Chess World.net presents: The Classic Opera Game! - Morphy vs the Allies Paul Morphy vs Duke Karl / Count Isouard "A Night at the Opera" (chessgames.com game of the day Dec-02-07) Paris 1858  ·  Philidor Defense: General (C41) [Event "Paris"] [Site "Paris"] [Date "1858.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Paul Morphy"] [Black "Duke Karl / Count Isouard"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C41"] [PlyCount "33"] [EventDate "1858.??.??"] {Morphy versus the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The chess game played in 1858 at an opera house in Paris between the American chess master Paul Morphy and two strong amateurs, the German noble Duke Karl of Brunswick and the French aristocrat Count Isouard, is among the most famous chess games. Duke Karl and Count Isouard consulted together, playing as partners against Morphy. The game is often used by chess instructors to demonstrate the importance of rapid development of one's pieces, and other lessons. The Duke frequently invited Morphy to the Italian Opera House in Paris, where the former kept a private box which was, according to Morphy's associate Frederick Edge, so close to the stage that one "might kiss the prima donna without any trouble", and which always contained a chess set, the Duke being a keen player as well as an opera lover. Morphy was extremely fond of music and opera and was eager to see Norma, which played on his first visit. Unfortunately, his host had seen Norma countless times, and Morphy found himself forced to play chess, even seated with his back to the stage. As the game progressed, the two allies conferred loudly enough with each other, debating their moves against the American genius, that it attracted the attention of the opera performers. Madame Penco, who had the role of the Druidic priestess in Norma, kept looking into the Duke's box, to see what all the fuss was about, even as she was performing the opera. Then the performers who were the Druids, marched about, "chanting fire and bloodshed against the Roman host, who, they appeared to think, were in the Duke's box", Edge recounted. It is doubtful if the distracted opera singers had a good enough view of what was going on. Comically, Morphy created this brilliant game while spending his time trying to overcome his blocked view of the opera, while the performers tried to catch glimpses of what was going on in the Duke's box.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Bg4 {This is a weak move already.--Fischer} (3... exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Bc4 O-O 7. Bf4 Nbd7 8. O-O Ne5 9. Bb3 Bd7) (3... Nd7 4. dxe5 Nxe5 5. Nxe5 dxe5 6. Qxd8+ Kxd8 7. Be3 Nf6) 4. dxe5 Bxf3 (4... Nc6 5. exd6 Bxd6 6. Be2 Qd7 7. O-O O-O-O) (4... Nd7 5. exd6 Bxd6) (4... a6 5. exd6 Bxd6) 5. Qxf3 dxe5 6. Bc4 Nf6 (6... Qf6 7. Qh3 Nc6 8. Nc3 Bd6) (6... Qd7 7. O-O Nf6) ( 6... Qe7 7. Bg5 Nf6) 7. Qb3 Qe7 (7... Nxe4 8. Bxf7+ Ke7 9. Qe6#) 8. Nc3 (8. Bxf7+ Qxf7 9. Qxb7 Bc5 10. Qc8+ (10. Qxa8 O-O 11. O-O Nbd7 12. Qb7 Ng4 13. Qb3 Nxf2 14. Qxf7+ Rxf7 15. g3 Nxe4+ 16. Kg2) 10... Ke7 11. Qxh8) (8. Qxb7 Qb4+ 9. Qxb4 Bxb4+) 8... c6 (8... Qb4 9. Bxf7+) 9. Bg5 {Black is in what's like a zugzwang position here. He can't develop the [Queen's] knight because the pawn is hanging, the bishop is blocked because of the Queen.--Fischer} b5 (9... Qc7 10. O-O-O b5 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. Nd5 Bh6+ 13. Kb1 cxd5 14. Bxb5+ Kf8 15. Qxd5 a6 16. Qxa8 axb5 17. Rd3) 10. Nxb5 (10. Bxf6 bxc4 11. Bxe7 cxb3 12. Bxf8 Rxf8 13. axb3) (10. Be2 Nbd7 11. a3 Nc5 12. Qa2 Qe6 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Qb1 f5) 10... cxb5 (10... Qb4+ 11. Qxb4 (11. Nc3 Qxb3 12. axb3) 11... Bxb4+ 12. c3 (12. Nc3 Bxc3+ 13. bxc3 Nxe4) 12... cxb5 13. Bxb5+ Nbd7 14. cxb4 Rb8 15. Bc6 Rxb4 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Rd1) 11. Bxb5+ Nbd7 (11... Kd8 12. O-O-O+ Kc7 13. Rd3 Qb4 14. Qxf7+ Qe7 15. Rc3+ Kb7 16. Qc4) 12. O-O-O (12. Bxf6 gxf6 13. O-O-O) (12. O-O Qb4) 12... Rd8 (12... Qb4 13. Bxf6 Qxb3 14. Bxd7#) (12... Rb8 13. Rxd7 Nxd7 14. Bxe7 ) 13. Rxd7 Rxd7 14. Rd1 Qe6 15. Bxd7+ Nxd7 (15... Qxd7 16. Qb8+ Ke7 17. Qxe5+ Kd8 18. Bxf6+ gxf6 19. Qxf6+ Kc7 20. Rxd7+ Kxd7 21. Qxh8) 16. Qb8+ Nxb8 17. Rd8# 1-0 "Norma" Opera links http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT7XdUxm3bI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZrao_GX4nk ►Subscribe for my regular chess videos: http://goo.gl/zpktUK ►Support the channel by donating via PayPal: http://goo.gl/7HJcDq

• published: 04 Jan 2012
• views: 18585