Chess Department
Conducted by Paul Morphy
(White) Bourdonnais - (Black) MacDonnell
Game 27
Irregular Opening (Bird's Opening - A03)
1. f4
A very good opening, when an irregular game is sought.
1...d5 2. d4 c5 3. e3 Nc6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. c4 Bg4 6. cxd5 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 Qxd5
8. Qxd5 Nxd5 9. Bb5 cxd4 10. exd4
He should have first taken knight with bishop in order to leave his adversary with two isolated pawns on the queen's
10...Ndb4 11. Na3 O-O-O 12. Bxc6 Nxc6 13. Be3 Nxd4 14. O-O-O e5
This was uncalled for; we can see no possible objection to ...Nc6.
15. Nc4
Badly played. The single move 15.fxe5 would have equalized the game.
15...Bc5 16. Bxd4
Labourdonnais seems bent on compelling his adversary to score this game. Here, again, he ought evidently to have taken ...fxe5.
16...exd4 17. Rhe1 f6 18. Re6 Rhe8 19. Rde1 Rxe6 20. Rxe6 Kd7 21. f5 Re8 22. Rxe8 Kxe8 23. Kc2 Kd7 24. Kd3 Kc6 25. Ke4 Kb5 26. Nd2 Kb4 27. Kd3 Bd6 28. Nf3 Be5 29. h4 Kc5 30. Ke4 h5 31. Nd2 b5 32. Nb3+ Kc4 33. Na5+ Kb4 34. Nc6+ Kc4 35. Na5+ Kb4 36. Nc6+ Kc5 37. Na5 b4 38. Nb3+ Kc4 39. Nd2+ Kb5 40. b3
40.Nb3 would have drawn the game. Labourdonnais was not himself in this encounter.
40...a5 41. Kd5 Bf4 42. Nc4 d3 43. Nb2 d2 44. Ke4 Be5 45. Nd1 Bg3 46. Ke3 Be1 47. Ke2 Kc5 48. Ne3 Kd4 49. Nc4 Kc3 50. Kd1 a4 51. Na5 axb3 52. axb3 Bxh4 53. Nc4 Bg5
Black wins
pgn: [Event "London"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "1834.??.??"]
[Round "27"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "La Bourdonnais, L"]
[Black "A MacDonnell"]
[ECO "A03"]
1. f4 d5 2. d4 c5 3. e3 Nc6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. c4 Bg4 6. cxd5 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 Qxd5 8. Qxd5 Nxd5 9. Bb5 cxd4 10. exd4 Ndb4 11. Na3 O-O-O 12. Bxc6 Nxc6 13. Be3 Nxd4 14. O-O-O e5 15. Nc4 Bc5 16. Bxd4 exd4 17. Rhe1 f6 18. Re6 Rhe8 19. Rde1 Rxe6 20. Rxe6 Kd7 21. f5 Re8 22. Rxe8 Kxe8 23. Kc2 Kd7 24. Kd3 Kc6 25. Ke4 Kb5 26. Nd2 Kb4 27. Kd3 Bd6 28. Nf3 Be5 29. h4 Kc5 30. Ke4 h5 31. Nd2 b5 32. Nb3+ Kc4 33. Na5+ Kb4 34. Nc6+ Kc4 35. Na5+ Kb4 36. Nc6+ Kc5 37. Na5 b4 38. Nb3+ Kc4 39. Nd2+ Kb5 40. b3 a5 41. Kd5 Bf4 42. Nc4 d3 43. Nb2 d2 44. Ke4 Be5 45. Nd1 Bg3 46. Ke3 Be1 47. Ke2 Kc5 48. Ne3 Kd4 49. Nc4 Kc3 50. Kd1 a4 51. Na5 axb3 52. axb3 Bxh4 53. Nc4 Bg5 0-1
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