Phil C
12-28-2006, 12:17 PM
Paul Charles Morphy (photo below) was the first American (though unofficial) world chess champion. He was born to a wealthy and distinguished family in New Orleans in 1837. He was a brilliant chess player and was ahead of his time. He realized the importance of developing your pieces early in the game. His family recognized his abilities while he was young.
In the late 1850s he went to New York where he dominated the best chess players of American. He then went to Europe where he dominated the best chess players of England and Europe. Back then world championships were not official and were determined by how players did in tournament play.
The main disappointment of the trip was that he didn't get to play the English former world champion Howard Staunton in a match. Staunton was passed his prime and was also involved in the theatre and was working on his edition of Shakepeare's plays which is famous today. They did meet in a partnership match and Morphy had the satisfaction of winning both games. The experts feel that Morphy would have beaten Staunton in a serious chess match by a convincing margin.
Morphy did beat the German Adolf Anderseen in a serious match. At that time most experts considered Anderseen the world chess champion and he was probably the strongest player in the world next to Morphy.
Morphy came back to America and was considered the World Chess Champion (even though unofficial).
He was also good at exibitions and blindfold play.
When he got back to America he gave up chess. He passed away in 1884.
He was brilliant. He usually took at the most only about five minutes a move. His opponents were slow and took a long time. There were no time clocks at that time which fortunately has been corrected. The great grandmaster Bobby Fischer said Morphy was a great player. Fischer said that when he played over Morphy's games he was amazed at the ability and forsight. He said sometimes it took him (Fischer) 30 minutes to figure out the right reply to one of Morphy's moves.
A great chess player who even though had an unfortunately short chess career was outstanding and a World Champion.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7b/PaulMorphy.jpg/150px-PaulMorphy.jpg
In the late 1850s he went to New York where he dominated the best chess players of American. He then went to Europe where he dominated the best chess players of England and Europe. Back then world championships were not official and were determined by how players did in tournament play.
The main disappointment of the trip was that he didn't get to play the English former world champion Howard Staunton in a match. Staunton was passed his prime and was also involved in the theatre and was working on his edition of Shakepeare's plays which is famous today. They did meet in a partnership match and Morphy had the satisfaction of winning both games. The experts feel that Morphy would have beaten Staunton in a serious chess match by a convincing margin.
Morphy did beat the German Adolf Anderseen in a serious match. At that time most experts considered Anderseen the world chess champion and he was probably the strongest player in the world next to Morphy.
Morphy came back to America and was considered the World Chess Champion (even though unofficial).
He was also good at exibitions and blindfold play.
When he got back to America he gave up chess. He passed away in 1884.
He was brilliant. He usually took at the most only about five minutes a move. His opponents were slow and took a long time. There were no time clocks at that time which fortunately has been corrected. The great grandmaster Bobby Fischer said Morphy was a great player. Fischer said that when he played over Morphy's games he was amazed at the ability and forsight. He said sometimes it took him (Fischer) 30 minutes to figure out the right reply to one of Morphy's moves.
A great chess player who even though had an unfortunately short chess career was outstanding and a World Champion.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7b/PaulMorphy.jpg/150px-PaulMorphy.jpg