The Opera Game

The game, move by move

Philidor’s Defence

1. 1. e4 King’s pawn Morphy is in a box at the opera, playing two opponents who are consulting each other, and reportedly hurrying so he can watch the rest of Norma.
2. 1… e5 The same claim
3. 2. Nf3 Out, and with a threat The knight develops and attacks e5 in the same move. Almost every white move in this game does two things.
4. 2… d6 Propping the pawn up Solid, and the reason this is called Philidor’s Defence. It also shuts in Black’s own bishop on f8.
5. 3. d4 A second pawn to the centre
6. 3… Bg4 It looks like a pin The knight cannot move without exposing the queen — except that it is not a pin at all, and the next three moves are about why.
7. 4. dxe5 Forcing the issue White takes, and Black cannot take back with the pawn while the bishop on g4 is hanging.
8. 4… Bxf3 Forced Black has to give the bishop up for the knight, or lose it for nothing.
9. 5. Qxf3 The queen recaptures Two white pieces are developed and the queen is looking down the f-file at f7. Black has nothing developed and no light-squared bishop.
10. 5… dxe5 The pawn comes back

Both bishops on f7

1. 6. Bc4 Both pieces on f7 The bishop joins the queen against the weakest square in Black’s position — and the reason this king will never castle.
2. 6… Nf6 Cutting the line The knight steps into the f-file and blocks the queen off from f7, which was mate next move.
3. 7. Qb3 The other diagonal Off the f-file and onto the one that also ends at f7. Two white pieces aim at it now, and Black has one defender.
4. 7… Qe7 The only defence Ugly and necessary. The queen guards f7 and blocks in her own bishop; twelve moves in, Black has developed one piece and it is doing a pawn’s job.
5. 8. Nc3 Another piece out White declines the free pawn on b7 — a rook in the corner is worth less than a knight in the game.
6. 8… c6 Making room Black means to bring the knight to d7 and finally get castled.

Every piece in the game

1. 9. Bg5 The last piece On move nine every white piece is developed and every one of them points at Black’s king. This bishop is also the piece that will decide the game eight moves from now.
2. 9… b5 Chasing the bishop Black tries to gain a move. It opens the one line White was still short of.
3. 10. Nxb5 A knight for two pawns Not a combination — a bill. Nine moves of Black developing nothing has to be paid for, and this is White presenting it.
4. 10… cxb5 Taken
5. 11. Bxb5+ Check The only way to answer it is to put something on d7 — which is precisely the square White wants a target on.
6. 11… Nbd7 Forced, and pinned The knight blocks the check and is now pinned against its own king. Everything after this is White attacking that one square.

One more attacker

1. 12. O-O-O Castling into the attack The last white piece joins in, and joins in by attacking the pinned knight a second time. White castles on move twelve; Black never will.
2. 12… Rd8 A third defender Black guards d7 again. There is no fourth.
3. 13. Rxd7 Taking anyway A rook for a knight, which is the wrong way round on any count. Count the attackers instead.
4. 13… Rxd7 Recapture
5. 14. Rd1 The other rook A fresh attacker onto the same square. That is the whole method: bring one more piece to it than the defence can answer.
6. 14… Qe6 A second guard The queen comes across to hold d7 as well, and steps in front of her own king to do it.
7. 15. Bxd7+ Clearing the square The bishop takes with check and drags the knight back to d7, where it is needed — and where it is about to be needed somewhere else.
8. 15… Nxd7 Forced again

A queen for a square

1. 16. Qb8+ The queen, offered The famous one. White gives up the queen for nothing whatever, except that the knight on d7 is the only piece that can take her — and taking means leaving d7.
2. 16… Nxb8 It cannot be refused Every other answer to the check is mate at once.
3. 17. Rd8# Checkmate The rook takes the square the knight has just left, and cannot be taken itself — because the bishop that came out on move nine has been watching d8 ever since.