Morphy against Barnes — a casual King's Bishop's Opening from the London 1858 series that transposes into a phase of the Petroff. Morphy refutes the gambit attack invented by Mr. Boden and wins a piece by force.
3.Nf3The game, by this move, is converted into a phase of the Petroff Defence.
4.Nc3We cannot commend this mode of proceeding with the attack; for, if correctly met, the position gained by it is not an equivalent for the Pawn sacrificed. The move in question is, however, very ingenious, and yields, if not opposed with the utmost accuracy, divers lines of attack; it was invented by Mr. Boden, whose name it mostly bears.
5…f6A move first publicly advocated by Mr. Horwitz.
6…Nc6This is not a good move, for the Knight now occupies a square which should be filled by the Q. B's P., preparatory to the advance of the P. to Q's 4th, and the shutting out of the adverse K's B. from the command of the diagonal on which it stands. The correct move is Q. to K's 2nd, which gives the second player the superior game.
11…Be6Though we have censured Mr. Barnes's 6th move, yet we must admit that he has opened his game in accordance with the general rules laid down by the best authorities.
12…g6Interposing the Bishop might possibly have been better.
13.Nxg6A bold measure, but productive of most interesting positions.
17.Qe6A good move, preventing his opponent's King from getting into safe quarters.
20.Rxd5Finely played.
23.b4Mr. Morphy here displays his wonted accuracy.
23…Qa6Q. to Kt's 4th, with the object of bringing her to K's sq., would have been better, but, in any case, White would have had a fine attack.
25.f6Winning a piece by force.
26.b5By this move White's previous play is beautifully followed up.
26…Qd6The only move; for if the Queen had taken the Pawn, two pieces would have been lost instead of one.
27…b6If the Bishop had been taken, Black would obviously have lost his Queen.
28…Ke7This seems best, as White threatened to win a Rook by B. to Q's 5th.
36…Kc8Had Black played K. to K's sq., or K. to Q's 2nd, mate would have followed in a few moves.
J. Löwenthal, Morphy's Games of Chess (1860) · Public domain · source