The story behind the game
Morphy and Paulsen reach a sharp Sicilian with queens pointed at opposite kings. White establishes a knight on f6, then changes the material balance through captures on c6 and c8. The resulting rook-and-minor-piece play makes this a useful exercise in reassessing an attack after the queens disappear.
Take these ideas to your next game
- Establish an outpost before opening more lines.
- Count the whole exchange sequence, not the first capture.
- Reassess king safety after a queen trade.
- Use a knight check to keep the initiative.
Read the complete annotated game
Full game transcript, including the result and the answers. Original explanations by chessgames.info; game score from the sources below.
Bd6 places the bishop deep in Black’s position. The bishop restricts the knight on e7 and makes Black consider the diagonal toward f8. White follows with e5, securing space around it. Judge the bishop by the squares it controls and the pawn support White can provide, rather than its distance from home.
Nf6+ establishes the knight with tempo. Black’s h-pawn has advanced to h5, and the king must answer the check. The knight’s advanced position helps White keep threats alive while the queen changes squares. Check how Black can challenge the outpost before assuming the knight will remain there forever.
Qxc6 starts a sequence in which both queens can disappear. In the recorded continuation Black takes the bishop on f4, White takes on c8 and Black recaptures with a rook. Only then does gxf4 remove Black’s queen. Count every capture in that order: the exposed queens do not make the first capture automatically impossible.
Nxg6+ uses the knight to gain another tempo. The rook on c8 and knight cooperate around the black king. White next checks from f8 and later captures on d7. Follow the legal checks and the rook’s entry squares together; the remaining position still needs calculation even though the queens have gone.
Result: 1-0. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 8: Occupy the sixth rank
Which bishop move occupies d6 before White advances the e-pawn? In the game: Bd6. Bd6 places the bishop deep in Black’s position. The bishop restricts the knight on e7 and makes Black consider the diagonal toward f8. White follows with e5, securing space around it. Judge the bishop by the squares it controls and the pawn support White can provide, rather than its distance from home.
Engine-supported alternatives
Bd6 Bc7 g4 b6 h4 a5 a4 Ba6 Bxa6 Nxa6 Qd2 Bxd6 · +1.27 · depth 18
Qf3 f5 · +0.55 · depth 18
Qd6 f5 O-O-O fxe4 g4 Ng6 Bg3 Nh8 Nxe4 Nf7 Qd2 d5 · +0.53 · depth 17
Move 18: Check from the outpost
Which knight check uses the square f6? In the game: Nf6+. Nf6+ establishes the knight with tempo. Black’s h-pawn has advanced to h5, and the king must answer the check. The knight’s advanced position helps White keep threats alive while the queen changes squares. Check how Black can challenge the outpost before assuming the knight will remain there forever.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nf6+ Rxf6 exf6 Qxf6 Qxf4 Qxf4 Bxf4 a5 Rad1 a4 Nd2 d5 · +2.64 · depth 20
Nbd2 Ne8 Qd3 Nxd6 exd6 Qd8 Rg1 Ba5 Nf3 b5 g4 h4 · +2.60 · depth 20
Qd3 Ne8 Rae1 Nxd6 Nxd6 Rg7 Ne8 Qe7 Nxg7 Qxg7 Qd2 g5 · +2.35 · depth 20
Move 26: Count the captures on both wings
Which queen capture takes the knight on c6? In the game: Qxc6. Qxc6 starts a sequence in which both queens can disappear. In the recorded continuation Black takes the bishop on f4, White takes on c8 and Black recaptures with a rook. Only then does gxf4 remove Black’s queen. Count every capture in that order: the exposed queens do not make the first capture automatically impossible.
Engine-supported alternatives
Qxc6 Qxf4 Qxc8+ Rxc8 gxf4 Ne4 Ne5 Rf6 c3 Nxf2+ Kg2 Nxh3 · +3.92 · depth 21
Qd3 Qg7 Ng5 d5 Nxf7+ Qxf7 f3 e5 Bxc8 Rxc8 Bg5 d4 · +2.78 · depth 20
Qe2 Qf8 Ng5 e5 Nxf7+ Qxf7 Be3 d5 Bxc8 Rxc8 c3 Re8 · +2.39 · depth 20
Move 32: Keep the checks coming
Which knight capture checks the king from g6? In the game: Nxg6+. Nxg6+ uses the knight to gain another tempo. The rook on c8 and knight cooperate around the black king. White next checks from f8 and later captures on d7. Follow the legal checks and the rook’s entry squares together; the remaining position still needs calculation even though the queens have gone.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nxg6+ Kh7 Nf8+ Kh6 Nxd7 Rd2 Rxg8 Rxg8 Rxg8 Rxd7 Bxe6 Rd1+ · +5.16 · depth 20
Rd8 Kh7 Nxd7 Kh6 Bxe6 Rd2 Rf8 Rgxd7 Rxg8 R7d6 f5 g5 · +4.78 · depth 20
Rg2 Rxg2 Bxg2 d6 Nd3 e5 Rb8 exf4 Nxf4 Rf7 Nd3 Rf5 · +4.34 · depth 20
Every piece has a part to play.
Morphy and Paulsen reach a sharp Sicilian with queens pointed at opposite kings. White establishes a knight on f6, then changes the material balance through captures on c6 and c8. The resulting rook-and-minor-piece play makes this a useful exercise in reassessing an attack after the queens disappear.
Look a little deeper
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Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 12–43. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
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