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My "Opera" mate

rollingpawns
| 8 | Middlegame

Here is the recent online correspondence game, played mostly “real-time”. After 14. f4 I looked at the different ways of saving the bishop, didn’t like h6, etc.. and decided to sacrifice a pawn by playing 14. … Be4.

 

 

I saw that I have a check Bh4+ and thought that it will give me sufficient compensation. 15. Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Bh4+ 17. Kf1 dxe4

 

 


Here white took the pawn, it proved to be wrong. 18. Qxe4 Re8 19. Qg2 Qd2 20. Rb1 Rad8 (with the threat Qd1+). 21. Qf3 Re3!  

 

 


White resigned ( 22. Qg2 Qd1+ 23. Rxd1 Rxd1#, so white has to give up the Queen).

 

 

After the game I realized that final mating position reminds me the mate from the famous Morhy's game at the Paris Opera with Duke Karl/Count Isouard. Many years ago I read a book about Paul Morphy, adored him and memorized a few games, including that one. Interesting, was it somewhere in my mind when I was playing this game? 

 

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