ChessIn 1858 the American player Morphy went to see an opera at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris (the Salle Ventadour), and two noblemen in the box, the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard, invited him to play. The two of them teamed up with Black and Morphy took White. As the usual story goes, Morphy really wanted to watch the show, so he played fast and clean and finished in 17 moves. The game is short, easy to follow, and every move shows how an opening should be played, which is why coaches love using it to teach beginners. When you're done, try the same ideas yourself at play chess online.
Opening: Black gives up a bishop too early
Trading bishop for knight lets White's queen develop for free, and Black has lost the light-squared bishop too. At this point White has a queen on f3, and Black hasn't developed a single piece.
Ahead in development? Open the position
Count the developed pieces: White has the queen, both bishops and a knight out; Black has only a knight and the queen out, and the king is still in the center. White's best plan now is to open the position right away and break in before Black is ready.
White has given up a knight for two pawns and open lines. The black knight on d7 is pinned by the bishop and can't move, and the white rook on the d-file is staring right at it. That's the power of a pin.
Sacrifice after sacrifice, all the way to mate
The final blow is beautiful: the queen goes to b8, the black knight has to take it, and the d-file is wide open. The rook checks on d8, the bishop on g5 covers e7, and the black king has nowhere to go. With one rook and one bishop, White mates a Black side that still has a queen, a rook, a bishop and a knight.
What this game teaches
- Develop fast: every White move brings out a new piece, while Black keeps moving the same piece around.
- Ahead in development? Open it up: the side with more pieces out should start the fight early, not wait for the opponent to catch up.
- Don't leave your king in the center: the black king never castled and got mated right there in the middle.
- Sacrifice with a purpose: White gives up a knight, a rook and the queen, and every time it's to open lines and make the remaining pieces stronger.
These are the three opening principles (take the center, develop fast, castle early) in a real game. Another equally famous attacking game is the Immortal Game.
Puzzle: give up the queen, mate with the rook
Show answer
16. Qb8+ Nxb8 17. Rd8# The queen goes to b8 with check, the black knight has to take it, and the d-file is empty. The rook goes to d8, mate: the bishop on g5 covers e7, and the black king is hemmed in by its own pieces with nowhere to go.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Morphy playing against?
Duke Karl II of Brunswick and Count Isouard, who consulted each other and played Black together. Both were amateurs of their day, and their opponent was the strongest player of that era.
Was Morphy a world champion?
Not officially. In the 1850s Morphy beat almost every top player in America and Europe, and many people consider him the strongest player in the world at the time. But the official world championship didn't begin until 1886, by which time he had long since retired from chess and had already died, in 1884.
Why is this game good for beginners?
It's short, only 17 moves, and the purpose of every move is clear: develop, open the position, attack the king. You don't need to memorize complicated lines to see the difference between good moves and bad ones.
Give it a try
Use the button below to start a game against the computer from the Philidor Defense position and try, like Morphy, to bring out a new piece every move. For a different level, go back to the free chess home page.
Play this opening against the computer