– Contents

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Chapter 1 Chess before Morphy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Chapter 2 Paul Morphy’s Ancestors and Life in Old New Orleans . . . 63
Chapter 3 Paul Morphy’s Childhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Chapter 4 College Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Chapter 5 The American Chess Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Chapter 6 European Chess Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Chapter 7 Triumphant Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Chapter 8 Retirement, Before and After the Civil War . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Chapter 9 Mental Decline, Reanalyzed: The Final Years . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Chapter 10 Conclusion: Morphy’s Legacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Index of Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
 Introduction

Introduction
‘Of low and unsightly stature, and of darkish hue, only those that can see
beneath the surface will recognize in his shining eyes, developed forehead and
amiable bearing, the extraordinary being. Of a perfectly harmless character,
of a truly noble and liberal (taken in its classical sense) disposition, he
possesses the chivalrous spirit which, being founded on moral consciousness,
allows no infringement on one’s dignity and self-respect, but in opposition
to arrogant self-conceit, is in complete accordance with bashful modesty.
This pure and beautiful personal integrity will, probably, through love of
the noble game, not only be preserved, but even be brought to a still higher
standard of perfection.’
One would assume that a saint or revered public figure was being celebrated
here – surely anyone but a chess player! The author adds more context in
these lines:
‘It is not only extensive theoretical knowledge or deep analytic insight;
not rapidly invented combinations which (...) seem to surpass the limits
of human understanding; it is not the cool demeanor or graceful way of
handling the pieces; nor is it the dignified or justifiably confident bearing:
none of these qualities, considered in themselves, give an idea of the high
merit of the newly risen master. It is his thoroughly noble personality, the
result of the harmonious cooperation of these different qualities, which
renders its possessor the champion of the royal game and sovereign master
in its extensive dominions. It is in him that the chivalrous nature of the game
has found its typical expression; and the more we admire the quiet nature
of the game as opposed to the busy and interested activity of daily life, the
more we find ourselves compelled to pay the just tribute of acknowledgment
and admiration to its noble and youthful representative.’
It scarcely seems possible that a chess player inspired such open adoration
– not just for his play, but even his personality. Surely a doting coach or
countryman must have penned these words?
Actually, the noted German chess master Max Lange authored the lines in
1859, after Paul Morphy had obliterated his countryman and co-editor of the
magazine Schachzeitung der Berliner Schachgesellschaft, the legendary attacking
master Adolf Anderssen, in a match in Paris around Christmas in 1858.
Following this lopsided triumph, it was universally conceded that Morphy
was not only the strongest player in the world, but the strongest who ever lived.
At that moment Max Lange was no outlier in his estimation of Paul Morphy,
the player or the man. Only 21 years old when he reached the chess summit –

7
The Real Paul Morphy

still to this day the youngest player ever to do so – Morphy was met with
astonishment, admiration, and even love wherever he traveled; in England,
France, and of course his native United States. Players and dignitaries came
from as far away as Russia to get a glimpse of the young hero, and pay their
respects.
Alas, the ‘still higher level of perfection’ that Lange had hoped for was not
to be – Morphy had already played his last serious chess game in 1858.
Paul Morphy vanished from the chess arena after only two years of serious
play. But the admiration of the chess world did not diminish. If anything, the
Morphy mystique only grew over time. Sixty years later Czech Grandmaster
Richard Réti noted matter-of-factly, ‘Morphy [is] the most famous of all
chess masters. There is no doubt that in the eyes of the general public, he is
the idol of chess.’ These words were written during the heyday of Emanuel
Lasker, José Raul Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine, to name a few.
How is it possible that a short, shy kid from the relative chess backwater
of New Orleans inspired such rapturous praise from chess players around
the globe, during his life time and continuing even today, when ‘Morphy
specialists’ still study his life and games with undiminished enthusiasm?
Well, for starters he was strong – very strong. There is at least one Morphy
feat which simply cannot be duplicated; he never suffered a documented
setback! True, this is partly because his career was so short – but it remains
a jaw-dropping legacy. Morphy battled the world’s best masters in serious
matches – including the strongest players from America, England, France
and Germany – and not only beat, but destroyed them all. The equivalent
today would be an unrated player winning his national championship, going
straight into the Candidates Cycle, clobbering all comers including the World
Champion, all the while never dropping more than two or three games in
a match! Even in casual play, no player is known to have even approached
a plus score against Morphy – with or without odds. Englishman Thomas
Wilson Barnes was considered a real ‘Morphy killer’ for winning eight out of
27 offhand games against Paul, although some considered him lucky to have
played Morphy ‘fresh off the boat’ from his transatlantic voyage.
Another key to Morphy’s timeless appeal is his crystal-clear style. Paul
Morphy was the first truly universal player the world had ever seen. Unlike
his predecessors, he was equally deadly in the opening, middlegame and
ending. His memory was prodigious, his board-sight elite – so much so that
he could clearly mentally visualize eight boards simultaneously, making him
easily the greatest blindfold player of his time. Finally, he was an unsurpassed
practical player, with nerves of steel. Morphy never seemed to tire or succumb
to pressure over the board. José Raul Capablanca, the third official World
Champion, had this praise for Morphy’s elegant, deceptively simple play:

8
 Introduction

‘beginning with La Bourdonnais to the present, and including Lasker, we

find that the greatest stylist has been Morphy.’
Those who witnessed Morphy at the chessboard came away thinking they
had glimpsed the closest thing to chess perfection. Anderssen could not
speak highly enough of Paul’s accuracy, saying ‘It is impossible to play chess
better than Mr. Morphy’. Louis Paulsen remarked that Morphy had reduced
chess to an exact science.
Even now some chess experts regard Paul Morphy as the strongest player
of all time. Bobby Fischer remarked in the 1960s: ‘Morphy, I think everyone
agrees, was probably the greatest genius of them all.’ While this case is difficult
to make 160 years hence, it is no stretch to claim that he may well have been
the most gifted player who ever lived. If what he accomplished in two years
of serious play, could be extrapolated over twenty or thirty years, it is hard
to even imagine the wonders he might have achieved.
How did a young, untested prodigy achieve all these accolades barely out
of college, then suddenly retire at the height of his powers? The real story
of the most enigmatic and brilliant chess champion of them all is indeed a
mythic tale, ‘stranger than fiction’, as the saying goes.

9
 The American Chess Congress

CHAPTER 5

The American Chess Congress

Thirteen hundred miles away in New York, in a historical coincidence
which almost seems ordained by fate, Daniel Willard Fiske, editor of the
recently launched magazine Chess Monthly, had just proposed a National
Chess Congress. Chess clubs and periodicals had proliferated around the
US in preceding years. Inspired by the London 1851 tournament, a group
of leading players spearheaded by Fiske decided that a national tournament
would greatly enhance the stature of American chess.
On March 26, 1857, a committee was formed by the New York Chess Club
to issue a formal proposal for the Congress. The members were Charles
W. Mead, club president; Frederick Perrin, club secretary; William W.
Montgomery, chess editor of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper; leading
NY chess master James Thompson; and Fiske. A generous prize fund was
raised by subscription. The tournament was set for early October, 1857, and
a circular dated April 17, 1857, was widely distributed to chess clubs and well-
known amateurs. Here we learn that Paul Morphy already had a considerable
mystique among American chess players, as Daniel Fiske considered his
attendance critical to the success of the tournament.
Fiske wrote letters to both Paul Morphy and Charles Maurian (the latter
eventually published in the New Orleans Times-Democrat January 6,1895).
Fiske asked Maurian to ‘Beg Mr. Morphy to be (a member of the managing
committee for the congress), as his name attached to the committee would
aid us everywhere more than that of any other man in the Union...’. Early in
July, Morphy declined, citing the death of his father seven months earlier.
Fiske wrote Maurian again, urging him to press Morphy, as his attendance
‘would increase our subscriptions, double the interest of the tournament
and add largely to its respectability abroad. (...) No other person has it in his
power to do so much good to American chess as he has...’
Morphy again wrote Fiske to decline in early September, just a month before
the tournament, and a year since his father’s fatal accident. Paul was evidently
torn by grief, concerned for his widowed mother, and possibly feeling guilty
over his chess ambitions and his parents’ disapproval – although Sergeant
takes the view that his father’s death actually freed the way for Morphy to play.
With uncle Ernest absent, the New Orleans chess community, led by
Maurian, used all the influence they could muster to change Paul’s mind.
Meanwhile Morphy’s ardent supporter Judge Meek (also invited to play in
the Congress) pleaded with Paul’s mother, probably convincing her that
constructive, distracting activity would be good for her grieving son. Finally

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The Real Paul Morphy

on September 19, 1857, Maurian sent a brief telegram to Fiske on Paul’s

behalf: ‘Paul Morphy starts for N. York on Wednesday 23 – Chas Maurian.’
The New Orleans Times-Democrat reported that on September 23, 1857:
‘at 5 o’clock in the afternoon Mr. Morphy took passage [via the Mississippi
River] on board the steamer Benjamin Franklin bound for Cincinnati, and
eight [eleven] days thereafter he landed in New York.’ [By train].
This was the first long journey that Paul had ever taken. Avoiding ocean
travel proved to be a good idea, since Paul was prone to seasickness. But
why take a triangular route to New York via Cincinnati? One reason was
probably the limited number of options. The first American railroad charter
was issued in 1815; and the B&O railroad, which Paul likely rode from
Ohio to New York, had only been built about twenty years earlier. Another
possible motive is more intriguing: did Ernest Morphy meet Paul when he
disembarked from the steamboat? Ernest was then living in Moscow, Ohio,
about 25 miles from Cincinnati. To get there, the steamboat would have
forked east onto the Ohio River, which feeds into the Mississippi roughly
halfway between Memphis, Tennessee and Saint Louis, Missouri. Might
they have visited for a day or two, perhaps even analyzing a few variations?
At minimum it seems plausible that Ernest encouraged Paul to use this
itinerary to reach New York. Whatever the case, the pride of New Orleans
arrived in New York on October 4, 1857.
Next day he visited the New York Chess Club. This event was witnessed by
Frederick Edge, a member of the organizing committee for the Congress. Edge
later became Morphy’s right-hand-man during his trip to Europe, and wrote
the most important first-hand account of his exploits there. Edge writes that
Frederick Perrin, the secretary of the NY Chess Club, was first to play Morphy,
and ‘...presented about the same resistance as a mosquito to an avalanche. (...)
Then who should enter the room but the warrior, [Charles] Stanley. (...) Loud
cries were made for Stanley! Stanley! And Mr. Perrin resigned his seat to the
newcomer, in deference to so general a request. Thus commenced (...) a series
of contests, in which Mr. Stanley was indeed astonished. ‘Mate’ followed upon
‘Mate,’ until he arose from his chair in bewildered defeat.’ Morphy had won all
four of their casual games. As with many Morphy exploits, the significance of
this result is hard to overstate. An untested youth, with minimal practice over
the past seven years, fresh from an eleven-day voyage, summarily demolished
the US Champion. The spectators were, of course, awe-struck. The best game
was also a revelation in this sense: the seasoned veteran was theoretically
undressed by the ‘tournament virgin’.
Charles Henry Stanley (1819-1901) was a British Diplomat who emigrated
to the US in 1843. In 1845 he played a long match against French-born master
Eugene Rousseau in New Orleans, winning +15 -8 =8 to become the first US

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 The American Chess Congress

Champion. As already noted, 8-year old Paul attended that match with his
uncle Ernest, who was Rousseau’s second. The winner’s purse was $1000, a
tidy sum in those days (about $30,000 in today’s money).

Paul Morphy The raking Evans bishops spawn

Charles Henry Stanley another brilliancy. Paul and Ernest
New York 1857 must have sunk many hours of
study into this position. The power
1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗c4 ♗c5 4.b4 of the thematic Evans sacrifice was
♗xb4 5.c3 ♗a5 6.d4 exd4 7.0-0 d6 already demonstrated in Perigal-
8.cxd4 ♗b6 9.♘c3! Popert, which continued 11...♘a5
Morphy’s signature line, a strong 12.♖e1 ♘xc4 13.♕a4+ c6 14.♕xc4
novelty but not quite a TN. A more ♗e6 15.♖xe5 ♕d7 16.♖xe6+ fxe6
common attempt to maintain the 17.♘e5 ♕c8 18.♖e1 ♘d5 19.♘xd5 cxd5
tension was 9.h3 in Bledow-Von 20.♕b5+ ♔d8 21.♘f7+ ♔c7 22.♗d6
der Lasa, Berlin, 1837, and many mate.
had played 9.♗b2 since. This more 11...♗xd4
nuanced move was introduced in A pretty alternative is 11...♘xd4
Perigal-Popert, London, 1830, and 12.♘xd4 ♗xd4 13.♘b5 ♗xa1 14.♕xa1
repeated just a few times before winning, when position trumps
this. In my opinion this fact refutes material.
Steinitz’ claim that Morphy ‘never 12.♕b3 ♗e6 13.♗xe6 fxe6
in his practice produced a single 14.♕xe6+ ♘e7 15.♘xd4 exd4
novelty’. By that strict a standard, few 16.♖fe1 ♘fg8 17.♘d5 ♕d7
of Wilhelm’s ideas would be ‘new’
either.
T_._M_St
9...♘f6?
jJjDs.jJ
T_LdM_.t ._._Q_._
jJj._JjJ _._N_._.
.lSj.s._ ._.j._._
_._._._. b._._._.
._BiI_._ I_._.iIi
_.n._N_. r._.r.k.
I_._.iIi
18.♗xe7?
r.bQ_Rk.
A stumble on Morphy’s part; 18.♘xe7
Woe to the unprepared, since this wins routinely. On the plus side, the
natural move is bad. 9...♗g4 10.♗b5! spectators now get a glimpse of Paul’s
is the main line. endgame technique.
10.e5! dxe5 11.♗a3! 18...♕xe6 19.♖xe6 ♔d7 20.♖ae1

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The Real Paul Morphy

♖e8 21.♖6e4 c6 Morphy must still work to bring

home the point, but proves equal to
the task.
._._T_St
22.♖xd4 cxd5 23.♖xd5+ ♔c6
jJ_Mb.jJ 24.♖d6+ ♔c7 25.♖c1+ ♔b8 26.♗h4
._J_._._ ♘h6 27.♗g3 ♔a8 28.h3 ♘f5 29.♖d7
_._N_._. g6 30.♖cc7 ♘xg3 31.fxg3 ♖b8
._.jR_._ 32.♖xh7 ♖xh7 33.♖xh7 a5 34.h4 ♖g8
_._._._. 35.g4 b5 36.h5 a4 37.h6 b4 38.♖g7
I_._.iIi ♖h8 39.h7 b3 40.♖g8+ ♔b7 41.♖xh8
_._.r.k. b2 42.♖b8+ ♔xb8 43.h8♕+ 1-0

One onlooker who was less shocked than most was Judge Alexander Beaufort
Meek. Morphy’s friend and advocate had already predicted that Paul would
triumph at the Congress. Ten years later the Macon Telegraph of May 2, 1867
would remark on their relationship, ‘At once it was evident that the tenderest
ties of honor and friendship existed between them. No father could watch
with more tender anxiety, or glory with more exultant pride in the triumphs
of a favored son, than this great man, in the victorious career of his protégé.
And the youthful hero in turn, reverenced his noble friend as a father could
not more have been reverenced.’ Meek had become an important father
figure for Paul during this key life juncture. A few months later (December
1857) Daniel’s Fiske’s Chess Monthly issued this report on Morphy’s arrival:
‘It was with the prestige acquired by his victories over Löwenthal, Rousseau,
Ernest Morphy, Meek and McConnell that Paul Morphy arrived in New York
on the fifth (sic) of October. (...) Notwithstanding his high reputation, there
were many, who from his youth and the small number of his published games,
manifested much incredulity concerning his Chess strength.
But on the evening of his arrival all doubts were removed in the minds
of those who witnessed his passages-at-arms with Mr. Stanley and with
Mr. Perrin at the rooms of the New York Chess Club, and the first prize
was universally conceded to him, even before the entries for the Grand
Tournament had been completed.’
What a mind-boggling first impression! He was simply that good, and no
one who ever saw Morphy play failed to marvel at his greatness.

Daniel Willard Fiske (1831-1904)

During the ten-week duration of his first New York trip, Paul Morphy would
make many friends. Wherever he traveled, his aura had a magnetic effect
on others, especially chess players. The combination of other-worldly talent,
genteel southern manners, and an utter lack of pretensions, cast a powerful

114
 The American Chess Congress

spell on people. In some ways Paul was a reluctant hero, fortunate to have
so many allies pulling for him to succeed.
His most influential New York friend was Daniel Willard Fiske, the chief
organizer of the First American Chess Congress. Born just six years before
Morphy, Fiske launched Chess Monthly, one of the first American chess
magazines, earlier that year in January 1857 when he was only 25 years of
age. A learned renaissance man, he later became a prominent professor and
scholar of Scandinavian languages at Cornell University. Two years later
Fiske would publish The First American Chess Congress, New York 1857. This
scholarly tome (running 563 pages) was much more than the definitive book
of the tournament. Fiske was a researcher extraordinaire, and his chapters
on chess history, particularly in America, are of lasting importance. He also
devotes nearly 100 pages to the organizing and ceremonial aspects of the
Congress, thereby making the first serious American chess tournament our
most well-documented event, as well.
Fortunately for posterity, Fiske’s interest in Paul Morphy went way beyond
the professional. He would become a lifelong friend, corresponding not only
with Morphy, but with many mutual acquaintances for years to come. Trained
as a librarian, Fiske meticulously maintained his papers, donating them
to Cornell University upon his death. A large chunk of the irreplaceable
surviving correspondence by and about Morphy derives from D.W. Fiske.
Of more immediate importance, Fiske enlisted Morphy’s help in annotating
the tournament book, included a short biography of Paul in his section on
American Chess, and even dedicated the book to Morphy.
Morphy had arrived just two days before the start of the tournament. The
event was closely modeled on the London 1851 International Tournament,
borrowing its knock-out format of five-game mini-matches, the first player to
win three games advancing. Pairings were by lot; the organizers recognized
the risk that strong players could meet early on, diluting the strength of
later matches, but they could not agree on a better option. Chess clocks had
not been invented yet; the first use of any strict time controls was not until
the 1861 match between Anderssen and Ignatz Kolisch. This was of course
a huge problem, since some players could and would try to wear down their
opponents by sitting on lost positions for hours (probably while blowing
cigar smoke in their opponent’s faces). The rules of the congress allowed
the organizers to intervene if a player thought for more than a half hour per
move, but unfortunately this rule was not enforced.
The original venue for the tournament was the New York Chess Club,
but due to tremendous public interest the committee had to rent the larger
Descombs’ Room at 764 Broadway. Lots were drawn on October 6, 1858, and
Morphy telegrammed his brother Edward:

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The Real Paul Morphy

‘NY 6th Arrived last Sunday – playing begins today [Tuesday] – Am pitted
against James Thompson.’ The random pairings immediately came into play
– Morphy had drawn one of the stronger players to start the event. Lawson
writes,
‘Thompson was a chess veteran who was well-known in Paris and London
before he came to New York. He was a strong player and was accustomed to
giving odds. (...) Play began at 1.40 pm, but Thompson resigned at 2.30 pm.’
Frederick Edge would later write that Thompson was ‘noted for the brilliance
and daring of his attack, and noted for his pertinacity in playing the Evans’
Gambit wherever he has a chance.’ Not on this occasion, however.

James Thompson nearly always sought to punish slow

Paul Morphy play in open games by opening lines,
First American Congress New York 1857 Round 1 both because he thought it correct in
Game 1 principle, and because it suited his
style. Here he finds the most direct
1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗c4 ♗c5 4.d3 route to seek the initiative against
♘f6 5.♘c3 h6 6.♘e2 d6 7.c3 0-0 White’s maneuvering, still relevant
8.h3 today.
8...♔h8 9.♘g3 ♘h7 10.♕c2
T_Ld.tM_
jJj._Jj. T_Ld.t.m
._Sj.s.j jJj._JjS
_.l.j._. ._Sj._.j
._B_I_._ _.l.j._.
_.iI_N_I ._B_I_._
Ii._NiI_ _.iI_NnI
r.bQk._R IiQ_.iI_
r.b.k._R
The interesting maneuver ♘c3-e2-g3
was a favorite of Charles Stanley, 10...f5!? 11.exf5 d5 12.♗b3
which mirrors the (now) standard 12.♗b5 is better.
Ruy Lopez maneuver ♘d2-f1-g3, 12...e4?! A vintage Morphy
shifting forces to the kingside. The line-opening pawn sac, but here
‘Pianissimo’ was the main line of the idea is not quite sound, though
the Giuoco then; but this insipid Black’s aggression induces a panic
variation would go underground for response. Instead, Black could
a century, reemerging only in recent achieve active equality with 12...♗xf5
years as a way to avoid computer 13.♘xf5 ♖xf5 and on 14.d4 ♖xf3!.
traps in the modern era. Morphy 13.dxe4 dxe4

116
 The American Chess Congress

Tournament rules allowed oppo-

T_Ld.t.m
nents to play multiple games per day
jJj._.jS
if time permitted, so Game 2 soon
._S_._.j commenced. This much tougher
_.l._I_. affair lasted nearly three hours.
._._J_._ Showing the theoretical work he’d
_Bi._NnI put in since the Löwenthal meeting,
IiQ_.iI_ Morphy met 1.e4 c5 with the Open
r.b.k._R Sicilian 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.d4 and soon
won a pawn against Thompson’s
14.♘g1?? weak treatment (with an early ...h6?).
Little better than resigning. Fiske’s Morphy uncharacteristically lost the
tournament book disregards this thread and reached this ending:
blunder, while GM Geza Maroczy’s
bemoans that ‘(White’s) last six
._._._M_
moves in their totality form one
continuous error, of which the 14th
j._L_Jj.
move is the crowning mistake.’ In
._._._.j
fact after 14.♕xe4! ♗xf5 15.♘xf5 ♖e8 _J_I_._.
16.♗e6 ♕f6 17.0-0 ♖xe6 18.♕c2 ♖f8 ._._T_._
19.♘5d4! White returns the pawn b._._.i.
with a comfortable edge. IiT_.i.i
14...♘e5 _._Rr.k.
Yikes. The threat of ...♘d3 followed position after 24.♖fe1
by taking on f2 is absolutely
annihilating. Maroczy criticizes Black’s last move
15.♗e3 ♘d3+ 16.♔e2 ♗xe3 17.fxe3 23...b5(!), but after simply 24...♖xe1+
25.♖xe1 a5! 26.♗d6 ♖xb2 27.a3 ♗h3
White faces a steep uphill climb just
T_Ld.t.m
to hold. Thompson unluckily essayed
jJj._.jS one of the worst moves on the board,
._._._.j 24...f5?
_._._I_. Black’s bishop is thereby denied the
._._J_._ vital h3-square, and White was back
_BiSi.nI on top after:
IiQ_K_I_ 25.f3 ♖xe1+ 26.♖xe1 ♖d2 27.d6 a5
r._._.nR 28.♗c5
With 29.♖e7 coming, Black can
17...♕h4 18.♘xe4 ♕xe4 19.♕xd3 no longer afford his queenside
♕xg2+ 20.♔d1 ♗xf5 21.♕e2 ♕xh1 counterplay and went down meekly
0-1 (1-0, 48).

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The Real Paul Morphy

Morphy won the third game on no consequence and Morphy takes

October 8, following a rest day, in the initiative. In a note to Game 16
46 moves, and advanced. The formula of the McDonnell-La Bourdonnais
was reminiscent of Game 1 – meeting match, Morphy wrote: ‘There are,
White’s slightly slow play by sharp- undoubtedly, many cases, in which
ening the struggle. the [g] pawn can be thrown forward
with advantage; the move, however,
James Thompson should be made at the proper stage of
Paul Morphy the game.’
First American Congress New York 1857 Round 1 13.♗g3 e4!
Game 3
T_.d.tM_
1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗c4 ♗c5 4.c3 jJj._J_.
♘f6 5.d3 d6 6.h3 ♗e6 7.♗b3 d5 ._S_.s.j
_.l._.j.
T_.dM_.t ._._J_._
jJj._JjJ _IiI_NbI
._S_Ls._ .i._.iI_
_.lJj._. rN_Q_Rk.
._._I_._
_BiI_N_I Opening the game highlights Black’s
greater activity.
Ii._.iI_
14.♘e5!
rNbQk._R
Black is clearly better after 14.dxe4
Today it is a core principle of open ♘xe4! 15.♕xd8 ♖axd8 16.♗xc7 ♖d7.
games that if Black can safely achieve Now 17.♗h2? loses to 17...♘xf2!, so
...d5, he should equalize. Morphy did forced is 17.♗e5 when either 17...♘xf2
more than anyone to establish this 18.♗d4 or 17...a6 favor Black. A key
idea. Since White has used two tempi to all this is White’s ♘b1, still in the
for the non-developing moves h3 and stable.
♗b3, Black believes the advance is 14...♘xe5 15.♗xe5 exd3
justified.
8.exd5
T_.d.tM_
Bad is 8.♘xe5 ♘xe5 9.d4 ♘xe4
jJj._J_.
10.dxc5 ♘xc5; but 8.♘g5 and 8.♘d2
are both OK for White.
._._.s.j
8...♗xd5 9.0-0 0-0 10.♗g5 ♗xb3
_.l.b.j.
11.axb3 h6 12.♗h4 g5! ._._._._
This move is often either very _IiJ_._I
good, or very bad. Here the .i._.iI_
loosening of kingside squares is of rN_Q_Rk.

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 The American Chess Congress

16.♗xf6? Black is simply much better. His

The critical moment passed over killer bishop dominates White’s
by commentators. White rushes to lame knight, and all his men are
remove the advanced passer, but in more active. White can’t contest
so doing the game slips away. Instead with 22.♖fe1? ♖xe1+ 23.♖xe1 ♖d2 and
16.♕f3! first maintains equality. After is induced to blunder. Such games
16...♘d7 17.♗g3 ♕e7 18.♕xd3 ♘f6 make it hard to fathom how some
19.♘d2/a3 White avoids the coming dispute that Morphy was ahead of his
pitfalls. time positionally.
16...♕xf6 17.♕xd3 ♖ad8 18.♕c2 22.♖d3?! Maroczy suggests 22.b3
♖fe8 but 22...♗c7 23.g3 ♕f3 ‘and Black is
The most natural move and a strong winning’ per Fritz.
one, but more incisive was 18...♕g6! 22...♗xf2+!
when trading queens is fatal for Black’s strategic dominance results
White. in a very ‘modern’ petite combinaison.
23.♔h1
._.tT_M_ 23.♖xf2 ♖e1+ and mate.
jJj._J_. 23...♖xd3 24.♕xd3 ♖e3
._._.d.j
_.l._.j. ._._._M_
._._._._ jJ_._J_.
_Ii._._I ._J_._.j
.iQ_.iI_ _._._.j.
rN_._Rk. .i._.d._
n.iQt._I
19.b4 ♗b6 20.♘a3
.i._.lI_
Thompson defends routinely, but
_._._R_K
not well enough. The last hidden
resource was 20.c4! ♗d4 21.♘c3 with 25.♕d8+
good holding chances. 25.♕c2 ♖xh3 is mate in three. White
20...♕f4! 21.♖ad1 c6 trades queens to escape this fate, but
Morphy’s technique is deadly:
25...♔g7 26.♕d4+ ♕xd4 27.cxd4
._.tT_M_
♖e2 28.♘c4 ♖e1 29.♖xe1 ♗xe1
jJ_._J_. 30.♘a5 ♗xb4 31.♘xb7 ♔f6 32.♘d8
.lJ_._.j c5 33.♘c6 ♔e6 34.dxc5 ♗xc5 35.g4
_._._.j. ♔d5 36.♘d8 f6 37.♔g2 a5 38.♔f3
.i._.d._ a4 39.♔e2 ♗d4 40.♔d3 ♗xb2
n.i._._I 41.♘f7 ♗e5 42.♔c2 ♔c4 43.♘d8
.iQ_.iI_ a3 44.♘b7 a2 45.♘a5+ ♔b4 46.♘b3
_._R_Rk. ♔a3 0-1

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The Real Paul Morphy

The games commenced each day at 11 am, but Morphy had knocked out James
Thompson 3-0, and his second-round opponent was yet to be determined.
Morphy spent the off days playing skittles with Thompson, Louis Paulsen
and Hardman P. Montgomery. At this stage Morphy was no doubt eager to
get all the experience he could, against the largest gathering of masters he
had encountered. Likewise, the American chess public could not get enough
of the 19-year-old wunderkind.
The following day, on Friday October 9, Louis Paulsen, also a young
man of 24, stole some of Morphy’s limelight. Born in Germany in 1833, he
emigrated to the United States in 1854, following his older brother Ernst
to Dubuque, Iowa, where he served as a bookkeeper for Ernst’s wholesale
tobacco business. Like Morphy, Paulsen was a virtual unknown, who had
become a strong player by playing extensively against his master-strength
brother Wilfried (their sister Amelie was also a strong player). Stylistically
Louis Paulsen carried the torch of Howard Staunton; a strong positional and
strategic thinker, who contributed immensely to the theory of the Sicilian
Defense (lending his name to a key ...e6 variation which built on the ideas
of Staunton and his French School predecessors). Paulsen would soon follow
in Löwenthal’s footsteps by moving back to Europe to establish himself as
one of the world’s leading players for the next few decades.
Paulsen and Paul Morphy shared a talent which had rarely been seen in
chess annals: they were expert blindfold players. Louis Paulsen announced
on October 9 that he would attempt to break the world record by playing
four blindfold games simultaneously on the following day. This caused quite a
sensation, since the previous modern record was Philidor’s unheard-of three
blindfold opponents, matched much later by French master Daniel Harrwitz.
Paulsen was quite a gamer; even after losing all his off-hand games against
Morphy the day before, he invited him to participate in the blindfold simul.
Morphy agreed, on the condition that he also play blindfold.
A ‘throng’ of spectators paid $1 apiece on Friday to watch Paulsen take on
William James Appleton (‘W.J.A.’) Fuller, the New England born chess editor
of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper; New York Chess Master Dennis Julien,
proprietor of the St. Denis Hotel, a ‘popular chess resort’; C.H. Schultz, and
Paul. Aside from Morphy only Julien would dent Paulsen for a draw, but the
most memorable game was easily the following:

Louis Paulsen Not a typical Morphy move; he

Paul Morphy would surely prefer White after the
New York Double Blindfold Simul, October 9, 1857 fork trick 4.♘xe5! ♘xe5 5.d4. Strange
as it seems 3.♘c3 was a novelty at this
1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♘c3 ♗c5?! time, and Morphy was out of book!

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 The American Chess Congress

4.♗b5 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.♘xd4 ♗d7 17.♘f2 ♖g8 18.♘d3 g4 19.♘xe5

7.♘xc6 bxc6 8.♗a4 ♕f6 9.0-0 ♘e7 dxe5 20.hxg4 ♗xg4 21.♕f2 ♖g6!
10.♗e3? The winning move, preparing to
This anti-positional lemon is in turn double rooks while preventing
uncharacteristic of Paulsen. Isolated 22.♕f6+.
doubled pawns on an open file and a
big fat e5-square for Black – what was
T_._._.m
he thinking?
10...♗xe3 11.fxe3 ♕h6 12.♕d3
j.j._J_J
♘g6
._J_._Td
_._.j._.
T_._M_.t B_._I_L_
j.jL_JjJ _._.i._.
._Jj._Sd IiI_.qI_
_._._._. _._.rRk.
B_._I_._
_.nQi._. 22.♕xf7 ♗e6! 23.♕xc7 1-0
In for the penny, in for the
IiI_._Ii
pound, but White is lost anyway
r._._Rk.
after 23.♕f3 ♗h3 24.♖f2 ♗xg2 or
13.♖ae1 ♘e5 14.♕e2 0-0 15.h3 24...♖ag8 25.♖ee2 ♕h4. Now Morphy
White must eventually commit his announced mate in five: 23...♖xg2+!
kingside pawns to counter ...♘g4, 24.♔xg2 ♖g8+ 25.♔f3 ♕h5+ 26.♔f2
but Black now plays purposefully ♕h2+ 27.♔f3 ♕g2 mate.
à la Anderssen, mobilizing on the
kingside with a preponderance of Morphy’s mate announcement came
force. at 10.30 pm after six hours of play.
15...♔h8 16.♘d1 g5! The spectators were dumbfounded
by Paulsen’s record-breaking feat; but
Howard Staunton in the Illustrated
T_._.t.m
London News of February 1, 1862 focused
j.jL_J_J instead on Morphy’s brilliance:
._Jj._.d ‘In the faculty of imparting vitality
_._.s.j. to a position Mr. Morphy is hardly
B_._I_._ second to La Bourdonnais. It is very
_._.i._I rare, indeed, to find a game of his
IiI_Q_I_ which is not in some part enlivened
_._NrRk. by a stroke of vigor or a flash of inspi-
ration. The advance of the pawn here
Quiet approaches are also good, but [16...g5] operates a change in the aspect
why not storm the fortress? of affairs which is almost magical.’

121
The Real Paul Morphy

In the second round of the tour- 8...♘f5 or 8...♗a6 were worth

nament Morphy was paired with considering.
his good friend, Judge A.B. Meek 9.f4 f5
of Montgomery, Alabama. Due to Black plays ‘à la Staunton’ to close
the randomized pairings Morphy’s the kingside. The problem is that
second opponent was weaker and Black’s queenside play is much
more familiar than the first. Fiske more slow-developing than in the
even mentions that Paulsen’s sister McDonnell-style 2.f4 Sicilians, where
Amelie beat Meek in an offhand ...f5 was effective enough.
game soon after this match, which 10.h3 ♘d7 11.♔h2
probably bothered him more than Bobby Fischer concurred with Fred
losing to Paul. Reinfeld and others that closed
positions were Morphy’s ‘only
Paul Morphy weakness’, but I’m not sure I agree.
A.B. Meek White’s play is a model of efficiency,
First American Congress New York 1857 Round 2 though Black is admittedly shooting
Game 1 blind.

1.e4 e6 2.d4 g6 3.♗d3 ♗g7 4.♗e3

T_.d.tM_
♘e7 5.♘e2 b6 6.♘d2 ♗b7
Thanks to Staunton’s influence all
jLjSs.lJ
kinds of flank openings, including
.j._J_J_
double fianchettoes and even the _._JiJ_.
Hippopotamus (...♗b7, ...♗g7, ._.i.i._
...♘d7, ...♘e7) were being tried then, _._Bb._I
with little or no theory. Given his IiInN_Ik
knowledge of Paul, avoiding an open r._Q_R_.
game was worth a try for the judge.
7.0-0 d5 8.e5 11...c5 12.c3 c4
Locking the queenside is rarely
advisable in these situations; Black’s
Ts.dM_.t
king is unlikely to survive long
jLj.sJlJ enough to witness a queenside pawn
.j._J_J_ storm.
_._Ji._. 13.♗c2 a6 14.♘f3 h6?
._.i._._ The losing move, creating a fatal
_._Bb._. weakness on g6.
IiInNiIi 15.g4 ♔h7 16.♖g1 ♖g8 17.♕e1!
r._Q_Rk. ♘c6 18.♘h4!
An important maneuver to recognize
8...0-0 here. White can pile irresistible

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 The American Chess Congress

force on the g6-square, and a knight ♗e6 8.♗b5 ♘ge7 9.♘g5 0-0 10.♕h5
sacrifice there will decide sooner or h6 11.♘f3 ♘g6 12.g4 ♘ce5
later.
T_.d.tM_
T_.d._T_ jJj._Jj.
_L_S_.lM ._.jL_Sj
JjS_J_Jj _Bl.s._Q
_._JiJ_. ._._I_I_
._Ji.iIn _.n._N_I
_.i.b._I Ii._.i._
IiB_N_.k r.b.k._R
r._.q.r.
18...♕f8 13.♘xe5 dxe5
Naïve, but even on 18...♘e7 19.♘xg6 Instead of taking with the pawn,
♘xg6 20.gxf5 exf5 21.♗xf5 ♘df8 13...♘xe5 is also good, with the cute
22.♗c2 White crashes through. idea of 14.♗e2 f5! 15.gxf5 ♗f7.
19.♘xg6! ♔xg6 20.gxf5+ ♔f7 Morphy handles this position very
21.fxe6+ ♔xe6 22.f5+ ♔e7 instructively. His concrete play
23.♕h4+ ♔e8 24.f6 ♗xf6 25.exf6 may objectively not be the absolute
♖xg1 26.♖xg1 ♘xf6 27.♗g6+ ♔d7 strongest, but it is the most practical
28.♗f5+ ♔e8 29.♗xh6 ♕h8 30.♖g7 way to approach the position. Not
♘g8 1-0 only is Black better, but he puts to
bed any White notions of attacking
In the third game, Meek decided the kingside. Taking all the fun out
to go down swinging, essaying the of an opponent’s position may rob
Scotch Gambit. Morphy, interested his spirit as well.
in accuracy as much as brilliancy, 14.g5 ♕d4
did not mind defending classical
gambits. He and Anderssen enjoyed
T_._.tM_
playing either side of open games,
though both were more vulnerable
jJj._Jj.
when defending.
._._L_Sj
_Bl.j.iQ
A.B. Meek ._.dI_._
Paul Morphy _.n._._I
First American Congress New York 1857 Round 2 Ii._.i._
Game 3 r.b.k._R

1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 15.♗e3 ♕b4 16.♗xc5 ♕xb2!?
dxc3 5.♘xc3 ♗c5 6.♗c4 d6 7.h3 17.0-0 ♕xc3 18.♗xf8?

123
The Real Paul Morphy

Necessary was 18.♖fc1 first, shooing 19...♕b4 would have been more
the queen off White’s third rank; but accurate.
Black is still in control.
18...♖xf8 ._._.tM_
jJj._Jj.
._._.tM_ ._._L_Sj
jJj._Jj. _B_.j.iQ
._._L_Sj ._._I_._
_B_.j.iQ _._._._I
._._I_._ Id._.i._
_.d._._I _.r._Rk.
I_._.i._ 20.♗c4?
r._._Rk. He should have played 20.♖b1.
20...♘f4 21.♕d1 ♘xh3+ 22.♔g2
Not only is Black up material, but his ♘f4+ 23.♔h1 ♕b6 24.gxh6 ♗xc4
♘g6 is better than a white rook. Now 25.h7+ ♔xh7 26.♕g4 ♕h6+ 27.♔g1
19.gxh6 ♘f4 is hopeless. ♗xf1 28.♖xf1 ♖d8 29.a4 ♖d6 30.f3
19.♖ac1 ♕b2 ♖g6 31.♔f2 0-1

The Macon Telegraph of May 9, 1867 ran a funny anecdote about the Morphy-
Meek encounter:
‘During the brief contests with Morphy, [Meek] made a playful threat
that caused a good deal of amusement. He told the little hero, thus striding
over them all so triumphantly, that if he didn’t stop beating him so all the
time, and, at least, once in a while give him some kind of a chance, he would
pick him up, put him in his pocket and carry him off – a threat which,
considering the immense disparity in their physical proportions seemed
not at all impossible of execution.’
With Meek vanquished in a quick one-day session, Morphy waited nearly a
week to receive his third-round pairing. Meanwhile on Saturday October 17 a
fancy dinner was hosted at Denis Julian’s St. Denis Hotel, with chess-themed
entrees, such as ‘Pommes de Terre a la McDonnell’. After many speeches,
Colonel Mead toasted Morphy, who responded in a very upbeat manner:
‘...For the first time in the annals of American Chess, a Congress is being
held which bids fair to mark an era in the history of our noble game. Chess,
hitherto viewed by our countrymen in the light of a mere amusement, assumes
at last its appropriate place among the sciences which at once adorn and exalt
the intellect...’ Unfortunately, Morphy would soon begin expressing a much
more negative view of chess playing.

124