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Classic game replay

Paul Morphy vs NN, 1856

This replay preserves the complete 39-ply score of Morphy playing White across 20 numbered moves. The board can be advanced one ply at a time; the notes stick to observable board changes rather than guessing at the players’ intentions.

On this page
  1. Practice positions
  2. Replay with move-by-move board facts
  3. PGN
  4. Sources and checking
  5. Continue with another game
White
Paul Morphy
Black
NN
Event
New Orleans
Year
1856
Result
1-0
Opening
C33 King's Gambit Accepted: Bishop's Gambit, Lopez Variation

Opening reference: King's Gambit Accepted: Bishop's Gambit, Lopez Variation (C33).

In this game, 20 half-moves are labelled opening, 19 middlegame and 0 endgame. The score contains 8 captures and 3 checks or mates; before a recorded move, the position offered a median of 34 legal choices. The final recorded move is 20.Nf7#, which is checkmate; the stored result is 1-0.

Practice positions

The daily trainer uses a short set of positions from this complete score. Each link goes to the exact half-move rather than only the numbered move.

  1. 7.Nf3 — Develop the knight7.Nf3 was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.
  2. 10.Nxf6 — Exchange on f610.Nxf6 was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.
  3. 20.Nf7# — Checkmate20.Nf7# was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.

Replay with move-by-move board facts

The board, fact panel and transcript use the same legal score. “Fixed engine check” means Stockfish 17.1, one thread, a fixed 25,000-node search and 3 candidate lines. It compares moves under one reproducible setting; it does not claim to reconstruct a player’s thoughts.

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Paul Morphy vs NN, 1856

Start position

Use Previous and Next on the board, or select a move in the transcript. The board fact and fixed engine check remain visible until you choose another move.

Opening · 1.e4 to 10...Bxf6

  1. 1.e4 Claim central space

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from e2 to e4; from there it controls d5 and f5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6.

  2. 1...e5 Claim central space

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from e7 to e5; from there it controls d4 and f4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · e5 Nf3 Nc6 d4.

  3. 2.f4 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from f2 to f4; the move changes the central pawn contact; from f4 it attacks Black's pawn on e5.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; Nf3 ranked higher · f4 exf4.

  4. 2...exf4 Exchange on f4

    Board fact: Black's pawn takes the pawn on f4; the move changes the central pawn contact; Black accepts doubled pawns on the f-file; black is ahead by 1 conventional material point after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · exf4 Nf3 d5 exd5.

  5. 3.Bc4 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: White develops the bishop from f1 to c4; from c4 it attacks Black's pawn on f7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bc4 Qh4+ Kf1 d5.

  6. 3...Qh4+ A forcing check

    Board fact: Black moves the queen from d8 to h4; the move checks White's king; from h4 it attacks White's pawn on h2.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · Qh4+ Kf1 d5 exd5.

  7. 4.Kf1 Answering the check

    Board fact: White answers the check by moving the king from e1 to f1; from f1 it reinforces the knight on g1.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Kf1.

  8. 4...g5 Advance the g-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from g7 to g5; from there it controls f4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · g5 Nf3.

  9. 5.Nc3 Develop the knight

    Board fact: White develops the knight from b1 to c3; from there it controls d5 and e4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nc3 Ne7 d4 d6.

  10. 5...Bg7 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: Black develops the bishop from f8 to g7; from g7 it attacks White's knight on c3.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bg7 d4.

  11. 6.d4 Claim central space

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from d2 to d4; from there it controls e5 and c5.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; Nd5 ranked higher · d4 Ne7 Nf3 Qh5.

  12. 6...Nc6 Develop the knight

    Board fact: Black develops the knight from b8 to c6; from c6 it attacks White's pawn on d4.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; Ne7 ranked higher · Nc6 Nf3.

  13. 7.Nf3 Develop the knight

    Board fact: White develops the knight from g1 to f3; from f3 it attacks Black's queen on h4 and Black's pawn on g5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nf3 Qh5 Nd5 Kd8.

  14. 7...Qh5 Create pressure on f3

    Board fact: Black moves the queen from h4 to h5; from h5 it attacks White's knight on f3 and White's pawn on h2.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qh5 Nd5.

  15. 8.Nd5 Create pressure on c7

    Board fact: White moves the knight from c3 to d5; from d5 it attacks Black's pawn on c7 and Black's pawn on f4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nd5 Nf6 Nxc7+ Kd8.

  16. 8...Kd8 Reposition the king

    Board fact: Black moves the king from e8 to d8; from d8 it reinforces the bishop on c8.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Kd8 Be2.

  17. 9.c3 Advance the c-pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from c2 to c3; from there it controls d4.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; Be2 ranked higher · c3 d6 h4 h6.

  18. 9...Nf6 Develop the knight

    Board fact: Black develops the knight from g8 to f6; from f6 it attacks White's knight on d5 and White's pawn on e4.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; d6 ranked higher · Nf6 Nxf6.

  19. 10.Nxf6 Exchange on f6

    Board fact: White's knight takes the knight on f6; from f6 it attacks Black's queen on h5 and Black's pawn on d7; white is ahead by 2 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nxf6 Bxf6 h4 Be7.

  20. 10...Bxf6 Recapture on f6

    Board fact: Black's bishop recaptures the knight on f6; from f6 it attacks White's pawn on d4; black is ahead by 1 conventional material point after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bxf6 h4.

Middlegame · 11.e5 to 20.Nf7#

  1. 11.e5 Create pressure on f6

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from e4 to e5; from e5 it attacks Black's bishop on f6.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; Kg1 ranked higher · e5.

  2. 11...Bg7 Create pressure on e5

    Board fact: Black moves the bishop from f6 to g7; from g7 it attacks White's pawn on e5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bg7 h4 f6 Kg1.

  3. 12.h4 Create pressure on g5

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from h2 to h4; from h4 it attacks Black's pawn on g5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · h4 f6 Kg1 g4.

  4. 12...f6 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from f7 to f6; the move changes the central pawn contact; from f6 it attacks White's pawn on e5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · f6 Kg1 g4 exf6.

  5. 13.Kg1 Reposition the king

    Board fact: White moves the king from f1 to g1; from g1 it reinforces the rook on h1.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Kg1 fxe5 hxg5 Qg6.

  6. 13...g4 Create pressure on f3

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from g5 to g4; from g4 it attacks White's knight on f3.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; fxe5 ranked higher · g4 exf6.

  7. 14.Nh2 Create pressure on g4

    Board fact: White moves the knight from f3 to h2; from h2 it attacks Black's pawn on g4.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; exf6 ranked higher · Nh2 fxe5 Nxg4 d6.

  8. 14...fxe5 Exchange on e5

    Board fact: Black's pawn takes the pawn on e5; the move changes the central pawn contact; from e5 it attacks White's pawn on d4; black is ahead by 2 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · fxe5 Nxg4.

  9. 15.Nxg4 Exchange on g4

    Board fact: White's knight takes the pawn on g4; from g4 it attacks Black's pawn on e5; black is ahead by 1 conventional material point after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · Nxg4 d6 Be2 Qf5.

  10. 15...exd4 Exchange on d4

    Board fact: Black's pawn takes the pawn on d4; the move changes the central pawn contact; Black accepts doubled pawns on the d-file; from d4 it attacks White's pawn on c3; black is ahead by 2 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; Rf8 ranked higher · exd4 Bxf4.

  11. 16.Bxf4 Exchange on f4

    Board fact: White's bishop takes the pawn on f4; from f4 it attacks Black's pawn on c7; black is ahead by 1 conventional material point after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bxf4 h6 Be2 Qf7.

  12. 16...Rf8 Rook on the open f-file

    Board fact: Black moves the rook from h8 to f8; the rook now occupies the open f-file; from f8 it attacks White's bishop on f4.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; h6 ranked higher · Rf8 Bg5+ Qxg5 hxg5.

  13. 17.Bg5+ A forcing check

    Board fact: White moves the bishop from f4 to g5; the move checks Black's king; from there it controls e3, f4 and f6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bg5+ Qxg5 hxg5 dxc3.

  14. 17...Ne7 Answering the check

    Board fact: Black answers the check by moving the knight from c6 to e7; from there it controls d5, c6 and f5.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; Qxg5 ranked higher · Ne7 Qe2 Re8 Re1.

  15. 18.Qe2 Create pressure on e7

    Board fact: White moves the queen from d1 to e2; from e2 it attacks Black's knight on e7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qe2 Re8 Ne5 Bxe5.

  16. 18...Re8 Rook on the open e-file

    Board fact: Black moves the rook from f8 to e8; the rook now occupies the open e-file; from e8 it reinforces the knight on e7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Re8 Ne5 dxc3 Qxh5.

  17. 19.Ne5 Create pressure on d7

    Board fact: White moves the knight from g4 to e5; from e5 it attacks Black's pawn on d7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Ne5 Bxe5 Qxh5 dxc3.

  18. 19...Qxe2 Exchange on e2

    Board fact: Black's queen takes the queen on e2; from e2 it attacks White's bishop on c4 and White's knight on e5; black is ahead by 10 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; dxc3 ranked higher · Qxe2 Nf7#.

  19. 20.Nf7# Checkmate

    Board fact: White's knight moves from e5 to f7 and delivers checkmate; Black's king has no legal way to answer the attack.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nf7#.

PGN

[Event "New Orleans"] [Site "?"] [Date "1856.??.??"] [White "Morphy, Paul"] [Black "NN"] [Result "1-0"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 Qh4+ 4. Kf1 g5 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. d4 Nc6 7. Nf3 Qh5 8. Nd5 Kd8 9. c3 Nf6 10. Nxf6 Bxf6 11. e5 Bg7 12. h4 f6 13. Kg1 g4 14. Nh2 fxe5 15. Nxg4 exd4 16. Bxf4 Rf8 17. Bg5+ Ne7 18. Qe2 Re8 19. Ne5 Qxe2 20. Nf7# 1-0

Sources and checking

Score source: Chess Database, version 1 by Ana Schaigorodsky (2016), licensed under CC BY 4.0. LibreChess selected the exact score identified by sha256:dcc9b3320c973097c1c98ad654819c6c60fffe3898337f3ffc14e490215814c3 and pins it in the selection manifest.
Exact Figshare tags:
White="Morphy, Paul"; Black="NN"; Event="New Orleans"; Date="1856.??.??"; Result="1-0". LibreChess parsed the main line with chess.js and stores normalised SAN. Source comments, side variations and termination detail were not retained.

LibreChess checks every SAN move with chess.js and compares the result and move sequence with a stored reference. The engine comparison was calculated offline from the fixed settings above; it is not a source for historical claims. No termination is inferred where the imported score does not preserve one.

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