Fantasy Chess Match: Paul Morphy vs Wilhelm Steinitz
FLAWLESS VICTORY!
MATCH 2: Wilhelm Steinitz vs Paul Morphy
Game 1 – Morphy’s Engine-Forged Gambit (Morphy 1–0)
Morphy opens with a blistering gambit—fully sound thanks to engine prep. Rapid development and piece activity crush Steinitz before he can establish his strategic plans.
Game 2 – The Steinitz Squeeze (1–1)
Steinitz slows everything down. His positional concepts—now refined with modern theory—freeze Morphy’s activity. After a long grind, Morphy’s pieces run out of squares.
Steinitz equalizes.
Game 3 – Morphy Unbound (Morphy 2–1)
Morphy returns to open lines. A rook sacrifice on f8 shocks the spectators.
The ensuing attack is unstoppable; Steinitz is mated in the center of the board.
Game 4 – Tactical Hurricane (Morphy 3–1)
Steinitz tries to close the game again, but Morphy tears open the queenside with a stunning pawn storm.
Steinitz’s king is forced into the open—Morphy hunts him with machine-like precision.
Game 5 – The Positional Trap (Morphy 4–1)
Morphy surprises everyone with a positional masterpiece. He outplays Steinitz in an equal middlegame, winning a pawn through subtle pressure.
Steinitz overpresses and collapses.
Game 6 – Desperate Resistance (Morphy 4–2)
Steinitz launches a ferocious kingside attack. Morphy defends stubbornly but finally cracks under the relentless pressure.
Steinitz grabs one back.
Game 7 – Morphy’s Modern Masterpiece (Morphy 5–2)
A complex queenless middlegame emerges. Steinitz aims for structure, but Morphy converts a microscopic edge into a winning endgame—his technique now fully modernized.
A flawless victory.
Result: Morphy wins 5–2
Round of 16
