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Chess/Famous Games/Opera Game

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The Opera Game is another very famous short chess game. It pitted Paul Morphy, one of the strongest American chess players of the nineteenth century, against two avid amateur players: Duke Karl of Brunswick and Count Isouard, who conferred with each other throughout the game. The game was played during the performance of Norma at the Italian Opera House in Paris. Legend has it that the Duke was criticised in the next day's papers for playing chess at the opera and talking!

Paul Morphy took the white pieces.

a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black kingd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black kinge7 black kingf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black kingd6 black pawne6 black kingf6 black kingg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 black pawnf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 black kingd4 white pawne4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 black bishoph4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 white knightg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 black kinge2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 black kingh1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Diagram 1: Position after 3. ... Bg4?!
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black kingd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black kingh8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black kinge7 black kingf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black kingd6 black kinge6 black kingf6 black knightg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 black pawnf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 white bishopd4 black kinge4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 white queenc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 black kinge2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 black kinge1 white kingf1 black kingg1 black kingh1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Diagram 2: Position after 7. ... Qb3!
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black kingd8 black kinge8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black kingh8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black kingc7 black kingd7 black kinge7 black queenf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black pawnd6 black kinge6 black kingf6 black knightg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black pawnc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 black pawnf5 black kingg5 white bishoph5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 white bishopd4 black kinge4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 white queenc3 white knightd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 black kinge2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 black kingc1 black kingd1 black kinge1 white kingf1 black kingg1 black kingh1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Diagram 3: Position after 9. ... b5?
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black kingb8 black kingc8 black kingd8 black kinge8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black kingh8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black kingc7 black kingd7 black rooke7 black queenf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black kingd6 black kinge6 black kingf6 black knightg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 white bishopc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 black pawnf5 black kingg5 white bishoph5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 black kingd4 black kinge4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 white queenc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 black kinge2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 black kingb1 black kingc1 white kingd1 white rooke1 black kingf1 black kingg1 black kingh1 black king1
a b c d e f g h
Diagram 4: Position after 14. Rd1
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black kingb8 black knightc8 black kingd8 white rooke8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black kingh8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black kingc7 black kingd7 black kinge7 black kingf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black kingd6 black kinge6 black queenf6 black kingg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 black pawnf5 black kingg5 white bishoph5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 black kingd4 black kinge4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 black kinge2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 black kingb1 black kingc1 white kingd1 black kinge1 black kingf1 black kingg1 black kingh1 black king1
a b c d e f g h
Diagram 5: Position after 17. Rd8#

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 d6

This is Philidor's Defence, a solid but rather lacklustre opening for black that is rather uncommon today. It was, however, a frequently-used opening in the 1850s.

3. d4 Bg4?! (Diagram 1)

A dubious move. Although a standard line at the time, today theory dictates that black should take the pawn or develop the king's knight.

4. dxe5 Bxf3

4. ... dxe5 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 6. Nxe5 loses a pawn.

5. Qxf3 dxe5

6. Bc4 Nf6

This move, although seems like a logical way to develop the knight, runs into a refutation that forces black to move his pieces into rather awkward positions.

7. Qb3! (Diagram 2)

The attack against f7, the Achilles' heel of the starting chess position, is strong. White threatens to play 8. Bxf7+ Ke7 9. Qe6#.

7. ... Qe7

An ugly move that blocks in black's king bishop, but there isn't anything better. 7. ... Qd7? 8. Qxb7 and 9. Qxa8 costs black a rook.

8. Nc3

White could have instead won a pawn with 8. Qxb7, but after ... Qb4+ he would have to trade queens. Morphy correctly decides that in this case development is worth more than a pawn, especially because black's king is stuck in the centre, unable to castle.

8. ... c6

Necessary to avoid losing a pawn. Unlike a move ago, black no longer has the ability to play ...Qb4+ and get the queens off the board.

9. Bg5 b5? (Diagram 3)

It appears that black can take some of the pressure off his weak position by driving back the bishop. However, the Duke and Count probably didn't foresee a bold piece sacrifice to keep the initiative alive.

10. Nxb5!

Black is given not a moment to rest.

10. ... cxb5?

Overly materialistic. Black should have taken the opportunity to get the queens off the board with 10. ...Qb4+, although white could still enter an endgame ahead a pawn and with good winning chances.

11. Bxb5+ Nbd7

12. 0-0-0

Both black knights are pinned.

12. ... Rd8

13. Rxd7! Rxd7

14. Rd1 (Diagram 4)

White replaces the rook with another one, this time sans the black knight.

14. ... Qe6

Black tries to get out of the pins, but it is too little too late.

15. Bxd7+ Nxd7

Or 15. ... Qxd7 16. Qb8+ Ke7 17. Qxe5+ Kd8 18. Bxf6+ gxf6 19. Qxf6+ Kc8 20. Rxd7 Kxd7 21. Qxh8 when white has a massive material advantage.

16. Qb8+!! 16. ... Nxb8

17. Rd8# (Diagram 5)

A very stylish checkmate.

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