10.  KtxP          PxKt
11.  BxKtPch       QKt-Q2
12.  Castles QR    R-Q1

This is the only piece available to cover Q2, for the King’s Knight is pinned.  White has another piece in reserve, his King’s Rook, and against this Black is defenceless.

---------------------------------------
8 |    |    |    | #R | #K | #B |    |#R  |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | #P |    |    | #Kt| #Q | #P | #P | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
6 |    |    |    |    |    | #Kt|    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
5 |    | ^B |    |    | #P |    | ^B |    |
|---------------------------------------|
4 |    |    |    |    | ^P |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
3 |    | ^Q |    |    |    |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | ^P | ^P | ^P |    |    | ^P | ^P | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
1 |    |    | ^K | ^R |    |    |    | ^R |
---------------------------------------
A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H

Diag. 16

13.  RxKt

compare Diag. 12.

13. ...           RxR
14.  R-Q1         Q-K3

This releases the King’s Knight.  Now White could win by playing BxKt and BxRch, but he prefers to end up with a magnificent sacrifice.

15.  BxRch KtxB
16.  Q-Kt8ch!!  KtxQ
17.  R-Q8 mate

The final position shows in a striking manner how a few well-developed pieces can be worth more than many undeveloped ones, and the whole game is an example of the fatal consequences which can follow the loss of a move, since it often leads to the compulsory loss of further moves in the course of the game.

“This is the curse of every evil deed That propagating still it brings forth evil.”

The logical sequence of the moves in this game, as pointed out in the commentaries to it, is borne out by the curious coincidence that I once had the opportunity of playing a game in exactly the same sequence of moves, against a player to whom Morphy’s “brilliancy” was unknown.

--------------------------

The leading principle of all opening moves is made clear by the foregoing pages, namely, rapid development of pieces, and consequently the avoidance of the loss of a move in any shape or form.

Before treating of the various systems of openings, I will say a few words on the principles of pawn play.

Each opening is characterised by a well-defined pawn formation, and concurrently a certain method in the development of the pieces.  Naturally the formation of a pawn skeleton is not an independent factor, but must be evolved with a view to facilitating the favourable development of pieces.  But when considering the form of a pawn position and that of the pieces, we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that pawn formation must necessarily be the dominant consideration in our mind.  Pawn formation is of a more permanent