The Duke frequently invited Morphy to the Italian Opera House in Paris, where he had a private box that was so close to the stage, according to Frederick Edge, Morphy's associate, that "you might kiss the ''prima donna'' without any trouble."
The Duke was a chess enthusiast as well as an opera lover, and kept a chess set in his private box. Morphy was extremely fond of music and opera, and eager to see ''Norma'' , which played on his first visit. Unfortunately, his host had seen ''Norma'' countless times, and Morphy found himself forced to play chess, and even seated such that his back was to the stage.
As the game progressed, the two allies conferred loudly enough with each other, debating their moves against the American genius, that it attracted the attention of the opera performers. Madame Penco, who had the role of the Druidic priestess in ''Norma'', kept looking into the Duke's box, to see what all the fuss was about, even as she was performing the opera. Then the performers who were the Druids, marched about, "chanting fire and bloodshed against the Roman host, who, they appeared to think, were in the Duke's box," Edge recounted.
It is doubtful if the distracted opera singers had a good enough view of what was going on, to see that what was being created on the chessboard was a game so brilliant, yet so clean and simple in appearance, that it has been remembered long after their opera performance has been forgotten. Comically, Morphy created this brilliant game while spending his time trying to overcome his blocked view of the opera, while the performers tried to catch glimpses of what was going on in the Duke's box!
The game is often used by chess teachers to demonstrate the importance of rapidly developing one's pieces, as well as other lessons. It is given here in Algebraic Notation .
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