Lessons from Paul Morphy's Immortal Games

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

 

A Legacy of Inspiration: How Morphy Can Improve Your Game Today

In the mid-19th century, a young American named Paul Morphy emerged, dominating chess with his inspiring style.

This comprehensive resource delves into Morphy's legendary games, offering you the chance to:

• Uncover the secrets behind his mind-blowing tactical sacrifices and positional understanding.
• Learn from the master himself by analyzing his most iconic victories.
• Sharpen your own chess skills by incorporating the principles Morphy embodied.

Ready to elevate your chess game? Studying Morphy's legendary tactics, positional mastery, and attacking spirit will equip you for victory.

Paul Morphy Wikipedia Page Extensive History

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Books (Free Morphy Classics)

Delve into the mind of a chess legend! Download FREE classic texts featuring Morphy's games with detailed annotations and historical accounts of his remarkable career. Paul Morphy, the chess champion, by an Englishman F. M. Edge. - by Fredrick Milnes Edge - 209 Page PDF (Book from 1859 , History) - Witness Morphy's meteoric rise through Europe in this captivating historical account featuring his most famous games.  Morphy's games of chess, and Frere's problem tournament - by Thomas Frere -144 Page Pdf (Book of Games) - A collection of the brilliant games played by Paul Morphy, with analysis of his strategies and tactics, along with compositions from Frere's chess problem tournament. Morphy's Games Of Chess Philip Sergeant - 376 Page PDF - One of the earliest compilations of games by Paul Morphy, the great 19th century American chess prodigy, withAnnotated games and analysis by Sergeant. Morphy's games: a selection of the best games played by the distinguished champion in Europe and America - by Paul Morphy 1860 - 501 Page PDF - A comprehensive anthology of Morphy's most brilliant and important chess games played during his tours of Europe and America, annotated and analyzed. Paul Morphy: The Pride and Sorrow of Chess - by David Lawson 1976 (Updated 2010) 456 Page PDF - The definitive biography of Paul Morphy, covering his life, games, tragic mental illness later in life, and his profound impact on modern chess.

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Morphy Articles (Uncover Morphy's Legacy)

Dive into the captivating life and career of Paul Morphy through insightful articles by chess historians and enthusiasts.

Paul Morphy - Edward Winter (Crazy Extensive History Here w/ Links to the 7 other Articles by Winter w/ no overlap) 10 Best Chess Games by Paul Morphy - Chessworld - (All Annotated) Top 10 Things to Learn from Paul Morphy - Chessworld - (3 annotated games) Paul Morphy: the First Modern Player - GM Jullio Becarra (Chess.com Article w/ Games) The Rook Lift: Paul Morphy's Last Gift To Chess - (Chess.com Article w/ Lots of games)

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Morphy LiChess Studies (Interactive Training)

Test your skills and dissect Morphy's masterpieces through interactive studies on Lichess, a popular chess platform.

Paul Morphy's best games (annotated) - 7 Chapter Study - Seven of his most famous games fully annotated. Paul Morphy -The Great Chess Genius - 64 Chapter Study - 64 Games w/no annotations

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Games Databases (Explore Morphy's Entire Repertoire)

Unearth a vast collection of Morphy's games, allowing you to filter by opening, opponent, or result and witness his brilliance firsthand.

Chess Tempo

Paul Morphy - 197 Games

Chessgames.com

Paul Morphy - 457 Games (Detailed Morphy Page Broken into these Category's) Most Played Openings Notable Games Notable Tournaments Game Collections Games Annotated by Morphy - 31 Games

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Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Paul Morphy and Johann Löwenthal 

Paul Morphy Video Lessons (Learn from Chess Masters)

Gain visual insights from renowned chess instructors who break down Morphy's most remarkable games and explain his thought process.

Morphy Saga - 97 Video Playlist - agadmators Chess Channel Paul Morphy - 58 Video Playlist - kingscrusher Paul Morphy - 34 Video Playlist - Chess School Paul Morphy: Part 1, Lecture by GM Ben Finegold - 42 Min Paul Morphy: Part 2, Lecture by GM Ben Finegold - 42 Min Paul Morphy: Part 3, Lecture by GM Ben Finegold - 46 Min Paul Morphy: Part 4, Lecture by GM Ben Finegold - 41 Min More Games of Paul Morphy, with GM Ben Finegold - 48 Min Ben Finegold analyzes Paul Morphy attacking games! - 1.5 hr Outrageous Chess Sacrifices and Tactics: Paul Morphy's Top Eight Chess Sacrifices of all time! - 25 Min - kingscrusher The Real Chess GOAT Gives a Masterclass on the King's Gambit - 17 Min - GM Igor Smirnov Paul Morphy Plays the Evans Gambit | Tactics Time! - 38 Min - St.Louis CC 3 Times Paul Morphy Won with the Evans Gambit in 17 Moves or Less! - 17 Min - Johnathan Schrantz 12 of Paul Morphy's Greatest Games! | The Dynamic Dozen - 57 Min - St.Louis CC Paul Morphy is Not Strong: The Refutation | Mastering the Middlegame - GM Ben Finegold - 27 Min The Games of Paul Morphy - GM Ben Finegold - 2013.08.07 - 43 Min - St.Louis CC The Legend: Paul Morphy - GM Ben Finegold - 2014.12.18 - 42 Min - St.Louis CC Paul Morphy Finishes Opponents Spectacularly! | Romantic Chess - GM Pepe Cuenca - 57 Min

Bishop's Bounty Great Chess Players of the Past Page

Mikhail Tal

 

Mikhail Tal: The Brilliant Soviet-Latvian Chess Prodigy

Mikhail Nekhemyevich Tal (1936-1992) was a captivating Soviet-Latvian chess player who rose to become the eighth World Chess Champion. Known as the "Magician from Riga," Tal's unorthodox and daring playing style made him one of the most creative and influential figures in the history of the game.

Tal's Remarkable Accomplishments:

• In 1960, at just 23 years old, Tal became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, a record that stood for decades.
  
  
• He was a six-time Soviet Champion, equaling a feat only achieved by the legendary Mikhail Botvinnik.
  
  
• Tal was a member of eight Soviet teams that secured gold medals in chess Olympiads, and he also won the individual gold medal five times.
  
  
• He held the record for the longest unbeaten streak in competitive chess history, with 95 games (46 wins, 49 draws) between 1973 and 1974.
  
  
• Beyond his playing career, Tal was highly regarded as a chess writer and commentator.

 Tal Wikipedia Page - Extensive History

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Mikhail Tal Chess Articles

The Top Chess Players in the World - Mikail Tal - Chess.com Article  (w/photos and Games)

Mikhail Tal: “The Only Man Kasparov Feared” - Chess player Profile - Chess Journal (w/games and Embedded Videos)

Garry Kasparov talks about Mikhail Tal and Soviet chess history - translation of a one-hour radio feature about Mikhail Tal, aired on the radio "Echo Moskvy"

Edward Winters (Chess Notes) Amazing Chess Historian
Mikhail Tal (1936-92)   -  Feature Article - Pages of History
Mikhail Tal in London (1964)  -  All the Games from a Simul  in London in 1964 (+12 =8 –4)
Books about Keres and Tal  -  Has the list of Books written on Tal from 1960 - 2019

GM Bryan Smith  Blog
Mikhail Tal And The Modern Benoni - Opening Theory Article (w/ History and 7 Annotated Games)
Attack and Defense from Mikhail Tal -  Middlegame Article (w 1 Annotated Game)
Mikhail Tal's Attacking Secret - Tactics Article (w/ 2 Annotated Games)

GM Gregory Serper Blog
Tal's Attacking Recipe  - Tactics Article (w/ 5 Annotated games) One pattern across different Openings.
The Man Who Beat Mikhail Tal - Tactics Article (w/ History and  5 Annotated Games)

GM Naroditsky Blog
Tal's Sacrifices Explained -  Tactics Article (w/ 2 Annotated Games and a Puzzle)

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LiChess Studies

Mikhail Tal 10 games - 10 Chapter Study (Famous games)

The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal - 18 Chapter Study  (Famous games)

Mikhail Tal - TACTICS - 20 Chapter Interactive Study  (20 Tactics from his games to solve)

Mikhail Tal --⚔️-- Attacking genius! - 37 Chapter Study (All 37 Games are Annotated)

Specific Openings (Lichess Study of Tal playing an opening)

Mikhail Tal - Sicilian - 30 Chapter Study (Tal plays white against different Sicilians)
Tal Plays the Caro-Kann - 23 Chapter Study  (Tal as Black)
Mikhail Tal in the KID - 20 Chapter Study (Tal as Black)

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Games Databases

365Chess.com
Mikhail Tal - 2562 Games  (Really Nice Page with breakdowns of Repertoires for Black and White)

Chessgames.com
Mikhail Tal - 2941 Games (Breakdowns - Notable Games, World Championships, Notable Tournaments, Game Collections)

ChessTempo.com
Mikhail Tal - 2600 Games (Breakdown - Opening Stats)

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Tactics Puzzles

WTHarvey.com
Chess problems taken from the games of Mikhail Tal - 70 Puzzles

There are two types of sacrifices: correct ones and mine.

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Mikhail Tal Game Videos
(w/Annotated Game Analysis)

MIkhail Tal - 157 Video Playlist - kingscrusher
Mikhail Tal -  86 Video Playlist- agadmator's Chess Channel
Mikhail Tal's Best Chess Games - 27 Video Playlist -  NM Sam Copeland
Mikhail Tal - 100 Video Playlist - Chess School
Mikhail Tal - 26 Video Playlist - PowerPlayChess - GM Daniel King

Tal vs Botvinnik | 1960 World Chess Championhip Match - 21 Video Playlist - agadmantor's Chess Channel

The Life and Chess of Mikhail Tal - 2hr Presentation

Mikhail Tal Sacrifices EVERYTHING - 27 Min - Gotham Chess
The Man Who Invented Brilliant Moves - 28 Min - Gotham Chess

Tal's Best Sacrifices - 54 Min - GM Ben Finegold
Great Players of the Past: Mikhail Tal - 46 Min - GM Ben Finegold
Ben Finegold analyzes Mikhail Tal's great attacking games! - 72 Min - GM Ben Finegold

Bishop's Bounty Great Chess Players of the Past Page

Silman Article Archive Part 4 - Studying Old Master Games

 Silmans Articles on Chess.com

Treasury of FREE Chess Articles By IM Jeremy Silman

501 Chess Articles from 2009 - 2023

So many of these Articles are Lessons, Games and Positions to Test and Teach the Reader.

Master Games

The Point of Studying Master Games, Part One - 6 Games 
The Point of Studying Master Games, Part Two - 3 Games w/Deep Analysis
The Point of Studying Master Games, Part Three  - 2 games 

How Past Masters Can Help Your Game  - 6 Games w/ 6 Puzzles  , History

Who Was The Greatest Chess Theorist? - Positions and Games of the Old Masters , History
Chess Criminals And The Games They Play  - 11 games, History

When Men Were Men  - 3 games , 2 Puzzles, History

The Greatest Amateur Game of all Time -  The shocking brilliancy played by 1500 class player Micky Mills, leaving masters speechless with his intuitive attacking masterpiece. Shows how reading the classics and embracing their lessons can help amateurs create true chess art.

Fischer - Spassky 1992 -   3 Master Games - Debate over the quality of play compared to Kasparov's matches. Delve into a detailed analysis of a brilliant game from this historic encounter and discover valuable insights into endgame study and becoming a stronger chess player.

Monster Opening Preparation, Part 2 - 6 Games, 3 Puzzles,  (Lasker, Marshall, Capa, Pillsbury)

(Games That Taught a Lesson)

My Favorite Classic Games, Part 1 - Lesson from Rubinstein masterpiece (Positional magic) , 1 Game
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 2 -  Lessons from Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian Games , 2 Games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 3 -  Lesson on Good Bishop vs Bad Bishop , 1 Game
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 4 - Lesson on a Superior Minor Piece ,  1 Game
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 5 -  Lesson on Open Files and Rooks, 2 Games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 6 - Lesson on "Space" Games , 1 game (Lots of Annotation)
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 7 - Lesson on strategic " Knight Relocation" , 4 games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 8 -  Lesson on trading your fianchettoed “must-keep” dark-squared bishop , 3 Games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 9 -  Lesson on Massive Space Gains,  2 games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 10 - Lesson on The Big Pawn Center ,  3 Games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 11 -  Lesson on Battle of Mutual Imbalances ,  1 Game (Nimzowitsch)
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 12 -  Lesson on the 2 Bishops, , 2 Games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 13 -  Lesson On Knights ,  2 Games 

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Old Masters
 (In Alphabetical order)

Adolf Anderssen, Mr. Slice And Dice! - 4 games, 13 Puzzles and Lots of History
Adolf Anderssen: More Slicing And Dicing! -  3 Games , 10 Puzzles , More History

Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine (Part 1): The Game of Death - 10 Puzzles
Alexander Alekhine (Part 2): Success and Despair -  13 Puzzles , 5 Games
Alexander Alekhine (Part 3): The New Plan -  19 Puzzles , 2 Games, History
Alexander Alekhine (Part 4): His Prime Years -  15 Puzzles, History
Alexander Alekhine (Part 5): Singing the Middle-aged Blues - 16 Puzzles , History
Alexander Alekhine (Part 6): His Worst “Combination” – Age + Booze -  12 Puzzles , 3 Games, History
Alexander Alekhine (Part 7): The Dark Years -  15 Puzzles , Bunch of History

Alekhine and Bogoljubow from October 1929

Who Was Henry Ernest Atkins? - 6 games w/  17 Puzzles (Bunch of History)

The Early Life Of Pal Benko  -  3 Pal Benko Compositions -   10 Annotated games (Notes by Pal benko) w/ History
Pal Benko: At Last, Freedom! -  4 Pal Benko Compositions -  12 Annotated games (Notes by Pal Benko)  w/History

Bisguier's Greatest Hits -  12 puzzles, One full game, Lots of History
More Of Bisguier's Greatest Hits - 14 Puzzles , One Full game , History

A Legendary Chess Zen Master Has Died (Steve Brandywine) - 2 games , Great History 

Seeking Chess Fame (Jimmy Buff) - 5 Puzzles , 1 Game  - Article about famous Blitz Player Back in the day.

A Short Look At The Great Mikhail Chigorin -  1 Annotated Amazing game - 9 Puzzles (Nice History)

Salo Flohr and the Fickle Winds of Fate -  17 Puzzles,  3 Games , History

IM John Grefe: Talent Isn’t Enough! -  1 Game - 11 Puzzles ,  History of 1973 US Champion

Kolisch: Unknown Tactical Monster -  4 Games - 22 Puzzles (Baron Ignatz von Kolisch (1837-1889)) Long Article 

George Koltanowski's Long Walk - 9 Game Positions w/ History

Positional Player vs. Tactical Player IM Cyrus Lakdawala - 5 Annotated games (By Silman and Cyrus)

Emanuel Lasker (Another Really Amazing Series)
Emanuel Lasker, Tactical Monster - Part 1 -  14 Puzzles , History
Emanuel Lasker, Tactical Monster - Part 2 -  15 Puzzles , 4 Full Games , History  (Pins and Forks)
Emanuel Lasker, Tactical Monster - Part 3 -  10 Puzzles , 1 Full Game w/ Great Analysis
Emanuel Lasker, Tactical Monster - Part 4 -  18 Puzzles , 2 Full games , Lots of History (Einstein Letter)
Key Moments In Time: Lasker’s Last Stand - 3 games , History
3 Of Emanuel Lasker's Greatest Hits - 3 Annotated games w/ History
Emanuel Lasker's Greatest Hits -  3 Annotated Games w/ History
How To Stomp Emanuel Lasker -   10 games from Simuls , 10 Puzzles
Let's Do The Lasker Stomp Again! - 8 Games From Simuls , 8 Puzzles

Capablanca and Lasker, Moscow, 1925

Frank Marshall  (This Series would actually Make a nice Book)
Frank Marshall: The Growth Of A Chess Champion -  12 Games w/ 6 Puzzles - History (Lots of Analysis)
Frank Marshall, Part 2: Fighting For The World Championship - 6 Games  w/ 2 Puzzles  - History
Frank Marshall, Part 3: Capablanca Takes The Stage  -  6 Games w/Analysis - 10 puzzles - History
Frank Marshall, Part 4: St. Petersburg 1914 And The Gods Of Chess - 5 Games w/ 3 Puzzles and History
Frank Marshall, Part 5: A Radical Change - 10 Games w/ 8 Puzzles - History

 Frank Marshall in 1907 title match against Emanuel Lasker. VIA ChessBase

The Brilliant, Young Samuel Reshevsky -  11 Full Games and Positions - History & Analysis w/Lessons
Samuel Reshevsky's Prime Years -  16 Full Games and Positions (Positional lessons) History (Real Nice Article)

Rudolf Spielmann, the Lethal Gentleman! -  22 Puzzles , 3 Games, History

Steinitz
Behold, The Austrian Morphy! (Steinitz) -  4 Full games w/Annotation & 19 Puzzles (Lots of History)
Steinitz Changes The Chess World -  5 Full games w/Annotation & 5 Puzzles  (Lots of History)
Steinitz: The Official World Chess Champion -  9 Full games and Quite the History lesson.

Tal's Tactical Tidal Wave  - 20 Puzzles , History (The article highlights the power of tactical play and the impact of Tal's style on the world of chess.)

The Great Siegbert Tarrasch: Puzzles And Games -  14 Game Positions and Some Interesting History.

The Downs And Ups Of GM Elmars Zemgalis (Silman's Last Article) - History and 11 Positions from His Games as Puzzles.

Johannes Zukertort, Master of Dynamics - 11 Puzzles - History


Bishops Bounty Jeremy Silman Chess.com Article Archive - Main Page

Sharpen Your Chess Skills with the Mechanics Institute Chess Room Newsletter (Free!)

 

 

Craving a free, weekly dose of chess improvement?

Look no further than the Mechanics Institute Chess Room Newsletter! This treasure trove of resources is designed to elevate your chess game to new heights – and it won't cost you a dime.

Take your chess journey to the next level with the completely FREE Mechanics Institute Chess Room Newsletter. Packed with expert insights, captivating interviews, and brain-teasing puzzles, this weekly publication delivers everything you need to refine your tactical skills, deepen your strategic understanding, and expand your chess knowledge – all without breaking the bank.

What Awaits You Each Week:

• Tournament Dissections by Experts: Analyze recent Mechanics’ Institute tournaments with insightful breakdowns by seasoned tournament directors .
  
  
• Annotated Games for All Levels: Deconstruct key moments from prestigious tournaments with Grandmasters like Nick de Firmian or International Masters like Elliott Winslow. Learn from the best and apply their winning strategies to your own game.
  
  
• Unveiling Chess Brilliance: Explore past masterpieces with IM John Donaldson's analysis of  brilliancy prize winners. Discover the secrets behind these stunning victories.
  
  
• Inspiring Interviews: Get to know fascinating figures within the chess community through captivating interviews. 
  
  
• Test Your Mettle: Challenge yourself with Tony's Teaser, the weekly chess puzzle that will sharpen your tactical vision and problem-solving skills.
  
  
• Curated Content Powerhouse: Stay ahead of the curve with FM Paul Whitehead's expertly curated list of captivating chess articles from across the web. Discover fresh perspectives, groundbreaking ideas, and insightful analysis.  (This alone is worth Looking through it.)

(On Top Of that This link takes you to their back issues. 1012 as of this moment )

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