Owen, John VS Morphy, Paul 1858.08.??

Annotations

Game VII of the Pawn-and-move odds match, the win that decided the contest.

1. 3.Nf3 P. takes P. is the correct move, and by so playing the attack may be maintained.
2. 7.c3 At this point P. to K. B's 4th would have been a good move.
3. 12…Ne7 Mr. Morphy has a most happy knack of extricating himself from a difficulty; this, we believe, was the only move to avert the danger with which he was threatened.
4. 13.Nc3 If 13. P. to K's 5th, the following moves would probably have ensued:— P. takes P.; 14. P. takes P., Q. to Kt's 3rd (ch.); 15. K. to R's sq., Kt. takes B.; 16. Q. takes Kt., Q. takes Kt., winning a piece.
5. 15.e5 Taking the Kt's P. with the Queen would only have lost time, as Black would have answered with R. to Q. B's sq. If White had then retreated the Bishop, Black, by checking with the Bishop and following that move with R. to B's 2nd, would have been enabled to develop his game.
6. 19…Nd5 Black dare not attempt to save the Rook by R. to K. B's sq., on account of Q. Kt. to Q's 6th (ch.), which would have caused the loss of the Queen.
7. 23…Bc7 The best possible move.
8. 25.Qxg7 If Q. to Kt's 3rd, Black would have derived an advantage from K. R. to B's sq.
9. 25…Bxd6 K. R. to Kt's sq. would have produced the desired result more speedily.
10. 33…Rhg8+ And wins the game and the match.

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