Genius that he was, Morphy's play was not error free. Steinitz published a series of articles in 1885 where he pointed out that Morphy was prone to misplay positions where static features predominated and there were no sound tactics available.
Where Morphy excelled was in his fantastic ability to see tactics and his calculating ability. He understood the value of the initiative, development and how the pieces interact with each other much like Alekhine was to do after him. As one author put it, Morphy relied on dynamic, if temporary, advantages.
You don't see the Goring Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3) much these days, but it was a staple in the 19th-century.
When white plays 4.c3 he threatens to play c3xd4 creating a classical P-center with Pawns on d4 and e4 which would allow him to control the central squares c5, d5, e5 and f5. The Goring Gambit has never gained much popularity but in modern times attackers like Jonathan Penrose and Ljubomir Ljubojevic occasionally played it.
Morphy's opponent in this game was a friend of the Morphy family and a contemptible fellow who thought slavery was a good thing because it allowed genteel folks like himself the opportunity to pursue more intellectual and important things. As for the slaves themselves, apparently they didn't matter to him.
[Event "First American Congress, New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1857.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Judge Alexander B. Meek"]
[Black "Paul Morphy"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C44"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 18"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "1857.??.??"]
[SourceVersionDate ""]
{[] C44: Scotch Gambit} 1. e4
e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 {If black accepts the gambit, white will
generally put pressure on f7 with Bc4, Qb3 and/or Ng5. After 4...dxc3, white
can either recapture with 5.Nxc3 or offer a second Pawn with 5.Bc4, which is
riskier,but also more dangerous.} dxc3 {If flack declines the gambit with 4...
d5, then white often gets an isolated d-Pawn, but he has active pieces. Black
has other ways of declining the gambit such as 4...Qe7, 4...d3, 4...Nge7
(intending 5...d5) and 4...Nf6 or he can choose to play passively with 4...d6
or 4...g6,but the disadvantage of those moves is that white obtains a strong
central P-formation with 5.cxd4. In those days it’s likely that no other
move would have been considered by Morphy. Even today there are few that would
decline the gambit.} 5. Nxc3 Bc5 6. Bc4 d6 7. h3 {Back in the day Morphy’s
opponents frequently played moves like this. This move is wrong on principle
because, this being a gambit where white has sacrificed a P for quick
development, he should develop his pieces.} (7. Ng5 {Usual is 7.O-O, but this
type of move is often senn in amateur games. The threat to f7 is easily dealt
with and black is left with the better game.} Ne5 8. Bb3 h6 9. Nf3 Bg4 10. O-O
{This looks reasonable, but black obtains a mucj superior position after} (10.
Bf4 Bxf3 11. gxf3 {Black is better after either 11...c6 or 11...Ne7}) 10...
Bxf3 11. gxf3 Qh4 12. Nd5 g5 {and if} 13. Nxc7+ Kd7 14. Nxa8 Qh3 15. Be3 Nxf3+
{wins}) 7... Be6 8. Bb5 {Losing another tempo. 8.Bxe6 was correct.} Nge7 9. Ng5
{Another waste of time; white is neglecting his development and sooner or
later must pay for it. Simply 9.O-O was best.} O-O 10. Qh5 {The mate threat is
easily parried and his N has to withdraw which leaves Meek with only his Q
"attacking" and it can do nothing all by itself.} h6 11. Nf3 Ng6 12. g4 {
This looks like a really great move because it threatens to bust up black’s
K-side, but there is a fly in the ointment.} Nce5 13. Nxe5 dxe5 14. g5 Qd4 {
Here is the fly. White’s own K is in a precarious position in the center.}
15. Be3 Qb4 {The game has gone all wrong for Meek. It’s Morphy who is on the
attack!} 16. Bxc5 Qxb2 {Interesting! Morphy is willing to sacrifice the
exchange, but not as one annotator explained, in order to lessen the force of
white’s attack. White’s attack is no more than a gesture as it is Morphy
who is in command.} 17. O-O Qxc3 18. Bxf8 {Meek fails to appreciate the danger
he is in and goes about collecting material. Hint: If a strong player offers
you material look for thr catch!} (18. Rfc1 Qa5 19. Bf1 Nf4 {Black still has
the superior position, but his advantage is not so great as afyer the text.})
18... Rxf8 {Technically the tactical sequence beginning with 18...Nf4 was
sryomger, but much more difficult, if not impossible, to calculate.} (18... Nf4
19. Qh4 Nxh3+ 20. Kh1 Qf3+ 21. Kh2 Nf4 22. Qg3 Qh5+ 23. Kg1 Rxf8 24. gxh6 Qxh6
{and black should win.}) 19. Rac1 {Capturing 19.gxh6 leads to lines similar ro
those in the note to the last move and the complications would have given him
a somewhar better chance of defending.} Qb2 20. Bc4 Nf4 21. Qd1 Nxh3+ 22. Kg2
Nf4+ 23. Kh1 Qb6 (23... Bh3 {Morphy's move is plenty good enough, but this is
even stronger.} 24. Re1 (24. gxh6 Bxf1 25. Qxf1 Qb6 26. hxg7 Qh6+ 27. Kg1 Qg5+
28. Kh2 Qh4+ 29. Kg1 Qg4+ 30. Kh2 Kxg7 31. Rc3 Rh8+ {mates}) 24... Qxf2 25. Rc2
Bg2+ 26. Kh2 Qh4+ 27. Kg1 Qg3 {is crushing.}) 24. gxh6 {White has no good
defense, but all this succeeds in doing is opening up the K-side for black's
pieces.} Bxc4 25. h7+ Kxh7 26. Qg4 Qh6+ 27. Kg1 Bxf1 28. Rxf1 Rd8 29. a4 Rd6
30. f3 Rg6 31. Kf2 {And resigned. For Morphy this game was no more difficult
than stepping on a bug,} (31. Kf2 Qh2+ 32. Qg2 Qxg2+ 33. Ke3 Qe2#) 0-1
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