Paul Morphy’s Bolt out of the Blue vs Bird

July 14, 2024 NHaselton Chess Lectures

ChessNetworkSun, July 14, 2024 7:32pmURL:
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Featured is the chess game between Henry Bird and Paul Morphy from London, 1858. Morphy plays an inferior opening in the Philidor Countergambit, but Bird doesn’t take advantage of it. After Bird castles queenside, the kings are on opposite wings. Morphy responds immediately with a bolt out of the blue, a move that can only be played if one possesses great board vision.
#PaulMorphy #PhilidorCountergambit

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PGN
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Ng3 e4 7.Ne5
Nf6 8.Bg5 Bd6 9.Nh5 O-O 10.Qd2 Qe8 11.g4 Nxg4 12.Nxg4 Qxh5
13.Ne5 Nc6 14.Be2 Qh3 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Be3 Rb8 17.O-O-O Rxf2
18.Bxf2 Qa3 19.c3 Qxa2 20.b4 Qa1+ 21.Kc2 Qa4+ 22.Kb2 Bxb4
23.cxb4 Rxb4+ 24.Qxb4 Qxb4+ 25.Kc2 e3 26.Bxe3 Bf5+ 27.Rd3 Qc4+
28.Kd2 Qa2+ 29.Kd1 Qb1+

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