(204) Morphy 'e" Anderssen Game One December 20, 1858 Evans Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.0-0 Nf6 [diagram] This response of the king's knight to White's castling, after the previous advance of the white d-pawn, was a line generally recognized in Morphy's time.
Today it is considered inadeÂquate because of the attack (formerly regarded as unsatisfactory at this juncture) with 8.Ba3. In contrast, the so-called "compromised" variation 7'e¦dxc3 (game 105) would appear to be the best play. 8.e5 Much stronger here is 8.Ba3!, as Morphy, too, tried in one of his later games (game 245). 8'e¦d5 9.Bb5 There is nothing better; on 9.
exf6 there folÂlows 9'e¦dxc4 10.fxg7 Rg8 11.Bg5 Qd5 12.Re1+ (12.Nd2 Bf5 13.Qa4 b5 14.Qa3 Bxc3) Be6 13.Nbd2 Rxg7 14.
Ne4 Kf8 15.Bh6 dxc3 16.Qc1 Qh5 17.Nf6 Qg6 18.Ng5 Ke7, and White does not have a sufficient attack to outweigh the sacrificed pawns. 9'e¦Ne4 [diagram] 10.cxd4 On 10.Nxd4, there might follow 10'e¦Bd7 11.
Bxc6 bxc6 12.Ba3 c5 13.Nb3 Ba4. Or 10.Ba3 Bd7 11.Qb3 (11.Bxc6 Bxc6 12.cxd4 Qd7 is better for Black) 11'e¦Bxc3 12.
Nxc3 Nxc3 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Nxd4. The best play here is 10.Qa4 0-0 11.Bxc6 Bxc3 12.Nxc3 Nxc3 13.Qc2 bxc6 14.
Nxd4 c5, and White has very good chances to draw. 10'e¦0-0 Safer is 10'e¦Bd7. Black offers to return the pawn so that he can wrest the attack from his oppoÂnent. 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Qa4 With this maneuver White does win a pawn, but he soon finds himself in an unfavorable position, as the queen is diverted far from the game. 12'e¦Bb6 13.Qxc6 Bg4 14.
Bb2 White already has to contend with difficulties 'e" the pawn on d4 is weak. On 14.Be3, 14'e¦f6 could follow, with a strong game. 14'e¦Bxf3 15.gxf3 Ng5 16.Nd2 [diagram] 16'e¦Re8 Much more energetic is 16'e¦Nh3+ 17.Kh1 (17.Kg2 Qh4 18.
Rad1 Rae8, with 'e¦Re6 next) 17'e¦Qh4 18.Qxd5 Nxf2+ 19.Kg2 Qg5+, winning a piece. 17.Kh1 Nh3 18.f4! Morphy defends himself as best he can. 18'e¦Qh4 19.Qxd5 Nxf2+ 20.
Kg1 On 20.Kg2, 20'e¦Nd3 would be even more decisive. 20'e¦Nd3 21.Bc3 Nxf4 22.Qf3 Nh3+ 23.Kh1 Ng5 24.Qg2 Rad8 24'e¦h6 25.Nf3 Qe4 can be considered.
[diagram] 25.Rg1 Here Morphy misses the possibility of a draw with 25.Nf3 Nxf3 26.Qxf3 Rd7 27.Rad1, or 26'e¦Bxd4 27.Qxf7+ (better is 27.Bxd4 Qxd4 28.Qxf7+ Kh8 29.
Rad1) 27'e¦Kh8 28.Rf4 Qxf4 29.Qxf4 Bxc3 30.Rb1 Bxe5 31.Qc4 Bd4 32.Rd1 Bb6 33.Rxd8. Black stands rather better.
25'e¦h6 26.Raf1 26.Nf3 is inadequate because of 26'e¦Qh3 27.Nxg5 Qxg2+ 28.Kxg2 (28.Rxg2 hxg5 29.Rd1 Rxe5, or 29.Rd2 f6 30.
exf6 gxf6 31.Rf1 Rf8 32.d5 Kg7 33.h4 Be3).