Paul Morphy's Brilliant Castle Checkmate Against His Dad
Paul Morphy, a name synonymous with chess mastery, played many brilliant games in his (short) chess career. However, none are quite as cheeky and magnificently done as one against his own father, Alonzo Morphy. Believed to be Morphy's first ever chess game, I like to imagine a young Morphy begging his father for a game of chess, to which his father, Alonzo, must've thought "Why not give the kid a game? Teach him some theory, some ideas..."
Unfortunately to Alonzo Morphy's dismay, his name would become immortalized for all the wrong reasons. In the year 1850, in the city of New Orleans, the young Paul Morphy would show the chess world what may have been the first ever castling checkmate.
Morphy, the son that is, was actually down a rook to his late Father, perhaps to the great delight of Alonzo, as well. Given Paul's almost immediate prodigy status, Alonzo likely took the game very seriously, trying his best against an already master of the game.
Oh, and remember how I said Morphy was down a rook? Well, it wasn't because his father took it ... rather, his son decided to throw his rook out to make the odds more "balanced", something you can do right here on chess.com.
P. Morphy started the game with an interesting bishop's opening, a line I actually play and am a little bit proud of right now.
From there, he went with the classic knight attack to bring his father's King out, and well ... it was downhill from there for old Alonzo. Take a look:
