Loewenthal, Johann Jacob VS Morphy, Paul 1858.07.22

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Löwenthal against Morphy — the third game of their 1858 London match (Petroff's Defence), won by Morphy with the Black pieces.

1. 6…Be7 B. to Q's 3rd is the more usual move, but the one made may be adopted with equal, if not greater, advantage.
2. 7…Nc6 Castling is generally practised at this juncture, but the text move is also good and safe.
3. 8…f5 Mr. Morphy thinks that he ought rather to have played Kt. to Q's 3rd, or B's 3rd, and that then the game would have been even; but in consequence of this advance of the Pawn his position shortly becomes the weaker of the two.
4. 13…Bd6 It was necessary to get rid of the adverse Queen's Bishop, to prevent it from occupying the King's 5th square, where its action would have been formidable.
5. 16.c4 Premature; it would have been better to have advanced the P. to K. B's 4th. Indeed, if White had played thus, he would have had an excellent game.
6. 20…Rd8 Mr. Morphy is of opinion that P. to B's 4th would have been infinitely stronger.
7. 21.Qa5 K. to Q's square might also have been played, for if in reply Black had pushed P. to B's 4th, White would have answered with P. to Q's 5th, and if then P. to B's 3rd, White might have commenced an attack on the K. B's P., gaining the requisite time to bring the Bishop to B's 2nd and Kt's 3rd, and so saving the threatened Pawn. We are of opinion, however, that the move really adopted was a better one.
8. 23.Qf4 R. to K's 7th, as suggested by some of the leading members of the London Club, would not have led to any decisive result.
9. 25…Qb6 It was judicious play on Mr. Morphy's part to challenge the exchange of Queens, with his King in such an exposed position. If accepted, the end game would have been reduced to a probable draw.
10. 27.Qc8+ If the Bishop had been taken the game most likely would have been continued, as in the variation given in the preceding note, viz.: R. takes B., &c., eventually regaining the Rook.
11. 28…Rd1 Mr. Morphy played only for the draw.
12. 29.Qe5 A bad move, changing the whole aspect of the game at once. Mr. L. should have been contented with a draw.

J. Löwenthal, Morphy's Games of Chess (1860) · Public domain · source