Tactics you can use from wtharvey.com



Here are some checkmates from the games of Paul Morphy.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.

Solutions are between the brackets under each puzzle.
Drag your cursor from one bracket to the other.

a)
White mates in 2.
Paul Morphy vs A Morphy, New Orleans, 1849
r4k1r/ppp1Rppp/1b6/n2Q4/2q5/B4N2/P4PPP/1R4K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rxf7+ ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Paul Morphy vs Ernest Morphy, New Orleans, 1850
3rk2r/p1Rq1ppp/2Q4n/4p3/8/B4N2/P4PPP/1R4K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rxd7 if Nf5 Rxd8+ ]

c)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs T Lichtenhein, New York, 1857
r2r4/p2Q2pp/k1pN4/8/5B2/8/PPq4p/R6K w - - 1 0
[ Qb7+ Ka5 Bd2+ Qxd2 Nc4+ Ka4 b3# ]

d)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs T Lichtenhein, New York, 1857
r7/ppp1kpqn/6pN/6Pp/2Q2p2/1P5P/1PP5/2K3R1 w - - 1 0
[ Qxc7+ if Kf8 Qd6+ or if Ke6 Re1+ Kd5 c4+ ]

e)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs Louis Paulsen, New York, 1857
6R1/1p2r3/p3B2k/7p/5r2/8/PP5P/6RK w - - 1 0
[ R8g6+ Kh7 Bg8+ ]

Paul Morphy Mates, Part II.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs Carr, Birmingham, 1858
r4r2/2p2p2/b1n1pN2/p1p1P1k1/2p5/7R/PPB3PP/RN4K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rh5+ Kf4 Kf2 Rg8 g3+ ]

b)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs H Rhodes, Birmingham, 1858
5k1r/ppp4p/1b3Np1/8/3P4/2PBQ3/qP1K3P/6R1 w - - 1 0
[ Qe8+ Kg7 Nh5+ Kh6 Qe3+ ]

c)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs J Kipping, Birmingham, 1858
r5nr/p1p5/4R1p1/2p2kN1/7P/8/P5P1/3R3K w - - 1 0
[ Rd5+ Kg4 Re4+ Kg3 Rd3+ ]

d)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs Thomas Barnes, London, 1858
8/pkp4p/1p2BQ2/1P6/8/2P1p1K1/P1Pq2PP/8 w - - 1 0
[ Qf3+ Kb8 Qf8+ ]

e)
White mates in 5.
Paul Morphy vs Amateur, New Orleans, 1858
3Q2qk/pp2P2p/3p3p/2pP3N/4r3/8/P5PP/7K w - - 1 0
[ e8/Q Re1+ Qxe1 Qxd8 Qc3+ ]

Paul Morphy Mates, Part III.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 3.
Paul Morphy vs Amateur, New Orleans, 1858
3r4/pp5Q/B7/k7/3q4/2b5/P4PPP/1R4K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rb5+ Ka4 Qc2+ ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Paul Morphy vs Amateur, New Orleans, 1858
r1b4r/3p2k1/ppq4p/5P2/4Q3/B7/P5PP/5RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Qe7+ Kg8 Qf8+ ]

c)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs Forde, New Orleans, 1858
r1bqr3/ppp1B2p/1b4pk/n2BQ3/3P2P1/2P5/P4P1P/RN4K1 w - - 1 0
[ g5+ Kh5 Bf3+ Bg4 Qg3 ]

d)
White mates in 3.
Paul Morphy vs Jacques Baucher, Paris, 1858
r1q3r1/1ppQ2p1/3bNp2/p3pP1k/P3P3/2NR4/1PP3PP/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ Qf7+ ]

e)
White mates in 2.
Paul Morphy vs Duke Karl & Count Isouard, Paris, 1858
4kb1r/p2n1ppp/4q3/4p1B1/4P3/1Q6/PPP2PPP/2KR4 w k - 1 0
[ Qb8+ ]

King-pawn Opening Series



Paul Morphy Mates, Part IV.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs Chamouillet, Versailles, 1858
3qk3/1pr1r2n/p1n3RQ/3p2N1/6P1/P2B3P/1PP2P2/3R2K1 w - - 1 0
[ Rg8+ Nf8 Rxf8+ Kd7 Bf5+ ]

b)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs Samuel Boden, London, 1859
2r1r3/p3P1k1/1p1pR1Pp/n2q1P2/8/2p4P/P4Q2/1B3RK1 w - - 1 0
[ f6+ Kh8 g7+ Kg8 f7+ Kxg7 Qf6# ]

c)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs Thomas Brian, New York, 1859
r5kr/p1p2ppp/1bN1b3/4P3/6qP/Q1P5/P4PP1/RN3RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Ne7+ Kf8 Ng6+ Kg8 Qf8+ Rxf8 Ne7# ]

d)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs Amateur, Paris, 1859
rk5r/ppp1bq1p/2n5/2N3B1/3p2Q1/8/PPP2PPP/R5K1 w - - 1 0
[ Nd7+ Kc8 Nb6+ Kb8 Qc8+ ]

e)
White mates in 3.
Paul Morphy vs William Lewis, Philadelphia, 1859
r5rk/p2n1R2/1pp3pp/3pP1qQ/3P4/6R1/PPP3PP/6K1 w - - 1 0
[ Qxg5 ]

Paul Morphy Mates, Part V.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs B Smyth, Philadelphia, 1859
7k/p1p2R2/1p2n2r/1q1pP1p1/2nP2Qp/2P4P/P5P1/1B3RK1 w - - 1 0
[ Qxe6 Rxe6 Rf8+ Kg7 R1f7+ ]

b)
White mates in 3.
Paul Morphy vs Jules De Riviere, Paris, 1863
R7/1pR5/1q1pknpQ/p7/P2bP1P1/5P2/1P4K1/8 w - - 1 0
[ Re8+ Nxe8 Qxg6+ ]

c)
White mates in 3.
Paul Morphy vs Domingues, Habana, 1864
r1bq1r2/pp1kn2p/2pN2p1/3BQ3/3p4/8/PPP2PPP/R3R1K1 w - - 1 0
[ Be6+ Kc7 Nxc8+ (or Nc4+) ]

d)
White mates in 3.
Paul Morphy vs Capdevielle, 1864
5Q2/ppp3r1/2p2N1k/7p/3P3P/8/P4P2/5K2 w - - 1 0
[ Ne8 if Kg6 Qf6+ ]

e)
Black mates in 5
Louis Paulsen vs Paul Morphy, New York, 1857
r6k/p1Q4p/2p1b1rq/4p3/B3P3/4P3/PPP3P1/4RRK1 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxg2+ Kxg2 Qh3+ if Kf2 Qh2+ or if Kg1 Rg8+ ]

Paul Morphy Mates, Part VI.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a)
Black mates in 4
Adolf Anderssen vs Paul Morphy, Paris, 1858
7k/p5rp/1p1P1Q2/5p2/q1r2P2/P3R2P/6P1/7K b - - 0 1
[ ...Rc1+ if Kh2 Qxf4+ ]

b)
Black mates in 3
P Journoud vs Paul Morphy, Paris, 1858
8/1pp5/1p6/6k1/P2rp1Pn/1P2R1KP/1P6/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rd2 ]

c)
Black mates in 3
O Mongredien vs Paul Morphy, Paris, 1859
8/1b2r2k/1B5p/p4P2/3QpbPq/1P5P/5RK1/6R1 b - - 0 1
[ ...e3+ if Rf3 Bxf3+ ]


Back to the Index