …ba4 ba4 because the b-pawn queens on a square that can be controlled by his bishop.

34…ab5

From here White must not let the b-pawns come off the board, for then his winning chances diminish greatly.

35. Kd3

The king must be active in the ending, and in this case, he must prepare to guard the b3-pawn before Black plays …Na5, after which the defensive b4 would inhibit the white bishop.

35…Kf8 36. Bc5

In any endgame of bishop against knight, the bishop should restrict the knight as much as possible. Four of the knight’s eight squares are covered by the bishop.

36…Ke8 37. Ke4 Kd7

It is White’s ability to attack on two sides of the board that makes the win easy. Suppose the b-pawns vanished—White’s difficulties are evident on 38. Kd5 h5 39. gh5 gh5 40. f5 Nd8 41. Ke4 Ke8 42. Kf4 Nc6 43. e6 fe6 44. fe6 Nd8, and now White’s king is tied to the defense of e6—the game could be drawn after 45. Kf5 (45. e7 Nc6 46. Kg5 Ne7 47. Be7 Ke7 48. Kh5 Kf7 is a draw) Nb7 46. Bb4 Nd8 47. Kg5 Ne6 48. Kh5 Kf7.

38. Kd5 Nd8 39. f5 gf5 40. gf5 h5 41. Bb6

Threatening to make a pawn ending of it with 42. Bd8.

41…Nb7 42. e6 fe6 43. fe6 Ke7 44. Kc6

One must use one’s extra pawn, said Fine, to break through with pieces to gain more material. Here the e-pawn pulled the black king away so the white king could corral the knight. Now if 44…Nd6, 45. Bc5 wins, and wherever else the knight goes, the bishop captures.

44…Nd8 45. Bd8

The easiest endings to win are pure pawn endings.

45…Kd8 46. Kd6 Ke8 47. e7 Resigns

Endgame rule no. 6: Don’t place pawns on the same color squares as your bishop

In the endgame there are fewer pieces on the board, so one inactive piece makes up a larger percentage of inactive force. Every piece must be as mobile as possible.

Four of Fine’s endgame principles are about specific piece activity. The king must be active. Rooks gain mobility behind passed pawns but lose mobility in front of them. It is worth giving up a pawn to get a rook on a seventh rank. Do not place pawns on the same color square as your bishop because that would limit the bishop’s scope.

New York 1857
White: Napoleon Marache
Black: Paul Morphy
French Defense
Remove Black’s f-pawn

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. ed5 ed5 4. Bd3

White has an easy path to a simpler position by making the most aggressive move that brings up the most new force: 4. Qh5 g6 5. Qe5 Qe7 6. Qe7, and the queens are off the board while White is ahead in material.

4…Nf6 5. Nf3 Bd6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. c4 c6 8. c5

White’s gain of space removes the tension in the position, which favored White. 8. Nc3 plus Bg5 and Qb3 is a most natural and strong development. Now White’s likely attacking plan is on the wing—b4 plus b5—which takes more time and is a lesser disturbance to Black than the central play.

8…Bc7 9. Ne5

If White follows with 10. f4, this knight could not be budged.

9…Be5

White probably didn’t figure on Black giving up his good bishop. Whether he knew of his resource at move 12 or not, he loses his center pawn and finds his c5-pawn dangling.

10. de5 Ng4 11. h3
Black had …Qh4 in store to hit h2 and f2.
11…Ne5 12. Bh7 Kh7 13. Qh5 Kg8 14. Qe5 Nd7

15. Qg3

It is hard to see why White let the c5-pawn go. 15. Qd4, and if Black develops with a threat by 15…Qe7, then 16. Be3, and Black later has to move his knight to develop his queenside, or face a discovered attack after White plays a rook to e1.

15…Nc5 16. Bg5 Qe8

Black is keeping as many defenders around his king as White has attackers, while 16…Qb6 is not even a real threat in light of 17. Nc3 Qb2 18. Be7.

17. Nd2

More natural is 17. Nc3, and White didn’t have to fear 17… d4 because of 18. Rfe1. White might’ve been more concerned about where his knight would go next after 17. Nc3.

17…Bd7 18. Rae1 Qg6 19. Be7

A weak move. White is allowing the queens to be traded while the black king is exposed. White’s g-pawns become doubled, and the open f-file enables Black to solve the bishop fork with a capturing check. 19. Qh4 would’ve preserved White’s attacking chances against the insecure black king.

19…Qg3 20. fg3 Rf1 21. Kf1

Black emerges in the endgame with a passed pawn, but endgames with opposite-colored bishops usually pose unusual difficulties. Black’s first thoughts are to deal with White’s threat, then to improve his blocked bishop and introduce his rook.

21…Nd3
The biggest threat the knight can make.
22. Re3

The biggest threat the rook can make. Now 22…Nb2 would be wrong because 23. Rb3 followed by 24. Rb7 greatly improves the white rook.

22…c5

Meeting the threat by introducing new force into the game. Black moves a pawn from a white square, and prepares to push his passed pawn to d4. If 23. Rd3, then 23…Bb5 wins.

23. b3 Re8 24. a4
Aimed against …Bb5.
24…d4

Passed pawns must be pushed. Don’t place pawns on the same color squares as your bishop. Examine every move that smites.

25. Rd3

A bad move, exchanging a piece while effectively trailing in material, and giving up any drawing chances associated with opposite bishops. Also, Black is left with a bishop against a knight in an open position, and the white rook is poorly placed in front of a passed pawn. 25. Re2 was a better move.

25…Re7 26. Nf3 a5

Black mobilizes his pawn majority most directly, not bothering with the most solid pawn approach …b6, …a6, …b5, which avoids an isolated pawn.

27. Kf2 b5 28. ab5 Bb5

29. Rd2

To have any chance, White must play actively with his rook. 29. Rd1 Re2 30. Kg1 Rb2 31. Rc1 Rb3 32. Rc5 Rb1 33. Kh2 (33. Kf2 Rf1 mate) d3 34. Ng5 d2 35. Rc8 shows that rooks are meant to be attacking pieces.

29…Re3 30. Rb2
A hopeless move.
30…Rc3

Enabling the d-pawn to move by freeing it from its defense of the rook.

31. g4

A pawn majority should go forward with an unopposed pawn first. 31. h4 was better.

31…a4 32. ba4 Ba4 33. g5

Here 33. Rb7 would prevent the exchange of rooks and prepare to get behind the passed pawns.

33…Rc2 34. Rc2 Bc2 35. Ke1 Be4 36. Kd2 Bf3

The easiest endings to win are pure pawn endings.

37. gf3 Kf7 38. Kd3

If 38. h4 or 38. f4, Black could play 38…g6, where one black pawn restrains three white pawns (for example, 38. h4 g6 39. f4 c4 40. f5 gf5 41. h5 f4 42. h6 f3 43. h7 Kg7 44. g6 f2 45. Ke2 c3, and Black wins). White’s pawn majority would’ve been more agile if White had begun by advancing the unopposed h-pawn.

38…Kg6 39. h4

White can’t touch the black pawns: 39. Kc4 Kg5 40. Kc5 d3.

39…Kh5 40. Ke4 Kh4 41. f4 g6 42. Kd3 Kg4 43. Ke4 d3 44. Kd3 Kf4 45. Kc4 Kg5 46. Kc5 Kf5

A winning move, but endgame textbooks will recommend 46…Kf4.

47. Kd4 g5 48. Resigns

48. Ke3 and Black still has to be careful. 48… Kg4 wins, but 48…g4 is horrible, leading to a draw.

Consultation game
London 1858
White: Paul Morphy and Thomas
Barnes
Black: Howard Staunton and
Rev. John Owen
Center Counter Defense

1. e4 d5 2. ed5 Qd5 3. Nc3 Qd8

3…Qa5 is the usual move, but 3…Qd8 has potential if Black coordinates his other pieces against d4.

4. d4 Nf6

The thematic development for this knight is …Nh6-f5. For instance, 4…g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 (better is 5…Bg4) 6. Bc4 Nh6 7. 0-0 Nf5.

5. Bd3 Nc6
Not 5…Qd4, for 6. Bb5.
6. Be3 e6

Another reason to prefer …g6 is that the queen bishop’s diagonal is left open.

7. Nf3 Bd6

7…Be7 will save a move at move 11.

8. 0-0 0-0 9. Qe2 b6 10. Bg5 Bb7 11. Ne4 Be7 12. Nf6

White shows an excellent short, specific plan to weaken Black’s king position.

12…Bf6 13. Qe4 g6 14. Qh4 Bg5

In an even exchange, the side who benefits is the player whose pieces come forward as a result of the trade. After 14…Bg5, the white knight comes forward with a checkmating threat, so White got much the better of the bishop trade. A better move for Black was 14…Kg7, and then after 15. Bf6, Black’s queen comes forward with a threat with 15…Qf6.

15. Ng5 h5

Each checkmating threat compelled a pawn move in front of the black king, while 14. Qh4 forced the trade of the bishop that guarded the holes in Black’s pawn position.

16. c3 Qf6 17. Rae1 Ne7 18. f4 Nf5 19. Qh3 Rfe8

Making a flight square of f8, in view of 20. g4 hg4 21. Qh7.

20. Re5 Rad8 21. Rfe1

21…Ng7

White has better center control, superior development, and greater king safety, so he is obligated to attack. It is time to open some lines for White’s better-developed pieces, but Black’s control of d5 means that White cannot make a break there, so he must look to f5 or g4. Black’s knight sidesteps the latter, but Black really hasn’t discovered a threat to f4 because 22…Qf4 23. Rf1 breaks through to f7.

22. g4 c5 23. Be4
Examine every move that smites.
23…Ba6

White wins on 23…Be4 24. Ne4 Qf4 (24…Qe7 25. dc5) 25. Rf1 followed by Nf6.

24. gh5 Nh5 25. Bf3

Hitting the knight which is relatively pinned by the invasion threatened at h7. If 25…Nf4, there is a skewer following 26. Qh7 Kf8 27. Bc6 Re7 28. Qh6 Qg7 29. Nh7 Kg8 30. Qf4 Qh7 31. Qf6.

25…cd4 26. Bh5 gh5 27. Qh5

White’s threat is not 28. Qh7, but 28. Nh7 plus 29. Rg5.

27…Qg7 28. Kf2

Always unpin. White’s knight has almost no value until the king steps off the g-file, but 28. Kh1 puts …Bb7 at large.

28…Qf6 29. Qh4 Bd3

The possibilities on the h1-a8 diagonal are forgotten, so the bishop takes on the job of watching h7.

30. Qg3 Bg6 31. f5

An amazing move, attacking with a pinned pawn. White’s idea is to play 32. Ne4 to break the pin by force.

31…Bf5 32. Ne4 Qg6 33. Nf6 Kf8 34. Qg6 Bg6 35. Ne8 Ke8

36. h4

The critical decision for White was whether to play 36. cd4 or to enable 36…d3, giving Black a passed pawn on the sixth rank. White decided against 36. cd4 because it improves Black’s rook, and in favor of 36. h4 because passed pawns must be pushed. Also, the white king, the best blockader of a passed pawn, is close enough to halt the black passer while its compatriots are too far back on e6 and f7, and the bishop is on the wrong color to break the blockade at d2.

36…d3 37. Ke3 Ke7

Not 37…d2 because the pawn is dead after 38. Rd1.

38. Kd2 Rd6

A trap of sorts, guarding the e6-pawn, so 39. h5 f6 40. Rb5 a6 would get the h-pawn off the board. However, if White doesn’t fall for this, 38…Rd6 is bad for the rook’s mobility. The direct attack 38…Rh8 was better.

39. Rg5
Now 40. h5 is a serious menace.
39…Kf6 40. Rf1 Bf5

Self-pinning, but 40…Ke7 41. h5 was probably worse for Black.

41. Rg8

The rook had to move to free the passed pawn, so it finds the square that cuts off the black rook.

41…Rd5

The immobility of Black’s bishop even makes life hard for the rook. If 41…e5 to bring in more force and give the rook some range along the rank, then 42. Rg5.

42. h5 Re5 43. Rf2 Re4 44. Rh2

White’s rook gets behind the passed pawn before Black’s.

44…Bh7 45. Rh8

The biggest threat the rook can make. White doesn’t lose time after 45…Kg7 because h6 will regain the tempo.

45…Kg7 46. Ra8 Kh6 47. Ra7 Rf4 48. Rb7 e5 49. Rb6 f6 50. a4 e4 51. Re6 Rf3 52. a5 Resigns

Endgame rule no. 7: Bishops are better than knights in all but blocked pawn positions

The classic example of “bishop better than knight” is this one, in which the bishop corrals the knight:

For the knight to get the better of it, he needs five friends:

In an endgame with bishop against knight, the bishop must work to limit the knight’s mobility, while its long reach is felt on other parts of the board.

The knight gets even in blocked pawn positions, where he can step in and out of tight places while the bishop is hampered by an immobile pawn structure. Bishops need open diagonals. From the opening, the player with the bishops seeks to open lines, while the player with knights seeks to keep the lines closed.

First American Chess Congress
New York 1857
White: James Thompson
Black: Paul Morphy
Giuoco Piano

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3

With the flawless plan to put a second pawn in the center with 5. d4, but 4. c3 doesn’t make a threat by itself. Evans’ 4. b4—a threat—is positionally motivated, aiming for 4…Bb4 5. c3—a threat—plus 6. d4.

4…Nf6 5. d3

A lukewarm move. 5. d4 ed4 6. cd4 Bb4 7. Bd2 Bd2 8. Nbd2 d5 gives White some advantage in the center.

5…d6 6. h3

The black bishop is not hindered by this move, so White did better to develop a piece here.

6…Be6

7. Bb3

There are bad doubled pawns and there are good doubled pawns. White rejected 7. Be6 fe6 because Black’s doubled pawns control the center and he would have an open f-file for his rook. Black declines 7…Bb3 8. ab3 because it brings a whole rook into the game for White.

7…d5 8. ed5

Giving up space in the center and revealing a backward pawn on d3. Better is 8. Nbd2.

8…Bd5

Black perhaps refrained from the natural 8…Nd5 because of the fork trick 9. Ne5 Ne5 10. d4, and White’s backward pawn is corrected. After 8…Bd5, if 9. Ne5 Ne5 10. d4 Bg2, and White is ruined.

9. 0-0 0-0 10. Bg5

Threatening to expose Black’s king by 11. Bd5 Qd5 12. Bf6.

10…Bb3

All of Black’s pieces are active after the pawn sacrifice 10…Qd6 11. Bf6 Bb3 12. Qb3 Qf6 13. Qb7 Rab8 14. Qc7 Rfc8 15. Qd7 Rd8 16. Qg4 Rb2.

11. ab3 h6 12. Bh4 g5 13. Bg3 e4

The better-developed side opens lines for his pieces.

14. Ne5

Black is winning after 14. de4 Ne4 15. Qd8 Rad8 16. Bc7 Rd7 17. Bh2 Nf2.

14…Ne5 15. Be5 ed3 16. Bf6 Qf6 17. Qd3 Rad8
Developing with a threat.
18. Qc2 Rfe8

White managed to keep the material balance, but Black’s development lead is remarkable.

19. b4 Bb6 20. Na3
White is most uncomfortable with 20. Nd2 Re2.
20…Qf4

The opening is about center control, the endgame is about saving time, and the middlegame is about piece coordination. Black aims to coordinate heavy pieces on d2, and diagonal pieces on h2.

21. Rad1 c6

22. Rd3

Dropping a pawn in a difficult position. 22. Rfe1 Re1 23. Re1 Rd2 24. Re8 Kg7 is a win for Black. Sergeant suggests 22. b3 to develop the knight on c4.

22…Bf2 23. Kh1

Worse for White is 23. Qf2 (23. Rf2 Re1 wins in shorter fashion) Qf2 24. Rf2 Rd3.

23…Rd3 24. Qd3 Re3

Making a double threat, the stronger of which is 25…Rh3 26. gh3 Qf3 27. Kh2 Qg3 28. Kh1 Qh3 mate.

25. Qd8 Kg7 26. Qd4

White is compelled to swap queens while a pawn down because his back rank proves too vulnerable after 26. Qd7 Bg3 27. Rg1 Qf2.

26…Qd4 27. cd4 Re2

Black makes one threat with 27…Re1 28. Re1 Be1, while 27…Re2 makes two.

28. Nc4 Re1

Forcing a trade of rooks is better than 28. Bd4 because the recapture 29…Be1 dooms the b4-pawn. One move earlier, White had Nc2 available.

29. Re1 Be1 30. Na5 Bb4 31. Nb7 Kf6

The bishop is well placed. Black threatens 32…Ke7 to trap the knight.

32. Nd8 c5 33. Nc6 Ke6

Black continues to improve his pieces. His job is easier if White simplifies to the pawn ending by 34. Nb4 cb4 35. Kg1 a5 36. Kf2 a4 37. Ke3 a3.

34. dc5 Bc5 35. g4 Kd5 36. Nd8

On 36. Na5, Black pushes his way in with 36…Bb4 37. Nb3 Kc4 38. Nc1 Bd2 39. Ne2 Kb3.

36…f6 37. Kg2 a5

Setting the potential passer in motion with a plan to freeze the target on b2.

38. Kf3 a4 39. Ke2 Bd4 40. Kd3 Bb2 41. Nb7 Be5 42. Kc2 Kc4

42…Bc7 corrals the knight.

43. Nd8

The knight is rounded up after 43. Na5 Kb5 44. Nb7 Bc7.

43…a3 44. Nb7

If 44. Kb1, 44…Kb3 prevents the blockade on a2.

44…a2 45. Na5 Kb4 46. Nb3 Ka3 47. Resigns

Blindfold simultaneous
exhibition
New Orleans 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Amateur
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. 0-0 d6 7. d4 ed4 8. cd4 Bb6 9. Nc3

9…Na5

The best answer to Morphy’s 9. Nc3. Tchigorin analyzed it to a draw in the 1860s, and no one has found an improvement for White in 140 years: 10. Bg5 Ne7 11. Bf7 Kf7 12. Nd5 Re8 13. Be7 Re7 14. Ng5 Kg8 15. Qh5 h6 16. Qg6 hg5 17. Nf6 Kf8 18. Nh7 Kg8 19. Nf6. This should not dissuade anyone from playing the Morphy Attack in the Evans Gambit.

10. Ng5 Nc4 11. Qa4 c6 12. Qc4 Nh6 13. Kh1 0-0 14. f4 Kh8

It was probably time to hit back in the center: 14…d5 15. ed5 cd5 16. Nd5 Be6 17. Ne6 fe6 18. Nb6 Qb6 doesn’t look too bad for Black.

15. f5 f6

Again, 15…d5 16. ed5 cd5 17. Nd5 Bf5 seems indicated. The good old advice is to meet action on the wing with counteraction in the center.

16. Ne6 Be6 17. fe6 Qe7

A notable aspect of 17…Ng8, which prevents a fracture of the king position, is that White can’t make any threats with his 18th move.

18. Bh6 gh6

The isolation of all those pawns makes it much easier to find threatening moves.

19. Rf3 Rg8 20. Raf1 Rg6

21. Ne2 Rf8

The first move for Black to consider is 21…Rag8, developing with a threat, and then 22. Nf4 Rg4 23. Rh3 Qg7 finds Black at the door. Rather than 22. Nf4, White can aim for a bigger threat with 22. Ng3. Then the hyper 22…d5 is winning for White after 23. ed5 cd5 24. Qd5 f5 25. Qe5 Qg7 26. Qg7, but the dour 22…Bd8 could lead to 23. Nf5 Qf8 (a fantastic variation is 23…Qc7 24. g4 d5 25. ed5 Rg4 26. Nh6 Rg2 27. d6) 24. R1f2 Rg4, and Black is threatening again.

22. Nf4 Rg5 23. d5

The threat to capture on c6 persuades Black to block the pawn position.

23…c5

White wins after 23…cd5 24. Nd5 Qg7 (or 24…Qe6 25. Nb6 Qg4 26. Rg3) 25. e7 Rg8 26. Nf6 Rg2 27. Qg8.

24. Qc3 Bd8

Otherwise the powerful sacrifice 25. Nh5 was coming. It is a case of nimble knight against blocked bishop.

25. Ne2
White is still kept out on 25. Rh3 Qg7.
25…Qg7 26. Ng3 Qc7

Black’s pieces are paralyzed after 26…Rg6 27. Nh5 Qe7, and Black can only sit and wait for White’s last bit of force to coordinate against f6: 28. g4 b5 29. h4 b4 30. Qb2 Kg8 31. g5 hg5 32. hg5 Rg5 33. Nf6 and wins.

27. Rf6

While examining every move that smites—White threatens 28. Rf8 mate—White determined that 27. Rf6 sacrifices a rook for the bad bishop, but frees his passed pawn.

27…Bf6 28. Rf6 Rf6 29. Qf6 Qg7

White also forces his pawn through after 29…Kg8 (29…Rg7 30. Qf8 Rg8 31. e7 threatens 32. e8(Q) and 32. Qf6 Rg7 33. Nf5) 30. e7 Qb8 31. Qe6.

30. Qd8 Qg8 31. e7 Re5 32. Nh5 Re4

The desperate 32…Re7 leaves Black similarly helpless on the black squares: 33. Qe7 Qg5 34. Qf8 Qg8 35. Qf6.

33. e8(Q)

White’s win is much more difficult after 33. Qg8 Kg8 34. Nf6 Kf7 35. Ne4 Ke7.

33…Resigns

It’s mate in four by 33…Re1 34. Qe1 Qd8 35. Qc3 Qf6 36. Qf6 Kg8 37. Qg7 mate.

Endgame rule no. 8: It is worth a pawn to get a rook on the seventh rank (with four or more pawns)

In a rook ending, said Purdy, get an active rook at all costs. When Fine said it is worth giving up a pawn to get a rook on the seventh rank if it can menace four or more pawns, he was being gentle. A rook must be aggressive in the endgame, and if a rook is not attacking, it is not a five-point rook. A rook is worth its weight if it is menacing, and that is worth two or three or four pawns.

Rooks and pawns grow in value late in the game. Pawns gain value because the object of the endgame is to create and to promote a passed pawn. Rooks swell in importance because the board is then open enough for them to perform their most important function: to take stuff. To take stuff, they must get down to the seventh rank where the pawns are—at any cost.

New York 1857
White: George Hammond
Black: Paul Morphy
Giuoco Piano

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 ed4

6. e5

If White were known to be a book player, one might think he got his memorized lines mixed up. In the Max Lange Attack, White mustn’t have the c3-pawn block his pieces: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 ed4 5. 0-0 Bc5 6. e5 d5 7. ef6 dc4 8. Re1 Be6 9. Ng5 Qd5 10. Nc3—but in the Giuoco Piano, White should use the c3-pawn to take the center with 6. cd4.

6…d5 7. Bb3

White achieves little by 7. ef6 dc4 8. fg7 Rg8 9. 0-0, though 7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cd4 would be OK.

7…Ne4 8. cd4 Bb6

8…Bb4 puts more pressure on the White position.

9. 0-0 Bg4 10. Be3 0-0 11. Qd3

White should develop with a threat by 11. Nc3, and then Black can win a pawn with 11…Bf3 12. Qf3 Nd4 13. Bd4 Bd4 14. Ne4 de4 15. Qe4 Bb2 16. Rad1, but White has plenty of compensation.

11…Bf3 12. gf3 Ng5 13. Qf5 Nd4

The best defense is a counterattack. Now if 14. Qg5, Black is well after 14…Qg5 15. Bg5 Nf3.

14. Bd4 Bd4 15. Nc3 g6

Black’s pieces are disorganized following 15…Be5 16. f4 Nf3 17. Kh1.

16. Qg4 h5 17. Qg2

White can’t stay in touch with the e-pawn by 17. Qf4 because of 17…Nh3, and similarly 17. Qg3 Be5 18. Qe5 Nf3.

17…Be5 18. Nd5 c6

Black would like to drive off the knight before playing …Qf6 to develop with another threat. After a defensive move like 18…Bg7 to avoid the pawn fork, 19. Rad1 stands out.

19. Rfe1

A good move, developing with a greater threat.

19…Re8

Black’s development is neglected by 19…Bh2 or 19…Bb2 20. Ne7 Kg7 21. Rab1.

20. f4 cd5 21. fe5

21…Ne6

It was important to block the a2-g8 diagonal. For example, 21…Ne4 would lose to 22. Re4 de4 23. Qg6 Kh8 24. Bf7.

22. Qd5
Not 22. Bd5 due to 22…Nf4.
22…Qd5 23. Bd5 Nf4

Along with the direct threat to d5, there is a knight fork at d3, so White ought to restrict the knight by 24. Bc4, which is surely better than freeing a black rook.

24. Bb7 Rab8 25. Bc6 Re6 26. Bd7 Re7 27. Rad1 Rb2

Black sacrificed his b7-pawn, but got it right back with the most active rook as interest.

28. Re4

A bad mistake. White’s d1-rook becomes overworked.

28…Rd7 29. Resigns

White’s interpositions are useless after 29. Rd7 Rb1.

London 1858
White: Reverend John Owen
Black: Paul Morphy
Queen’s Gambit Declined

1. d4

The difference between e-pawn and d-pawn openings is that the e-pawn can be threatened—for example, 1. e4 Nf6 creates an immediate conflict. After 1. d4, Black cannot make a threat, setting the stage for a quieter game.

1…e6

Morphy didn’t handle closed positions as well as positions with open lines for the pieces, and a closed position is in store for Black now that his c8-bishop is blocked. The most usual moves are 1…d5 and 1…Nf6, taking control of e4.

2. c4

White could’ve put a second pawn in the center with 2. e4 to transpose to a French Defense, and then a different type of closed game arises after the attacking move 2…d5. Instead, 2. c4 influences d5 from the wing, and White would have a grand center if he were allowed to play 3. e4.

2…d5 3. e3

Now White’s queen bishop is blocked. White typically makes best use of that bishop by 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5, where the pin helps fight for control of d5 and e4.

3…Nf6 4. Nf3 c5

A decade later, the German master Tarrasch would preach that this counterattack was the only correct answer to the Queen’s Gambit. It never became hugely popular because players are afraid to accept the isolated pawn that could result from 5. cd5 ed5 6. dc5.

5. Nc3

White shows he is willing to take on the isolated pawn by 5…cd4 6. ed4 dc4, though it’s easier for White to handle, given his lead in development.

5…Nc6 6. a3

White plans to develop his queen bishop on the board’s longest diagonal with b4 plus Bb2, even though it involves capturing away from the center.

6…Bd6 7. dc5 Bc5 8. b4 Bd6 9. cd5 ed5

These positions with an isolated d-pawn are among the richest and most widely-discussed in chess. Black’s d-pawn confers the short-term advantage of controlling more space in the center. In the long view, the d-pawn might eventually fall from its lack of friendly pawn support. It is a position of interest for both sides.

10. Be2

White could not win a pawn by 10. Nd5 Nd5 11. Qd5 because of the discovered attack 11…Bb4.

10…0-0 11. 0-0 a5

A direct threat. A common scheme is …Bc7, …Qd6, …Bg4, …Bf3, …Qh2 mate.

12. b5 Ne7 13. Bb2 Be6 14. Na4

This move does not seem to fit into a specific plan, unless it is to surround the a5-pawn by Bd4 plus Bb6 and Qd2. It is more likely that White wanted to make the positional threat of 15. Bf6 and had no other forward knight move.

14…Ne4 15. Nd4 Nc5

A curious move, decentralizing a piece to offer a trade for a piece on the edge. 15…Rc8 develops with the opposite intent of keeping the a4-knight out of play.

16. Ne6

This move strengthens his opponent’s center, and opens a line for an enemy rook.

16…fe6 17. Bg4 Nf5 18. Bf5

Another ill-advised capture. The knight was not mobile (relatively pinned because of White’s Nc5 followed by Be6), and Black’s recapture improves his rook.

18…Rf5 19. Nc5

19. Qd4 makes a double attack against c5 and g7, which 19…Qe7 parries.

19…Bc5 20. Qg4 Qe7

Guarding the loose bishop and freeing the rook from the pin.

21. Bd4

White aids his opponent in capturing the c-file by letting him get his bishop out of the way. 21. Rfc1 developed with the threat of 22. Rc5, but Black holds advantages in development and center control after 21…Rg5 22. Qe2 Rf8 23. Rc2 Rgf5.

21…Bd4 22. Qd4

22…Rc8

Abandoning the a5-pawn is an acceptable price to pay for the rook reaching the seventh rank. If White had the same idea, he might draw the game after 23. Rac1 Rc1 24. Rc1 Qa3 25. Rc7 Rf7 26. Rc8 Rf8 27. Rc7.

23. Qb6 Rc2 24. Rac1 Rff2

A sharp surprise for White, who is faced with mate in three.

25. Rc2

An improvement for White would have been 25. Rf2 Rc1 26. Rf1, and then if Black keeps the rooks on, White’s rook commands an excellent file. If Black swaps the rooks, White enters the queen ending with threats against b7 and a5.

25…Rc2 26. Qa5
White has the threat of 27. Qa8.
26…h6 27. Rf2 Rc1 28. Rf1 Qc5
Threatening mate in two.
29. Qd2

Queen endings are always tricky: White has chances after 29. Rc1 Qe3 30. Kf1 Qc1.

29…Rc3 30. Qd4
White puts up a tougher fight with 30. Rf3.
30…Qd4 31. ed4 Ra3 32. Rc1 Kf7

Black aims for a position where he has two connected passed pawns and his rook behind White’s passer. Not as convincing for Black is 32…Rb3 33. Rc8 Kh7 34. Re8 Rb5 35. Re6 Rb4 36. Kf2 Rd4 37. Rb6.

33. Rc7 Kf6 34. Rb7 Rd3 35. Kf2 Rd4 36. Ke3 e5 37. b6 Rb4

Rooks belong behind passed pawns. White’s rook is tied to the defense of the pawn, and loses mobility as the pawn advances.

38. Rb8 Ke7 39. b7 Kd7 40. Rg8 Rb7 41. Rg7 Kc6 42. Rg6

Black’s king gets back to the kingside just in time on 42. Rb7 Kb7 43. g4 Kc7 44. h4 Kd7 45. g5 hg5 46. h5 Ke7 47. h6 Kf7 48. h7 Kg7.

42…Kc5 43. Rh6 Rb3 44. Ke2 e4 45. Rh8

White has balanced the material but he is far behind in the race to queen a pawn.

45…Kd4 46. Rg8 Rb2 47. Kd1 Kd3 48. Resigns

If White had continued, 48. Kc1 Rf2 49. h4 e3 50. h5 Rf1 51. Kb2 e2 was possible.

18th match game
London 1858
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Johann Lowenthal
Ruy Lopez

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d4

Nowadays 5. 0-0 is preferred, but not because it is as soon as possible, but because it preserves tension in the position.

5…ed4 6. e5 Ne4 7. 0-0 Nc5

Alternatively, 7…Be7 plus 8…0-0 is a natural development.

8. Bc6 dc6 9. Nd4

White develops a new piece and moves closer to a desirable endgame with 9. Qd4.

10…Ne6

Grandmaster Emms judged this position as equal 140 years later. White has more board room (the e5-pawn gives White five ranks of maneuvering room to three) and better endgame prospects (White’s kingside pawn majority can force a passed pawn while Black’s queenside majority cannot) but Black has two bishops on an open board.

10. Ne6
10. Be3 does not bring a black piece forward.
10…Be6 11. Qe2

Neither side wanted to trade queens because either exchange would’ve aided the opponent’s rook development.

11…Bc5

White’s advantage in center space enables him to quickly attack this bishop. Maybe 11…Qh4 (moving along the d-file invites a threat to the queen while 11…Qe7 blocks the bishop) plus 12…Be7 and 13…0-0 would be an easier mobilization.

12. Nc3 Qe7 13. Ne4

The centralizing move precedes 14. Bg5, which would force the embarrassing 14…Qf8.

13…h6 14. Be3

Developing with a threat. Black loses a bit of time by swapping on e3, and the pin on the f2-pawn is broken, so White is free to advance f4-f5-f6.

14…Be3

Black’s vulnerability on the black squares shows on 14…Bb6 15. Bb6 16. Nd6, but after 14…Be3 15. Qe3, the white queen is ready to fly into a7 in case Black castles queenside.

15. Qe3

15…Bf5

Black feared White’s initiative after 15…0-0 16. f4, when Black might try 16…Qb4 (threatening 17…Qb2 to capture a pawn or 17…Qb6 to trade queens), and then if White presses with 17. f5, Black keeps making threats: 17…Bd5 attacks the knight, and 18. Ng3 Qb2 19. Rab1 Qc2 menaces mate on g2.

16. Ng3 Bc2 17. f4 g6
17…Qb4 still comes to mind.
18. e6 Bf5

Last chance to castle. 18…0-0 19. Rac1 Bf5 20. Nf5 gf5 21. Qb3 Qe6 22. Qb7 Rab8 23. Qa6 Rb2, Black’s rook reaches the seventh rank first.

19. Nf5 gf5 20. ef7 Kf7 21. Qh3

White avoided a trade of queens while the black king is exposed, and looked for an attacking move. From h3, the queen hits the weak pawns on f5 and h6, and could move deeper into the black position on h5. The alternative 21. Qb3 forks, but 21…Kg7 22. Qb7 Rab8 23. Qc6 Rb2 24. Qc3 Qf6 25. Qc7 Kg6 26. Rad1 Re8 gives Black more activity than White wishes. Further, White is targeting the black kingside pawns because when he captures one, he will gain a passed pawn.

21…Qf6 22. Rae1

Better than 22. Rad1 because after Black contests the file with 22…Rhd8, White cannot go forward with his rook unless he exchanges on d8 to help Black’s development.

22…Rhe8 23. Re5

A forceful and direct move. White threatens 24. Rf5 while 23…Re5 24. fe5 introduces the other white rook. White also prepares to double rooks on the e-file.

23…Kg6 24. Rfe1 Re5 25. Re5

White’s decision not to create a passed pawn by 25. fe5 is based on the black king’s exposure (the rook needs an open file if it is to charge down and attack the king) and some difficulty in lifting the blockade against the pawn: for example, 25. fe5 Qe6, and White’s game becomes a mess on 26. Qb3 Qb3 27. ab3 Kf7.

25…Rd8 26. Qg3 Kh7
26…Kf7 27. Qb3 promises more for White.
27. h3 Rd7 28. Qe3
Coordinating the pieces and preventing…Rd2.
28…b6

Black was more likely thinking about advancing his pawn majority than preventing Qa7.

29. Kh2 c5 30. Qe2

A very good move, aiming for Re6 and then Qh5 with strong threats. The attack on a6 could be coincidental.

30…Qg6

Now if 31. Qa6, Black can either try for counterplay along the seventh rank with 31…Rd2 or a file with 31…Rg7. White opts for a bigger threat.

31. Re6 Qg7 32. Qh5 Rd5

If 32…Rf7, the black queen is overworked: 33. Rh6.

33. b3

The b-pawn was not really under attack since the black queen is stuck to the defense of h6. 33. b3 hinders the potentially-passed c-pawn, Black’s best source of counterplay

33…b5

Black’s pieces are sadly tied to defensive tasks, so Black gives up the a-pawn, hoping to make some counterplay with the c-pawn.

34. Ra6 Rd6

White’s rook gets behind the passed pawn after 34…c4 35. bc4 bc4 36. Rc6.

35. Qf5 Qg6

Black must permit the trade of queens, for moving the king to the back row loses to 36. Ra8, while 35…Rg6 would be a terrible self-pin, after which each black piece is worsened.

36. Qg6 Kg6

37. Ra5

The easiest endings to win are pure pawn endings: 37. Rd6 cd6 38. Kg3 (else White could not catch the c-pawn) b4 (otherwise 39. a4 makes passed pawns on both sides of the board for White) 39. Kf3 d5 40. g4 c4 41. bc4 dc4 42. Ke3 c3 (42…b3 43. ab3 cb3 44. Kd2) 43. Kd3 Kf6 44. a4 and White wins.

37…Rb6

The most important task for a rook in an endgame with rooks is to take stuff, because that frees the rook to perform other tasks, such as taking more stuff. If the rook cannot take something, it should attack something. The very worst job for the rook in an endgame is to play defense. 37…c6 leaves the defensive job to a smaller unit.

38. g4

Passed pawns and potential passed pawns must be pushed.

38…c6 39. Kg3
The king must be active in the ending.
40…h5

White will surely not disconnect his pawns with 41. gh5, but he must re-activate his rook, which has no play along the rank.

40. Ra7 hg4 41. hg4 Kf6 42. f5 Ke5

On 42…Kg5 43. Rg7 and 44. Rg6, Black has wasted a move. 43. Re7 Kd6

43…Kf6 44. Re6 Kg7 45. g5 c4 46. g6 will win.

44. f6 Rb8 45. g5 Rf8 46. Kf4 c4 47. bc4 bc4 48. Kf5 c3 49. Re3 Resigns

Endgame rule no. 9: Rooks belong behind passed pawns

It is so important to have an active, mobile rook in the endgame that two of Fine’s 10 endgame principles remind us. It is worth giving up a pawn to get an active rook, and when there is a passed pawn on the board, our rooks belong behind it.

Whether the passed pawn belongs to our side or the opponent’s side, rooks belong passed pawns. If the passer is ours, and our rook is behind it, the rook supports the pawn’s advance, and the rook gains mobility with each step the pawn takes. If the passer is an enemy, and our rook is behind it, we are always menacing a capture, and our rook gains mobility as the pawn advances.

Rooks are at their worst in front of an enemy pawn. As the pawn goes forward, it takes mobility away from the rook. Rooks are meant to be attacking pieces—they are wasted as blockading pieces.

Third match game
Paris 1858
White: Daniel Harrwitz
Black: Paul Morphy
Dutch Defense

1. d4 f5

A queen pawn opening by White gave Morphy his earliest excuse to advance his f-pawn to control the center, but 1…f5 does not help Black develop his pieces.

2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4

The battle turns around control of e4. Both knights developed to hit e4, both bishops developed to pin the knights.

5. Qb3

Developing with a threat, but the move does not wholly fit in with the position. 5. g3 would contribute to the fight for e4.

5…c5

If 5…Nc6, Black blocks the c-pawn from reaching the center, and the threat …Nd4 is easily parried. The knight can wait, and later it can coordinate against d4.

6. d5

Purdy used to say that d5 is White’s ideal against the Dutch Defense if Black cannot reply …e5.

6…e5

Black’s better center and fluid pawns make up for his slight space disadvantage and lag in development.

7. e3 0-0 8. Bd3 d6 9. Ne2

White would expose himself to a pawn fork by 9. Nf3, but 9. Ne2 is a thoughtful development in any case, leaving room for his f-pawn to play.

9…h6

In a rather cramped position, Black forces the trade on f6 (10. Bh4 g5 11. Bg3 f4 traps the bishop) to give his pieces some breathing room.

10. Bf6 Qf6 11. a3 Bc3 12. Qc3

Enabling the b-pawn to fight on the queenside. If 12. Nc3 to bring the knight forward, White might’ve been puzzled about where the knight might go next.

12…Qg6

Clearing f6 for the knight’s development while making a threat.

13. 0-0 Nd7 14. b4

The opening won’t be over until White finds a file for his rooks. He looks to the queenside, where he has more space.

14…b6 15. f3 h5 16. Bc2

A diagonal opens for the black bishop and Black bears down on the kingside after 16. e4 f4.

16…Bb7

This development makes more sense if Black could knock down the d5-pawn. 16…Nf6 plus 17…Bd7 leaves the bishop on a clear diagonal, but 16…Bb7 is the fastest development, and the black rooks are now connected. The bishop finds good work on a6, where it attacks the base of the pawn chain.

17. Ba4 Qf7

Black realized that the kingside will lock up, so his queen moved back to the queenside where the fight will take place. 17…Rad8 is an obvious move, and then after 18. Bd7 Rd7 19. bc5 bc5 20. f4 e4 21. Rab1, Black’s rooks don’t cooperate.

18. Bd7 Qd7 19. bc5 bc5 20. f4

An important move, holding Black’s kingside motion in place and freezing the black pawns on white squares where they can block the bishop. 20…ef4 21. Nf4 would improve two white pieces.

20…e4 21. Rab1 Ba6 22. Rfc1

White could not play 22. Qa5 without dropping an important pawn, so Black’s queen gets to the a-file first, to attack a3 and c4.

22…Qa4 23. Ng3

Beginning a neat little maneuver. The threat to h5 wins a tempo for White, who uses the time to send the knight over to guard c4.

23…h4 24. Nf1 Rab8

If there is just one open file on the chessboard, the fight will happen there. Now 17…Qf7 to keep his rooks connected looks farsighted.

25. Nd2 Rb6

A strong move, threatening to double rooks with …Rfb8 and if White captures, Black’s a7-pawn moves to b6 and b5 to attack the c4-d5 structure.

26. Rb6 ab6 27. Qb3

The biggest threat White could make, while a recapture on b3 brings a piece forward.

27…Qb3

If 27…Qa5, then 28. Nb1 plus Nc3 and a4 might build a fortress that Black could never break. 27…b5 28. Qa4 ba4 29. Rb1 would be a very poor choice by Black.

28. Nb3 b5 29. cb5

Black’s rook is more active after 29. Na5 bc4 30. Nc4 Bc4 31. Rc4 Rb8.

29…Bb5 30. Na5 Ra8 31. Nb7 Ra6

Not 31…Ra3, for 32. Nd6 gives White three threats and the furthest-advanced passed pawn.

32. Rc3 Kf8

The king must be active in the ending, and the specific plan is to play …Ke7 to protect the d-pawn so that the rook can attack. 32…Rb6 is an ineffective threat, for White wants to play 33. Nd8 anyway, while the black rook releases its pressure against a3 and loses mobility, too.

33. Nd8 Bd7

The pawn position is blocked enough for the agile knight to give Black fits if it hops into e6.

34. Rb3 Ke7 35. Rb8 c4

Passed pawns must be pushed. White’s rook is most annoying after 35…Ra3 36. Nc6 Kf7 (36…Bc6 37. dc6 and White queens) 37. Rd8.

36. Kf2 c3 37. Ke2 Ra3

There is a huge difference between making this capture now rather than three moves earlier. Black’s c-pawn is far enough advanced so that the rook can get behind it.

38. Nc6 Bc6 39. dc6 c2

40. Kd2

White can make a queen by 40. c7 c1(Q) 41. c8(Q), but 41…Ra2 leads to a pretty checkmate.

40…Rc3

By moving his rook behind passed pawns of two different colors, Black makes a double threat. A lovely move.

41. Kc1 Rc6 42. Rb3

In the pawn ending that arises from 42. Rb2 Ke6 43. Rc2 Rc2 44. Kc2 Kd5 45. Kb3 (45. Kc3 Kc5) Kc5 46. Kc3 d5, Black will win.

42…Kf6 43. Ra3 g5

This is not the kind of move to make when one pawn ahead (then one should trade pieces but not pawns). Two pawns ahead, Black can trade pawns to make space on the kingside for an invasion by the king. Black also threatens 44…gf4, which results in three connected passed black pawns.

44. g3 hg3 45. hg3 gf4 46. gf4 Kg6 47. Ra5 Rc5

White’s hit on f5 prevented …Kh5, and the best defense is a counterattack. Now White must allow the black rook to penetrate to c3 or the king to h5 and g4. 48. Rc5 dc5 is an easy pawn ending.

48. Ra6 Rc3 49. Rd6 Kh5 50. Rd2 Kg4 51. Rg2 Kf3 52. Rg5 Rc5

Black is careful to the end.

53. Rh5 Ke3 54. Rh4 Kf3 55. Resigns

First American Chess Congress
New York 1857
White: Paul Morphy
Black: James Thompson
Sicilian Defense

1. e4 c5

This queenside attack is Black’s most defiant answer to 1. e4. In 1857, the ideas for the both sides were still being formed.

2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4

White is willing to give up a center pawn for a lesser wing pawn because the exchange improves White’s development a bit, and leaves him with four rows of space against three for Black.

3…cd4 4. Nd4 e6

Black could’ve equalized the space—four ranks to four—with 4…e5, but at the cost of permanent holes in his pawn position at d5 and d6. Some modern players play it (or 4…Nf6 5. Nc3 e5) eagerly.

5. Be3 Be7 6. Nc3 h6

A waste of a move. 6…d6 plus 7…Nf6 gives Black a tidy formation.

7. Bd3 d5

This is Black’s most desired move, making equal or better in the center, but after he has caught up in development. White is alert to the threats that become possible in a newly-opened position, even if it means moving the same piece twice in a row.

8. Bb5 Bd7

The only move that prevents an immediate loss of material is 8…Qd7, which knots Black’s queenside, and puts another big target on the white bishop’s diagonal.

9. ed5 ed5 10. Nd5 Nf6 11. Nf6

A pawn ahead, White wants to exchange material, and chooses to capture the knight instead of the slightly bigger bishop because 11. Ne7 Qe7 brings a new black piece into the game.

11…Bf6

Just by inching forward, Black threatens to win a piece with 12…Nd4.

12. c3 0-0 13. 0-0

If White continued swapping with 13. Nc6, he could wipe out half the pieces and even win a pawn after 13…Bc6 (13…bc6 is much better, though Black’s pawn structure is weakened) 14. Qd8 Rad8 15. Bc6 bc6 16. Ba7.

13…Qc7

A black rook will move to d8, so the white queen ought to get off the file. White chooses the square on which the queen coordinates with the bishop.

14. Qa4 Rfe8 15. Rad1

Sergeant said that White has to play 15. Nc6 in order to avoid Black’s next move, which offers Black good drawing prospects.

15…Re4

The pin along the rank nails down the knight before it is captured.

16. Bc6 Bc6 17. Qc2 Be5

A good idea. Before capturing on d4, Black pauses to make a bigger threat.

18. g3

Black would have a strong attack after 18. Nf3 Rg4, while 18. f4 loses a pawn.

18…Bd4

A middlegame of opposite bishops favors the side with the initiative, but in this case neither side is creating threats. If Black maintains the balance while a major piece or two is traded, his drawing chances improve greatly in the opposite bishop endgame.

19. cd4

White creates a passed pawn as soon as possible, even at the cost of worsening his bishop, and a blockade on d5 will likely hold up. He also threatens 20. d5 while the bishop is pinned.

19…Qe7

Black is playing on the wrong squares. 19…Qd7 prepares to block d5, or create checkmating threats with …Qh3.

20. d5

This helps White greatly, extending the scope of his rook and bishop while blunting Black’s bishop.

20…Bd7 21. Bc5 Rc8

Allowing the queens to be traded, but gaining an active rook.

22. Be7 Rc2 23. Ba3 b5

Black must threaten with 23…Bg4, after which he cannot be prevented from moving a rook behind the passed pawn (24. f3 Ree2 draws right off).

24. Rfe1

24…f5f5

Black squanders another chance to play actively. In fact, it is Black making all the threats with 24…Ree2 25. Re2 Re2 26. d6 a5 27. Bc5 Rb2 28. Re1 Ra2 29. Re7 Bh3 30. f4 Rg2 31. Kh1 Rd2.

25. f3 Re1 26. Re1 Rd2 27. d6 a5 28. Bc5

Black’s rook is well-placed after 28. Re7 b4 29. Rd7 ba3 30. ba3.

28…b4

Placing the pawn on b4 enables White to make a “desperado” capture with his bishop, though 28…Rb2 29. Re7 Rc2 30. Bd4 is good for White.

29. Re7 Rd5 30. Bb4 ab4 31. Rd7 Kf8 32. Rb7

White is glad to give up his advanced passed pawn to get two connected passed pawns and to move his rook from the front of the pawn.

32…Rd4 33. Kf2

The king must be active in the ending, and 34. Ke3 will break the connection between the black rook and the b4-pawn. Not 33. d7 Ke7, where the black king is attacking.

33…Rd6 34. Rb4 Rd2 35. Ke3 Rh2 36. a4
Passed pawns must be pushed.
36…Rc2

Black cannot get behind the a-pawn by 36…Rh1 37. Rb3 Ra1 38. Ra3.

37. a5 Rc5 38. Ra4
Much less principled is 38. a6 Ra5 39. Rb6.
38…Ke7 39. b4 Rc8 40. b5 Rb8
It’s too late for 40…Rc3 41. Kd2 Rb3 42. a6.
41. a6 Kd7
White promotes after 41…Rb5 42. a7.
42. b6 Kc6 43. b7 Kb6 44. a7
Re8 45. Kf4 Kb7 46. a8(Q)

The easiest endings to win are pure pawn endings.

46…Ra8 47. Ra8 Ka8 48. Kf5 Resigns

Endgame rule no. 10: Blockade passed pawns with the king

Sometimes we are compelled to put a roadblock in front of an enemy passed pawn before it gets closer to queening. That is purely a defensive job, and when we send a piece to do a defensive task, we should prefer to send the smallest unit possible so that the bigger units can attack.

For the purposes of blocking a passed pawn, the smallest unit possible is the king. Knights and kings have equal mobility—from a center square on an open board, they both control eight squares, but the knight is more of an fighting piece, because it can attack the other king.

Rooks are the worst blockaders of an enemy pawn. Rooks are only worth full value if they are running around the board taking things, but a rook looks big and clumsy in front of a pawn, for then it loses mobility as the pawn advances.

Paris 1858
White: Arnous De Riviere
Black: Paul Morphy
Evans Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb4 5. c3 Bc5

A mysterious move. Maybe making an inferior bishop retreat was Morphy’s way of handicapping himself.

6. 0-0 d6 7. d4 ed4

Black has to surrender the center else return the pawn with a worse position by 7…Bb6 8. de5 de5 9. Qd8.

8. cd4 Bb6 9. d5

Not only would the Morphy Attack—9. Nc3—be a good move, it is good psychology to wield a weapon against its inventor.

9…Na5

Better than 9…Ne5, when White builds an initiative by 10. Ne5 de5 11. Bb2.

10. Bd3 Ne7

Black plans to use the hole on e5, but 10…Nf6-d7-e5 would meet a pin by Bg5.

11. Bb2 0-0 12. Nbd2

White preferred not to block his bishop with 12. Nc3.

12…Ng6 13. Nd4 Qf6

Morphy was in some mood that day, first opting for a lesser opening variation, then exposing his queen to a discovered attack voluntarily. However, Black has developed with a threat, and White cannot profitably make a discovered attack while the b2-bishop is unguarded.

14. N2f3 Bg4

Black threatens 15…Bf3, when White has to foul his castled position with 16. gf3, because 16. Nf3 loses the b2-bishop while 16. Qf3 drops the d4-knight.

15. Qc2

15. Qd2 is preferable, setting White’s sight on a5, exposing the knight to a combination or a threat. For instance, 15…Bf3 16. Nf3 Ne5 17. Ne5 de5 18. Bc3.

15…Bf3 16. Nf3 Ne5 17. Kh1

White threatens 18. Ne5 de5 19. f4, winning a pawn.

17…Qe7 18. Ne5 de5 19. f4 f6

Black plays to maintain a pawn in the center. White commands the board after 19…ef4 20. e5.

20. Qc3

White uses a double threat of 21. fe5 plus 21. Ba3 to force a position with opposite-colored bishops. White has better center control and better development, and the opposite bishops in the middlegame will improve his winning chances, since Black’s bishop cannot defend against its attacking counterpart. In the endgame, the opposite bishops often result in an easy draw. De Riviere surely thought either of those results agreeable.

White might’ve tried 20. Rf3 and 21. Raf1, planning to increase the pressure on the center by 22. fe5 fe5 23. Rf5, and the skewer still lurks—for instance, 20…Rae8 21. Bb5 c6 22. Ba3.

20…Bd4 21. Qa5

White goes two pawns down with 21. Ba3 Bc3 22. Be7 Ba1 23. Bf8 Rf8 24. Ra1 ef4.

Bb2 22. Rab1 b6

The best defense is a counterattack. By making a bigger threat, Black rescues the b7-pawn from the skewer.

23. Qd2 Bd4 24. f5

White has claimed a space advantage on both wings, and the d5-e4-f5 pawn formation points White toward an attack on either side. Black is also denied the possibility of …ef4 plus …Be5 to aim at h2.

24…a6

Otherwise White could have played 25. Bb5 plus Bc6 and a4 to complete a blockade on the white squares.

25. Bc4

Black must be alert, for 26. d6 is a winning threat.

25…Qd6 26. a4 Rfb8 27. Rb3 Kf8

Sidestepping the discovered check for good, while 27…b5 is pinned by 28. Rfb1.

28. Qe2

A two-sided move. White might capture on a6, or attack the kingside with Qh5.

28…b5

Sacrificing his extra pawn in order to make a passed pawn, while the white bishop is further hampered. Both bishops are “bad bishops”, blocked by their center pawns, but some “bad bishops” are better than others—White’s bishop is behind his pawns, but Black’s is better for being beyond his pawns.

29. ab5
Here 29. Rfb1 could meet 29…b4.
29…a5

30. Rg3

Black’s passed pawn should not distract White too much from his greater space and number of pieces on the kingside.

30…a4
Passed pawns must be pushed.
31. Qh5 h6

Now White can force his way through the cracks on the white squares, but disaster strikes by 31…Kg8 32. Qh6 Qd7 33. d6 Kh8 34. Qh7 Kh7 35. Rh3 mate.

32. Qg6 Qe7 33. d6

An excellent move, restoring the bishop’s influence.

33…cd6 34. Qh6

A charming move, but incorrect. 34. Qh7 won the game right off.

34…Qf7
Worse is 34…Ke8 35. Rg7 Qf8 36. Rg8.
35. Qh8

White’s b5- and f5-pawns help form the mating net after 35. Qh7 Qc4 36. Qg7 Ke8 37. Qh8 Ke7 38. Rg7, so Black has to lose the queen by 38…Qf7. Then White wins the race to the other side by 39. Rf7 Kf7 40. Qh7 Ke8 41. Rf3 a3 42. Rg3 a2 43. Rg8.

35…Ke7 36. Rg7

White could win a rook for a bishop, but has a difficult road ahead after 36. Qb8 Rb8 (36…Qc4 37. Qb7 wins for White) 37. Bf7 Kf7 38. Rb1 (38. Ra3 Rb5 39. Ra4 is even harder since all the pawns are on one side of the board) Bc5 with …a3 to follow.

36…Rh8 37. Rf7 Ke8 38. Rf6

38…a3 39. Ba2

White judged well at move 36, and found himself with passed pawns on both sides of the board, but 39. Ba2 is a passive move. 39. Bd5 is a threatening move, and then 39…Ra5 40. Rc1 (40. Re6 Kd7 41. f6 a2 is more troublesome for White) Bc5 (40…a2 41. Rc8 Kd7 42. Be6 Ke7 43. Rf7 is a pretty checkmate) 41. g4 should win, since Black’s passer is doomed by 41…a2 42. Ra1.

39…Rc8

Endgames often turn into pawn races, and the winner is he who uses the least time getting across the board. Black has to break down White’s blockade at a2. Not 39…Rb8, for rooks are terrible in front of passed pawns and 40. Bd5 shows that Black does not even have a threat because of 40…Rb5 41. Bc6.

40. b6 Kd7

Black could’ve captured the passed pawn with 40…Bb6, but then it would’ve been very unlikely that White would miss the winning path of 41. Rd6 followed by pushing the f-pawn. Purdy said that if you must leave your opponent a good move, leave him more than one, for his choice might not be the best.

41. b7 Rc2 42. Be6 Kc7

Some of White’s advantage has slipped away because each of Black’s pieces is working. The black king is the preferred blockader of the b-pawn.

43. Rb1

Rooks belong behind passed pawns to support the pawn’s advance and because a rook gains mobility when the pawn goes forward. In this instance, the pawn will be blocked, and when Black gets his rook behind the pawn with …Rb2, it makes a double threat. Better is 43. Rf7 Kb8 44. Re7 to get the f-pawn moving, and then White is winning after 44…a2 45. Ba2 Ra2 46. f6 Re2 47. f7 Rf8 48. Re8 Kb7 49. Rf8.

43…Kb8 44. Bb3

White has wasted another move to make an ineffective threat, since …Rb2 was coming anyway. 44. Rf7 stays in touch with the b7-pawn and makes a bit of room for the f6-pawn, and then 44… a2 45. Ba2 Ra2 46. Rd7 Re2 47. Rd6 Re4 48. f6 is still a hard fight.

44…Rb2 45. Rb2 ab2 46. Ba2 Kb7 47. Rd6 Ra8 48. Resigns

Not even the skewer 48. Bd5 will save White.

Bibliography

Chernev, Irving. The 1000 Best Short Games of Chess, Fireside Books, 1955.

Fine, Reuben. Chess the Easy Way, Cornerstone Library, 1972.

Lawson, David. Paul Morphy: The Pride and Sorrow of Chess, David McKay, 1976

Nunn, John; Gallagher, Joe; Emms, John; Burgess, Graham. Nunn’s Chess Openings, Everyman Chess, 1992.

Purdy, C.J.S. The Fine Art of Chess Annotation (and Other Thoughts), Vol. 1, Thinkers’ Press, 1992.

Reti, Richard. Masters of the Chessboard, Dover Publications, 1976.

Sergeant, Philip W. Morphy’s Games of Chess, Dover Publications, 1957

Shibut, Macon. Paul Morphy and the Evolution of Chess Theory, Caissa Editions, 1993.

Openings Index

Bird’s Opening

Carr Defense

Center Counter Defense

Dutch Defense

Evans Gambit

5…Ba

5…Bc5

Declined

Four Knights Game

French Defense

Giuoco Piano

King Knight’s Opening

King’s Gambit

3…c6

Bishop

Classical

Cunningham

Falkbeer

Kieseritzky

Modern

Muzio

Owen’s Defense

Petroff Defense

Philidor Countergambit

Philidor Defense

Queen’s Gambit Declined

Ruy Lopez

Scotch Gambit

Scotch Game

Sicilian Defense

Torre Attack

Trompovsky Attack

Two Knights Defense

4. d4 59

4. Ng5

Players Index

Amateur

Anderssen, Adolf

Barnes, Thomas

Barnes/Morphy

Baucher, Henri

Bird, Henry

Brunswick, Duke of

Bryan, Thomas J.

Budzinsky

Carr, Dr. Jabez

Chamouillet

De Riviere, Arnous

de Vauvenargue, Count Isouard

Djordjevic, Radovan

Dominguez, P.

Frazer

Gebhard, Rudolf

Golmayo, Celso

Guibert

Hammond, George

Hampton, Thomas

Harrwitz, Daniel

Isouard, Count

Kennicott, Hiram

Knott, Hubert

Kovacevic, Marjan

Laroche, H.

Lewis

Lichtenhein, Theodore

Lowenthal, Johann

Lyttelton, Lord George Williams

Marache, Napoleon

Maude, P.

Maurian, Charles

McConnell, James

Meek, Judge A.B.

Mongredien, Augustus

Morphy, Alonzo

Morphy, Ernest

Morphy, Paul (white)

Morphy, Paul (black)

Morphy, P./Barnes

Owen, Rev. John

Owen/Staunton

Paulsen, Louis

Preti

Salmon, Rev. George

Schulten, John

Seguin, M.

Springe, Werner

Staunton/Owen

Taubenhaus

Thompson, James

Tilghman, Benjamin

Worrall, Thomas

About the author

Frisco Del Rosario is a chess teacher and a writer. The San Jose Mercury News named him Teacher of the Week in August 2004. He edited the California Chess Journal from 2001 to 2003, when the magazine won awards for analysis and general excellence. He resides in San Mateo, Calif., where he writes about basketball for a local newspaper.