MATCH BETWEEN MR. MORPHY AND HERR LÖWENTHAL. THE present match was commenced on the 19th of July, and concluded on the 22nd of August, 1858, the games being played in the rooms of the two principal Metropolitan chess clubs alternately. The chief preliminaries, excepting the usual matters of routine, consisted of arrangements to the effect that the winner of the first nine games should be declared victor, and that play should take place on four days in each week, until the conclusion of the match; the séances being held, in turn, at the St. George's Chess Club, in King-street, St. James's, and at the London Club, in Cornhill. Lord Arthur Hay and another Member of the St. George's acted as Mr. Morphy's seconds, and the same favour was conferred upon Mr. Löwenthal by Mr. Barnes and Mr. Oldham; Mr. Staunton readily consented to fill the office of umpire, and Mr. Lewis accepted the appointment of holder of the stakes on the occasion. The combatants met regularly; and at the conclusion of the match, Mr. Morphy scored 9 games, and Mr. Löwenthal scored 3; two other parties having been drawn. The above contest, forming the first match played by the American champion in Europe, excited the liveliest interest among the lovers of chess in Great Britain; the proceedings were fully reported in most of the leading journals, and the club-rooms on the occasions of play frequently filled with an assembly of the élite. GAME I.-PHILIDOR'S DEFENCE. WHITE. (Mr. L.) 1. P. to K's 4th. 2. Kt. to K. B's 3rd. 3. P. to Q's 4th. 4. Kt. takes P. BLACK. (Mr. M.) 1. P. to K's 4th. 2. P. to Q's 3rd. 3. P. takes P. 4. Kt. to K. B's 3rd. An instructive analysis of this opening will be found in the second volume of the "Chess Monthly," p. 12. 5. Kt. to Q. B's 3rd. 6. B. to K's 2nd. 7. Castles. 8. Kt. to B's 3rd. 9. B. to K. B's 4th. 10. Q. to her 2nd. 11. P. takes P. 5. B. to K's 2nd. 6. Castles. 7. P. to B's 4th. 8. Kt. to B's 3rd. 9. B. to K's 3rd. 10. P. to Q's 4th. P. to K's 5th would have been bad play, as Black would then have moved the Kt. to K. R's 4th, following with P. to Q's 5th, obtaining an excellent position. 12. Q. R. to Q's sq. 15. Kt. to K. Kt's 5th. 16. Q. takes B. 17. Q. to R's 4th. 11. Kt. takes P. 12. Kt. takes B. 13. Q. to R's 4th 14. Q. R. to Q's sq. A very good move, which would have proved dangerous had White omitted to make the proper reply. 18. P. to Q. R's 3rd. The only correct move. Had White played P. to K. R's 3rd, or K. R. to K's sq., Black would have gained at least a Pawn by playing Q to Q. Kt's 5th, &c. 18. K. R. to K's sq. 19. K. R. to K's sq. 19. Q. to Kt's 3rd. 20. Kt. to R's 4th. 21. Kt. to B's 3rd. 22. R. to K's 5th. 23. Q. R. to K's sq. 24. 1. takes R. (ch.) 25. R takes R. (ch.) 26. Q. to K's 7th 20. Q. to R's 4th. 27. Kt. to R's 4th. 28. Kt. takes P. 29. P. to K. B's 3rd. 27. Q. to R's 4th. 28. Q. to her 7th. Had White played P. to K. R's 3rd, Black would have drawn the game by perpetual check; and if P. to K. Kt's 3rd, Black would have won easily by playing Q. to her 8th (ch.), &c. 29. Kt. to B's 3rd. Very well played, forcing the retreat of White's Queen from a square where she occupied a strong position. See diagram below: It is obvious that had White captured the Q. Kt's P., the loss of a piece would have immediately followed. 31. K. to B's 2nd. 32. B. takes P. 30. Q. to B's 8th (ch.) 31. Q. takes Kt's P. This was much better than playing the P. to Q. R's 4th, as Black would then have moved the Queen to Q. Kt's 5th, &c. 33. Q. to Kt's 5th. 32. Q. takes R's P. Kt. takes Kt's P., instead of the move in the text, would have been injudicious; Black would have replied with Q. to Q. Kt's 5th, threatening to take the Knight, and at the same time improving the position of his Queen. 33. Q. to B's 6th. Correctly played. Had Black preferred Kt. to Q's 5th, White might have replied with Q. takes Q. Kt's P.; Black's best move would then have been Kt. takes B., to which White could have answered with Q. to Q. B's 8th (ch.), regaining the piece with a Pawn a-head and a good position. 34. Kt. to his 3rd. 35. Q. takes P. 36. Q. to B's 8th (ch.) 37. B. to Q's 3rd. 38. Kt. to Q's 2nd. 39. K. to B's sq. 40. Kt. to his 4th. 41. K. to B's 2nd. 42. Q. to B's 3rd. 43. K. to his 2nd. 44. Kt. to B's 2nd. 45. Q. her 2nd. 46. Q. to K's 3rd. 47. Q. to K's 4th. 48. P. to K. B's 4th. 49. P. takes Kt. 50. K. to B's sq. 51. Q. to K's 7th (ch.) 34. Q. to B's 3rd. 35. P. to Kt's 3rd. 36. K. to R's 2nd. 51. K. to R's 3rd. And the game was declared drawn. The move recommended as best here is B. to K's 2nd, and the game is then continued thus: 5. B. to K's 2nd. 6. B. takes B. 7. P. to Q. Kt's 4th. 8. P. to Kt's 5th. 12. B. to K's 2nd. 5. B. takes Kt. 6. Kt. to Q. B's 3rd. 7. B. to Kt's 3rd. 8. Q. Kt. to K's 2nd. 9. P. takes P. 10. P. to Q. R's 3rd. 12. R. to his 2nd. 13. Castles. 14. B. to B's 3rd. 15. B. to Kt's 2nd. 13. Kt. to K. B's 3rd. 16. K. to R's sq. And the position of the centre Pawns gives White somewhat the advantage. 6. Q. takes B. 7. P. to Q. Kt's 4th 8. P. to Q's 3rd. 9. P. to B's 5th. 10. P. to Kt's 4th. 5. B. takes Kt. 6. Kt. to K. B's 3rd. 7. B. to Kt's 3rd. Premature. B. to K. Kt's 5th would have been correct play. 10. P. to K. R's 3rd. 11. K. to his 2nd. 12. P. to K. Kt's 5th. 11. P. to B's 3rd. 12. P. takes P. Black has now obtained a free range for the King's Rook, which promises subsequently to become a material advantage to him. Bringing the Queen's Rook into action, and thus adding to the strength of the attack. 16. P. takes R's P. The capture of the Pawn was compelled, for if the Knight's Pawn had been supported with the Rook's Pawn, in the exchange White would have been obliged to take with his B's P., when Black might have brought his B. to Q's 5th, with marked effect. What else can he do? If 15. P. takes P.-15. Kt. to K's 4th, winning a piece; and if 15. Q. to Kt's 3rd-15. P. takes P., discovering check, and winning easily. |