To follow up my review of the Maroczy book on Morphy, I'd like to highlight a game from early on in Morphy's tournament career. It was played in the first round of the first American Chess Congress, but what struck me was not Morphy's play but that of his opponent. James Thompson played a Sicilian Defence, long before it was fashionable, and played it in a thematic manner. Of course the usual defensive lapses of the time were present, but Morphy still had to work hard for the win, and do so in a manner which is far more 'modern' than his more famous victories. There was no direct attack on the king, rather a battle over open files, the seventh rank and passed pawns. In the end Morphy won because he was able to transform positional advantages into a winning ending. And all this in 1857!
Morphy,Paul - Thompson,James [B44]
USA-01.Kongress New York (1.2), 07.10.1857
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Be3 Be7 6. Nc3 h6 7. Bd3 d5 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. exd5 exd5 10. Nxd5 Nf6 11. Nxf6+ Bxf6 12. c3 O-O 13. O-O Qc7 14. Qa4 Rfe8 15. Rad1 Re4 16. Bxc6 Bxc6 17. Qc2 Be5 18. g3 Bxd4 19. cxd4 Qe7 20. d5 Bd7 21. Bc5 Rc8 22. Bxe7 Rxc2 23. Ba3 b5 24. Rfe1 f5 25. f3 Rxe1+ 26. Rxe1 Rd2 27. d6 a5 28. Bc5 b4 29. Re7 Rd5 30. Bxb4 axb4 31. Rxd7 Kf8 32. Rb7 Rd4 33. Kf2 Rxd6 34. Rxb4 Rd2+ 35. Ke3 Rxh2 36. a4 Rc2 37. a5 Rc5 38. Ra4 Ke7 39. b4 Rc8 40. b5 Rb8 41. a6 Kd7 42. b6 Kc6 43. b7 Kb6 44. a7 Re8+ 45. Kf4 Kxb7 46. a8Q+ Rxa8 47. Rxa8 Kxa8 48. Kxf5 1-0
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