In the first game, Morphy chooses Evans' gambit. After 20 moves the position seemed balanced and the king's move to h8 safe, but white ingeniously developed his forces and black faced defeat. Morphy defeats Steinitz in his own style.
[pgn]
[Event "Morphy-Steinitz match"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2021.11.19"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Morphy, Comp"]
[Black "Steinitz, Comp"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C52"]
[Annotator ",Kom"]
[PlyCount "61"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4
Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O dxc3 8. Qb3 Qf6 9. Bg5 Qg6 10. Nxc3 Bxc3 11.
Qxc3 Nge7 12. Bxe7 Kxe7 13. e5 Re8 14. Bd3 Qh6 15. Rae1 Kf8 16. Re4 g6 17. Rfe1
Qg7 18. Qc1 Kg8 19. h4 h6 20. R1e3 Kh8 (20... Kf8 21. Nh2 Re6 22. Bc4 d6 23.
Bxe6 Bxe6 24. exd6 cxd6 25. Qb1 Rb8 26. Rf4 g5 27. Ra4 a5 28. Qb6 Qa1+ 29. Nf1
Kg7 30. Rg3 Qc1 31. hxg5 hxg5 32. Rh4 Rc8 33. f4 g4 34. Qf2 Qc5 35. Ne3 Nd4 36.
Kh2 Kf8 37. f5 Nxf5 38. Rh8+ Ke7 39. Rh5 Kd7 40. Qb2 Qb4 41. Qxb4 axb4 42. Rxf5
Bxf5 43. Nxf5 Rc5 44. Nd4 Rh5+ 45. Kg1 Ra5 46. Rb3 Rxa2 47. Rxb4 Rd2 48. Kh2 b5
49. Nb3 Rd5 50. Rxg4 Kc6 51. Rf4) 21. h5 g5 22. Nxg5 hxg5 23. h6 Qf8 24. Rg3 d5
25. Qxg5 f5 26. Rh4 Nxe5 27. Qg7+ Qxg7 28. hxg7+ Kg8 29. Rh8+ Kf7 30. Rxe8 Kxe8
31. g8=Q+ 1-0[/pgn]
Simulation assumptions: see Fischer-Karpov match
Morphy accuracy ~80%
Steinitz accuracy ~75%
[pgn]
[Event "Morphy-Steinitz match"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2021.11.19"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Morphy, Comp"]
[Black "Steinitz, Comp"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C52"]
[Annotator ",Kom"]
[PlyCount "61"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4
Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O dxc3 8. Qb3 Qf6 9. Bg5 Qg6 10. Nxc3 Bxc3 11.
Qxc3 Nge7 12. Bxe7 Kxe7 13. e5 Re8 14. Bd3 Qh6 15. Rae1 Kf8 16. Re4 g6 17. Rfe1
Qg7 18. Qc1 Kg8 19. h4 h6 20. R1e3 Kh8 (20... Kf8 21. Nh2 Re6 22. Bc4 d6 23.
Bxe6 Bxe6 24. exd6 cxd6 25. Qb1 Rb8 26. Rf4 g5 27. Ra4 a5 28. Qb6 Qa1+ 29. Nf1
Kg7 30. Rg3 Qc1 31. hxg5 hxg5 32. Rh4 Rc8 33. f4 g4 34. Qf2 Qc5 35. Ne3 Nd4 36.
Kh2 Kf8 37. f5 Nxf5 38. Rh8+ Ke7 39. Rh5 Kd7 40. Qb2 Qb4 41. Qxb4 axb4 42. Rxf5
Bxf5 43. Nxf5 Rc5 44. Nd4 Rh5+ 45. Kg1 Ra5 46. Rb3 Rxa2 47. Rxb4 Rd2 48. Kh2 b5
49. Nb3 Rd5 50. Rxg4 Kc6 51. Rf4) 21. h5 g5 22. Nxg5 hxg5 23. h6 Qf8 24. Rg3 d5
25. Qxg5 f5 26. Rh4 Nxe5 27. Qg7+ Qxg7 28. hxg7+ Kg8 29. Rh8+ Kf7 30. Rxe8 Kxe8
31. g8=Q+ 1-0[/pgn]
Simulation assumptions: see Fischer-Karpov match
Morphy accuracy ~80%
Steinitz accuracy ~75%