King-pawn Opening Series
Here are some chess puzzles 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 mouse from one bracket to the other.
'Print Edition' available
mates only 'Print Edition'.
a) 
Paul Morphy vs Eugene Rousseau, New Orleans, 1849
rnbk1bBr/pp6/2p4p/2qp4/5pQP/2N5/PPPP2P1/R1BKR3 w - - 0 1
[ Re8+ w/Qxc8+ & Nxd5+ ]
b) 
White mates in 3.
Paul Morphy vs Ernest Paul Morphy, New Orleans, 1850
3rk2r/p1Rq1ppp/2Q4n/4p3/8/B4N2/P4PPP/1R4K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxd7 ]
c) 
Black mates in 6.
L McConell vs Paul Morphy, New Orleans, 1852
r3r1k1/ppp2ppp/8/Q3nn2/8/BBP2Pq1/P2N1R2/4RK2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nd3 Rxe8+ Rxe8 Bxf7+ Kh8 Ne4 Rxe4 Re2 Ne3+ ]
d) 
Paul Morphy vs Alexander Meek, Mobile, 1855
rnb3kr/pp2q2p/2pp4/6P1/3PPQp1/2N5/PPP3P1/4RRK1 w - - 0 1
[ Nd5 if cxd5 exd5 mates ]
e) 
Black mates in 4.
Alexander Meek vs Paul Morphy, New Orleans, 1855
Q7/p1p1q1pk/3p2rp/4n3/3bP3/7b/PP3PPK/R1B2R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Bxg2 Qh8+ Kxh8 Bg5 Qxg5 b3 Nf3# ]
1a) 
Paul Morphy vs Eugene Rousseau
Paul Morphy Puzzles, Part II.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Paul Morphy vs F Perrin, New York, 1857
2rqk2r/pp5p/2n3p1/3pPn2/8/4B3/PP1N3P/2RQ1R1K w - - 0 1
[ Rxf5 if gxf5 Qh5+ w/Qf7+ & if Qe7 e6+ ]
b) 
J Schulten vs Paul Morphy, New York, 1857
3r2k1/p4ppp/1nP5/2q4n/7P/1P3P2/PKP1R3/R1BQ4 b - - 0 1
[ ...Na4+ ]
c) 
White mates in 3.
Paul Morphy vs Theodor Lichtenhein, New York, 1857
r2r4/pQ4pp/2pN4/k7/5B2/8/PPq4p/R6K w - - 0 1
[ Bd2+ w/Nc4+ ]
d) 
Black mates in 4.
L Elkin Sr vs Paul Morphy, New York, 1857
4r1k1/ppp2p1p/8/3Pr3/5Q1P/5P1q/PPP3p1/R2KR3 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rxd5+ Qd2 Rxe1+ Kxe1 g1/Q+ Ke2 Qhg2# ]
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+ Kg1 Rg8+ Qg7+ Rxg7+ Kf2 Rg2# ]
2c) 
mate in 3
Paul Morphy vs Theodor Lichtenhein
Paul Morphy Puzzles, Part III.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Black mates in 6.
Louis Paulsen vs Paul Morphy, New York, 1857
4r1k1/p1p2ppp/Qbp3r1/8/1P6/2P2P1b/R2P1P1P/2BR3K b - - 0 1
[ ...Bg2+ Kg1 Bxf3+ Kf1 Rg2 Qd3 Rxf2+ Kg1 Rg2+ ]
b) 
Black mates in 7.
J Schulten vs Paul Morphy, New York, 1857
r2q2k1/pp3ppp/8/8/2Pn1Pn1/3P4/P1PBb1PP/RQ4KR b - - 0 1
[ ...Nf3+ gxf3 Qd4+ Kg2 Qf2+ ]
c) 
Daniel Harrwitz vs Paul Morphy, Paris, 1858
8/2R5/1p1p2p1/1P1P4/2P1bk1P/7r/4BK2/8 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rh2+ ]
d) 
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs AP Forde, New Orleans, 1858
r1bqr3/ppp1B1kp/1b4p1/n2B4/3PQ1P1/2P5/P4P2/RN4K1 w - - 0 1
[ Qe5+ Kh6 g5+ w/Bf3+ & Qh2+ ]
e) 
White mates in 6.
Paul Morphy vs Carr, Birmingham, 1858
r4r2/2p2pk1/b1n1pN2/p1p1P1B1/2p5/5R2/PPB3PP/RN4K1 w - - 0 1
[ Bh6+ Kxh6 Rh3+ Kg5 Rh5+ ]
3a) 
mate in 6
Louis Paulsen vs Paul Morphy
Paul Morphy Puzzles, Part IV.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
Thomas Barnes vs Paul Morphy, London, 1858
r3k3/ppp2Npp/4Bn2/2b5/1n1pp3/N4P2/PPP3qP/R2QKR2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Nd3+ if cxd3 Bb4+ mates ]
b) 
White mates in 5.
Paul Morphy vs NN, New Orleans, 1858
r1b4r/3p1kp1/ppq4p/4RP2/4Q3/B7/P5PP/5RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Re7+ ]
c) 
Pierre Saint Amant vs Paul Morphy, Paris, 1858
3r1rk1/ppp2ppp/7q/8/2B2n2/2Q4P/PP1N1P1K/3R1R2 b - - 0 1
[ ...Rd3 if Qxd3 Nxd3 Bxd3 Qd6+ ]
d) 
White mates in 6.
Paul Morphy vs Jacques Baucher, Paris, 1858
r1q3r1/1ppQ2pk/3bNp1p/p3pP2/P3P3/2N4R/1PP3PP/3R2K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxh6+ w/Rd3 ]
e) 
Paul Morphy vs Daniel Harrwitz, Paris, 1858
4q2k/1p2b2p/p2p2r1/2rPpN1R/8/7P/PP2QRP1/6K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rxh7+ w/Qh5+ & Nxe7+ ]
3b) 
mate in 7
J Schulten vs Paul Morphy
Paul Morphy Puzzles, Part V.
The color disk on the diagram indicates who moves first.
a) 
White mates in 2.
Paul Morphy vs Duke Isouard, Paris, 1858
4kb1r/p2n1ppp/4q3/4p1B1/4P3/1Q6/PPP2PPP/2KR4 w k - 0 1
[ Qb8+ ]
b) 
White mates in 3.
Paul Morphy vs NN, New Orleans, 1858
3r4/pp5Q/B7/k7/3q4/2b5/P4PPP/1R4K1 w - - 0 1
[ Rb5+ ]
c) 
White mates in 7.
Paul Morphy vs Thomas Bryan, New York, 1859
r4k1r/p1p2ppp/1bN1b3/4P3/Q5qP/2P5/P4PP1/RN3RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qa3+ if Kg8 Ne7+ Kf8 Ng6+ ]
d) 
White mates in 4.
Paul Morphy vs B Smyth, Philadelphia, 1859
7k/p1p2R2/1p2n2r/1q1pP1p1/2nP2Qp/2P4P/P5P1/1B3RK1 w - - 0 1
[ Qxe6 ]
e) 
O Mongredien vs Paul Morphy, Paris, 1859
2k5/ppp2ppp/2r5/5n2/1P6/P2P1R2/4N1PP/7K b - - 0 1
[ ...Nd4 ]
5a) 
mate in 2
Paul Morphy vs Duke Isouard
Other World Champions
More US GMs
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