March 26 1911
The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts, Thursday, July 30, 1903
A DAILY LESSON IN HISTORY.
July 30, 1858—PAUL MORPHY IN ENGLAND DEFEATED THE BEST CHESS PLAYERS.
Born in New Orleans, June 22, 1837. Died there July 10, 1884.
Chess has been the solace and diversion of many great men. Perhaps there is no other pastime involving so great an expenditure of mental energy, and none which exercises so intense a fascination.
In the history of the game of chess there was no player that ever equalled the young American, Paul Morphy. He was a creole of Spanish descent and a man of brains in his chosen profession of law. His father was attorney general of Louisiana and afterward of the supreme court of that state. The elder Morphy loved the game of chess, and from him Paul, at the age of 10, learned the rudiments of the game. At the early age of 12 Paul was one of the best amateur players in the city of New Orleans.
Although the most enthusiastic devotee of the game, Morphy did not neglect the more serious business of life. He studied hard at St. Joseph's college in Alabama, from which he was graduated at the age of 17. Two years later his father died, and at the age of 21 Morphy was admitted to the New Orleans bar.
During his collegiate course he had defeated some of the best players, among whom was Lowenthal, the Hungarian. At 20 he attended the first American chess congress, which was held in New York in 1857, and there he met and vanquished the best players on the American continent, and returned to his home in New Orleans the acknowledged champion chess player of America. He immediately issued a challenge to the chess amateurs and professionals of America, offering the odds of pawn and move. This challenge was not accepted.
Morphy now began to give exhibitions of his power to play blindfolded a number of games simultaneously, and while he was yet in his 21st year he played seven games at once without ever looking at the chessboard. He went to London that year, and again defeated Lowenthal, nine games out of 14, drawing two. It was his intention to meet the European champion, Mr. Staunton, but the latter never met the young American in actual chess combat.
At the annual meeting of the British chess association at Birmingham, toward the end of August, 1858, soon after he had passed his 21st year. Morphy played eight games simultaneously without looking at the board, and of these he won six, drew one and lost on. In the following September he went to Paris and met Herr Harrwitz, with whom he played eight games, of which he won five, lost two and drew one.
He defeated all the best French players, and in an encounter with the German chess champion, Adolph Anderssen, he won seven out of 11 games and drew two. In another encounter with the German champion he won five out of six games. He performed about this time the remarkable feat of playing blindfolded simultaneously against eight of the strongest French players, winning six of these games and drawing the two others.
He now challenged any French player to a game, in which he offered the odds of pawn and move, but the challenge was not accepted. He repeated his extraordinary triumphs in England, and left for America in April, 1859, still less than 22 years old and the acknowledged champion of chess.
Suddenly he gave up chess and refused afterward even to discuss the subject, devoting his life to his profession. (But that too is not quite the full truth, as visitors reported Mr. Morphy would often play games with close friends in the comfort of his home). Between 1860 and 1884 Paul Morphy became the target of a malicious campaign of Post-Civil War defamation. There is no evidence for the unquestioned rumors circulated about him. and he died in that condition at the age of 47.
