London, 1858. During his triumphant European tour, Paul Morphy played a casual game against the English master Henry Bird. A pawn up with an easy game, Morphy could not resist beauty: he threw a rook into f2 with 17...Rxf2 and chased the white king into a net of his own pieces. It is one of the most charming attacking games of the Romantic era.
When your pieces are all pointing at the enemy king, sacrifices that open lines can be worth far more than the material. Morphy's ...Rxf2 and ...Qa3 dragged the king onto exposed squares; once it wandered, a stream of checks finished it. Activity and king safety, not the material count, decide attacking positions.
It blasts open the f-file and lures the white pieces away from the king, after which 18...Qa3 begins a king hunt. It is a beautiful idea, though a calm continuation also wins — Morphy played for art as much as for the point.
No — it was a casual offhand game in London during Morphy's 1858 tour. He played in a freer, more sacrificial style in casual games than in his serious matches, which is part of this game's charm.
Yes — take the board as Black at move 17 and try the rook sacrifice and king hunt, or replay the whole game move by move, no sign-up.
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