Board 6 of the London Chess Club blindfold display; a Scotch Gambit against George Webb Medley, abandoned as a draw.
12…Be6There was no other course open to Black, for if he had Castled, or played Q. to K's 2nd, or Q. to Q's 2nd, White could in every case have effectively replied with B. to R's 3rd.
14.Ba3Played with Mr. Morphy's usual accuracy and judgment; taking the Pawn with Queen checking would have been decidedly inferior play, as Black would have interposed his Queen, and the advanced Queen's Pawn might afterwards have proved embarrassing.
14…Qd7A good move; preparing the way for Castling.
15…O-O-OBlack played correctly here; had he taken Pawn with Knight, White would have returned the compliment, and obtained a much better position.
17.Qc4A very good move, for while it brings the Queen into a more attacking position, it at the same time defends White's King's Pawn, and threatens that of his adversary.
19.Nf3Such accuracy as this move displays whilst playing blindfold is truly marvellous; many fine players would here, we believe, have moved Kt. to Q. B's 6th, which appears threatening, and, if the Knight were captured, would prove potent enough; but Morphy no doubt foresaw Black's reply of Kt. to Kt's 5th, which would quite have turned the tables.
19…Qg4Black played all this very carefully and well.
22…Rxd2This seems the correct move, on a cursory examination of the position, but Mr. Medley has pointed out to us that he ought rather to have played B. takes P. (ch.), and we quite concur with him in that opinion. Suppose 22. ... B. takes P. (ch.); 23. K. to R's sq. (best), B. takes P.; 24. R. to K. Kt's sq., R. takes Kt.; 25. R. takes R., Q. to B's 6th (ch.); 26. K. R. to Kt's 2nd, B. to K's 8th, with a fine game.
23.Qxf4Best, for if the Rook had been taken, White would have lost his Queen on the move.
27…Bd8And the game was abandoned as a draw.
J. Löwenthal, Morphy's Games of Chess (1860) · Public domain · source