Löwenthal against Morphy — the ninth game of their 1858 London match (Ruy Lopez), won by Morphy as Black.
3…Bc5This line of defence is decidedly inferior to either that of 3. Kt. to K. B's 3rd or 3. P. to Q. R's 3rd, for it allows the first player to advance his Q. B's P., attack the Bishop, and establish his Pawns securely in the centre of the board; but we believe Mr. Morphy was anxious to test the merit of Mr. Boden's defence of 6. P. to K. B's 3rd, and thus it was that he adopted the present line of play.
5…f6This move, lately adopted at the suggestion of Mr. Boden, seems to us to give the second player a more cramped position than any other defence, and we cannot, therefore, recommend it.
25.exd5Better than taking with B's P., as Black might, in that case, have advantageously replied with Q. R. to Q. B's sq.
26.Bc1The correct move, effectually checking the threatened advance of the King's Pawn.
27.Bb2The Bishop here commands a most important diagonal.
39.Rfe1With the view of capturing the Queen's Pawn, and then sacrificing the Rook.
39…Rgf8Aiming at the release of the King from a position where he was so terribly menaced.
41.Qa3This position, of which we give a diagram on account of its interest, was closely examined by some of the best analysts in the metropolis, who came to the conclusion that White should have played P. to Q. B's 6th at this juncture. The variations of the analysis in question tend to show that White would have obtained a winning game by so playing.
44.Rc1White had so fine a game, owing to the advanced position of the two Pawns, that with ordinary care and judgment he ought to have made the victory his own. The move in the text is weak; P. to R's 6th would have been far more effective, and caused Black much embarrassment.
56.Qh3An irretrievable error. Had the exchange of Queens been challenged at K. B's 3rd, White's position would have been the better of the two.
58.Rf1Again the situation is one of much interest, and was regarded by the lookers-on with the utmost attention. It was thought by some good judges of the game that if P. to R's 6th had now been played White would still have been able to maintain an advantage; the able analysis that appeared at the time in “Bell's Life in London”, however, clearly disproved the soundness of the opinion advanced.
J. Löwenthal, Morphy's Games of Chess (1860) · Public domain · source