Morphy, Paul VS Bird, Henry Edward 1858.??.??

Annotations

Morphy against Bird, London 1858 — a casual Evans Gambit. Notes by Löwenthal.

1. 8.O-O Mr. Boden, in his “Popular Introduction,” has advocated B. to Kt's 2nd here, — a move well worthy of the student's attention. A close examination of it has satisfied us of its merits.
2. 14.Nxd7 A good move.
3. 14…Kxd7 Had Black taken the Rook with Queen, White would have obtained such an attack as must have won easily, either by forcing the King into a checkmate, or by winning the Queen.
4. 15.Qg4+ The attack is maintained with Mr. Morphy's characteristic energy.
5. 16.Bg5 We believe that moving this Bishop to Q. R's 3rd would have been stronger play on White's part.
6. 16…Qg6 Had the Rook been captured instead, White would have checked with Rook, easily forcing the game.
7. 24…Qh5 Q. to Kt's 5th would clearly have cost her majesty's life, immediately.
8. 25.Rf4 A masterly move, threatening to win the Queen by Kt. to B's 6th (ch.), &c.
9. 25…f6 If K. to R's 2nd, White would equally have checked at K. B's 6th, winning the Queen. But it was observed, at the time, by Mr. Boden, that if, instead of the move played (an oversight which at once costs Mr. Bird the game) Black had moved 25. R. to K. R's 3rd, the second player would have a strong defensible position, with a Pawn plus.

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