The Missing Knight
1859 - Solved 2🧩 Times
The sun sank slowly into the Victorian New York skyline, its fading light filtering through the tall windows of the New York Chess Rooms. Warm soft rays danced lazily across the hushed crowd of eager chess faithful, before coming to rest on the legend they had gathered to see, bathing his face in a golden glow.
Having crushed the chess elite of Europe with little resistance, Paul Morphy had transcended to a near mythical status amongst American society. Upon his return to the states, Morphy had set himself a new challenge. He was to play chess master James Thompson without his queen side knight.
Perhaps he had pushed himself too far this time one voice ventured. I am sure Morphy couldn’t beat a fellow master with such a handicap whispered another. Had his ego grown past reason?
As the young star lent forwards, grasping his e pawn with purpose, the stage was set for a game of epic proportions.
Welcome to: The Missing Knight
Paul Morphy, left.
In 1858, Paul Morphy, an American sensation, toured Europe to challenge the best chess masters of the time. During this campaign, he proved himself to be significantly stronger than every leading player who challenged him. His win rate was unlike anything that has been seen since.
After returning to the USA, he offered odds to almost all of his opponents, no longer wishing to prove himself in serious competetive play. This is seen by some as the beginning of his gradual withdrawal from competetive chess.
In 1859, he challenged chess master James Thompson to a series of odds matched where Morphy played without the knight. Although exact scores quoted by contemporary sources vary, Morphy was reported to win the vast majority of the games.
Can you find the checkmate, as Morphy did in 1863?
See puzzle, as well as analysis of the game below.
a
8
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
8
7
7
6
6
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1
SOLVED
a
8
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
8
7
7
6
6
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1
SOLVED
Analysis