Memorization: The Opera Game
Among the games Cohen recommends memorizing are Winter-Capablanca 1919 (Cold Winter) and Morphy-Karl/Isouard 1858 (the Opera Game). Rather than committing the games' move lists to memory, however, Cohen recommends breaking each game down into logical components. For example, instead of remembering the opening moves, remember the opening variation. Additionally, any time there is a pin, threat, capture, etc., articulate the reason for it. In the case of Morphy-Karl 1858, a helpful feature to refer to is the hotspot, the square on the board that becomes a focal point as the game progresses. Lastly, Cohen recommends replaying the game from start to finish before beginning the process of its deconstruction.
What follows is an exercise in applying the foregoing techniques in an attempt to memorize the game Paul Morphy vs. Duke Karl and Count Isouard (1858):
1. Opening: Philidor Defense
White opens with 1.e4, Black replies 1...e5, White attacks Black's e5-pawn with 2.Nf6, and Black defends with 2...d6.
2. Double attack
White escalates the attack on e5 with 3.d4, and Black defends by pinning White's f6-knight with 3...Bg4.
3. Exchanges and bishop-knight imbalance
White captures the e5-pawn with 4.dxe5 and Black, rather than replying 4...dxe5 and losing both castling rights and a pawn after 5.Qxd8 Kxd8 6.Nxe5, surrenders his light-square bish with 4...Bxf3 to prompt 5.Qxf3. After Black's 5...dxe5, the situation is that material is equal but only White has the bishop pair. Furthermore, with White's queen targeting the f7-pawn, that square is heating up.
4. Double threat and develop develop
White develops the light-square bish with 6.Bc4, threatening mate with 7.Qxf7#, so Black neutralizes the threat and develops a knight with 6...Nf6. White identifies two weaknesses in the Black camp: the f7-pawn is weak on the a2-g8 diag, and the b7-pawn is undefended. How does White exploit both weaknesses simultaneously? With 7.Qb3, threatening 8.Bxf7+ and 8.Qxb7.
Black defends against 8.Bxf7+ with 7...Qe2; but instead of continuing 8.Qxb7, White develops his remaining knight with 8.Nc3. Black thanks White for the tempo and uses it to discover-defend b7 with 8...c6. White develops his last minor piece off the back rank with 9.Bg5, pinning Black's knight on f6, and the situation now is that White has four pieces developed and can castle two ways while Black only has two pieces developed and will struggle to complete development.
◄ Halftime recap ►
Paul Morphy's game against Duke Karl and Count Isouard ended with a checkmate on move 17. Move 9 is therefore a convenient point in the game to check if the first half has been accurately absorbed into memory.
The game opened with a Philidor Defense, so 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 e6. Then White double-attacked e5 with 3.d4, so Black pinned with 3...Bg4. White captured with 4.dxe5 and Black took on f3 with 4...Bxf3. After White recaptured with 5.Qxf3, Black equalized material with 5...dxe5. White sees that the pawn on f7 is weak and plays 6.Bc4, so Black defends with 6...Nf6. White double-threatens with 7.Qb3, to which Black replies 7...Qe7. Rather than capture on b7, White develops a knight with 8.Nc3, Black uses the tempo to defend b7 with 8...c6, and White develops his dark-square bish with 9.Bg5.
✓ Success
5. Black attacks, White sacs!
In an effort to force White's light-square bish off the a2-g8 diag, Black attacks with 9...b5. White, rather than retreat the bish, sacs his knight with 10.Nxb5. Black thanks White for the free piece and replies 10...cxb5. White recaptures with the bish: 11.Bxb5+, and Black is in check.
6. Hotspot: d7
To get out of check, Black develops his knight with 11...Nbd7. White continues 12.0-0-0, and the d7-square is heating up: White has a bish controlling the a4-e8 diag and a rook controlling the open d-file. Black contests White's control of the d7-square with 12...Rd8, but White recognizes two realities on the board: Black's knight on f6 isn't defending d7 since it is pinned, and Black's king is weak on the back rank.
7. d7 fireworks
White begins his bombardment of d7 with 13.Rxd7, to which Black replies 13...Rxd7. Black's d7-rook is pinned, allowing White to attack it with 14.Rd1. Black, who all this time has been playing without his kingside bish and rook, replies 14...Qe6, opening up a diagonal for his dark-square bish, unpinning his knight, and offering an exchange of queens. White continues his attack on d7 with 15.Bxd7+, and Black recaptures with 15...Nxd7.
8. Hotspot: d8
If White could get his rook to d8, it would be defended by the g5-bish and Black would be checkmated -- but Black's d7-knight is in the way. How can White force Black's knight off of d7? With 16.Qb8+. Black's king can't move, on account of White's g5-bish, wherefore 16...Nxb8 is forced. That clears the d-file for White's rook, and with 17.Rd8# White wins the game.
◄ Blind recap ►
Here is an attempt to replay Morphy-Karl 1858 from start to finish without looking at the board:
The game opened with the Philidor Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 e6. White took on e5 with 3.dxe5, Black took on f3 with 3...Bxf3, White took on f3 with 4.Qxf3, and Black took on e5 with 4...dxe5. White developed his light-square bish and attacked f7 with 5.Bc4, and Black defended with 5...Nf6. White repositioned his queen for a double attack with 6.Qb3, and Black defended f7 with 6...Qe7. White developed his knight with 7.Nc3, and Black used his tempo to discover-defend b7 with 7...c6. White continued developing with 8.Bg5, pinning, and Black attacked White's bish with 8...b5. Rather than retreat his bish, White captured with 9.Nxb5, Black recaptured with 9...cxb5,
✗ Partial success: two moves are missing
✗ Start over
Philidor Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6. White double-attacked with 3.e4, and Black pinned White's knight with 3...Bg4. White took in the center with 4.dxe5, Black took White's knight with 4...Bxf3, White recaptured with 5.Qxf3, and Black recaptured in the center with 5...dxe5. White developed his light-square bish with 6.Bc4, targeting f7, and Black defended with 6...Nf6. White set up a double threat with 7.Qb3, and Black replied 7...Qe7. White developed the knight with 8.Nc3, and Black used the tempo to discover-defend b7 with 8...c6. White developed his dark-square bish with 9.Bg5, pinning, and Black attacked White's bish on c4 with 9...b5. White sacrificed with 10.Nxb5, and Black said thank you with 10...cxb5. After White's 11.Bxb5+, Black blocked the check with 11...Nbd7, White continued 12.0-0-0 to add pressure to d7, and Black replied 12...Rd8 to relieve pressure. White captured Black's knight with 13.Rxd7, Black recaptured with 13...Rxd7, and White exploited the pin on Black's rook with 14.Rd1. Black used the tempo to untangle himself with 14...Qe6, and White forked with 15.Bxd7+. Black, his knight unpinned, recaptured with 15...Nxd7, but White checked again with 16.Qb8+. 16...Nxb8 was forced, and White won with 17.Rd8#.
✓ Success!
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