Sunday, August 03, 2008
Combinations 08.08.03
Now for something completely different. NoTB - vlandre, a FICS 5 minute blitz game from yesterday. NoTB is my handle at FICS. Certainly not the same quality as a Morphy game but still "interesting." I was inspired by all of the Morphy games I have been reviewing to play an Evans Gambit. The opening went well, for a while...See if you can spot the mate in one (!) that I missed at the end.
GlennGames/NoTB-vlandre.pgn
GlennGames/NoTB-vlandre.pgn
Labels: combinations, deflection, eco-c5x, overloading, pinning
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Daily Tactic July 31, 2008
Morphy-Julien, New York simul, 1859.
This knight odds game features a double attack and multiple deflections.
Morphy/Morphy-Julien-1859.pgn
This knight odds game features a double attack and multiple deflections.
Morphy/Morphy-Julien-1859.pgn
Labels: chessflash, daily tactic, deflection, double attack, Morphy
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Daily Tactic July 30, 2008
Morphy-Jefferson, New York simul, 1859. I am giving away the ending, but the game ends with the mating pattern know as Philidor's Legacy. Morphy sets it up with two Deflecting moves. To help learn this pattern and solidify it, practice going over the final moves in your head from move 19 to the end. Once you learn the pattern or if you already know it, go over the game in your head from move 17 onwards to practice your visualization skills.
Deflecting is forcing an enemy piece away from some useful position. In this game Morphy deflects the black queen off of the d8-h4 diagonal. Decoying is attracting an enemy piece to a square useful for you. In this game as part of the final mating pattern, a black rook is decoyed to the f8 square.
Morphy/Morphy-Jefferson-1859.pgn
Deflecting is forcing an enemy piece away from some useful position. In this game Morphy deflects the black queen off of the d8-h4 diagonal. Decoying is attracting an enemy piece to a square useful for you. In this game as part of the final mating pattern, a black rook is decoyed to the f8 square.
Morphy/Morphy-Jefferson-1859.pgn
Labels: chessflash, daily tactic, decoying, deflection, eco-c5x, Morphy
Friday, July 25, 2008
Daily Tactic July 25, 2008
Morphy - Thompson, New York, 1859.
Morphy/Morphy-Thompson-1859.pgn
How good a chessplayer was Paul Morphy? Let’s look at a match he played against James Thompson, a man thought to be one of the top dozen American players. Giving him the outrageous odds of a Knight, Morphy beat him 5-2! After looking over Morphy’s games, Fischer said that, given time to study modern theory and ideas, Morphy would beat any modern player (except Fischer, of course!).
Morphy/Morphy-Thompson-1859.pgn
Labels: chessflash, daily tactic, deflection, double attack, Morphy, pinning
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Daily Tactic July 24, 2008
Morphy-Anderssen, Paris, 1858.
Morphy made it look easy against the second best player in the world. In the final position, Morphy played a strong move and then Anderssen resigned. What was Morphy's winning move? It does involve a Deflection followed (in the main line) by a Pin.
Morphy/Morphy-Anderssen-1858.pgn
Update: I am in the process of adding a mute/unmute button and when that is done I will have more posts with sound/voice.
Karl Ernst Adolf Anderssen ... is generally considered to have been the leading chess player in the world from 1851-1858 and 1861-1866. He was "dethroned" temporarily in 1858 by Paul Morphy, who announced his own retirement from chess in 1859...
For the next few years Anderssen was considered by many people to be the world's best player, ... Then in late 1858 he was beaten 8-3 by the American champion Paul Morphy in a famous match held in Paris, France (2 wins, 2 draws, 7 losses). Although Anderssen knew as well as anyone how to attack, Morphy understood much better when to attack and how to prepare an attack...
Anderssen played the curious opening move 1. a3 in 3 games of his match against Morphy, and broke even with it (1 loss, 1 draw, 1 win). This opening move, now referred to as "Anderssen's Opening", has never been popular in serious competition.
Morphy made it look easy against the second best player in the world. In the final position, Morphy played a strong move and then Anderssen resigned. What was Morphy's winning move? It does involve a Deflection followed (in the main line) by a Pin.
Morphy/Morphy-Anderssen-1858.pgn
Update: I am in the process of adding a mute/unmute button and when that is done I will have more posts with sound/voice.
Labels: chessflash, daily tactic, deflection, eco-c6x, Morphy, pinning
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Semi Daily Tactic July 23, 2008
On the home front we will be getting a new Air Conditioner installed Friday and will be much cooler after that. We are getting a respite from the heat with some rain and more possible soon (Hello, Dolly!). Actually, I don't think Dolly is expected to affect us much in Houston except for some additional, needed rainfall.
Today's game is Morphy-Lowenthal, 1858.
The very last move of the game (which I have removed) is a nice tactic featuring a Deflection sacrifice that will win due to a Pin and Skewer. A Deflection is forcing an enemy piece to move away from an advantageous square. So, what is Morphy's winning move in the final position?
Morphy/Morphy-Loewenthal-1858.pgn
Today's game is Morphy-Lowenthal, 1858.
He was one of the first masters to play a match against Morphy after the latter's arrival in London in 1858. Morphy won with a score of nine wins, three losses and two draws. "...I am convinced that I was vanquished by superior strength," Löwenthal said about the match, as reported by the Englishman Frederick Edge. No doubt aware that chess was Löwenthal's only source of livelihood, and conscious to not be considered a professional player himself, Morphy after winning the match stakes of £100, presented Löwenthal with a gift of furniture valued at £120 for his new house.
The very last move of the game (which I have removed) is a nice tactic featuring a Deflection sacrifice that will win due to a Pin and Skewer. A Deflection is forcing an enemy piece to move away from an advantageous square. So, what is Morphy's winning move in the final position?
Morphy/Morphy-Loewenthal-1858.pgn
Labels: chessflash, daily tactic, deflection, eco-c0x, Morphy, pinning, skewer
Monday, July 14, 2008
Daily Tactic July 14, 2008
The colors are reversed compared to yesterday. Today it is Morphy as White against Harrwitz in Paris, 1858. The opening transposes into a Ruy Lopez: C62.
After 30. c5 Harrwitz takes on c5 with his rook setting up a combination that would not work if the rook is still on the seventh rank -- do you see why? Morphy then delivers the fatal blow with 31. ?
Puzzles/Morphy-Harrwitz-1858.pgn
After 30. c5 Harrwitz takes on c5 with his rook setting up a combination that would not work if the rook is still on the seventh rank -- do you see why? Morphy then delivers the fatal blow with 31. ?
Puzzles/Morphy-Harrwitz-1858.pgn
Labels: chessflash, daily tactic, deflection, demolition of pawn structure, eco-c6x, Morphy
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