Paul Morphy

by Bill Wall

In 1753, Paul Morphy's great-grandfather,

Michael Murphy (died in 1800), born in
Ireland, moved from Ireland to Madrid,
Spain. Later, he moved to Malaga, Spain.
He changed his name to Morphy while
living in Spain to accommodate to the
Castilian pronunciation.

The Morphy coat of arms is made up of a

quarterly argent (divided into four parts with
a tincture of silver) and gules (colors — in
this case, red) with four lions interchanged Bill Wall
in each quadrant. Above the quarterly argent
is another lion holding a wheat sheaf. The
description of the heraldic device said
Paul Morphy "Morphy, alias Murphy, alias Omurphu.
1837-1884 (source: Arthur & Kernion, "Morphy
Family,"Old Families of Louisiana, 2009, p. A knowledge of
55) combinations is
the foundation
Michael Morphy married Maria Porro (died of positional
in 1813). They had two sons and five chess. —Reti
daughters. One of the sons, Don Diego, born
in Malaga in 1765, was Paul Morphy's
grandfather.

In 1789, Diego Morphy moved to the island

of San Domingo (the former name of
Hispaniola, then Haiti) and married Maria
Mollie (Molly) Creagh (1760-1797).

In 1790, Diego had a son, Diego Morphy,

Jr.

In November 1791, Michael Murphy

(Morphy), a Spanish citizen, applied for
appointment as consul at Malaga.

In 1793, Michael Murphy (Morphy) became

the United States Consul to Malaga, Spain,
appointed by Thomas Jefferson, who was
Secretary of State under George
Washington. Michael Murphy was consul
from 1793 to 1799. He collected
information as to how indemnity for
depredations on U.S. commerce, and how
the release of American sailors sold into
slavery by the pirates of Algiers could be
secured.

In 1793, there was a slave revolt in San

Domingo. Diego hid his son in a basket,
dressed his wife as a market vendor, and had
them sent to Philadelphia on an English
ship. Later, Diego escaped to Charleston,
South Carolina. He got his family back and
they settled on King Street, then later moved
to Meeting Street.

In 1795, Don Diego became Spanish consul

to North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Georgia.

On September 19, 1797, Mollie Creagh

Morphy died in Charleston, South
Carolina..

In 1797, Don Diego Morphy, Sr., married

Louisa Piere. From his second marriage,
Don Diego had 2 sons and 3 daughters. The
oldest son, Alonzo Michael Morphy (1798-
1856), born in Charleston, South Carolina in
1798, was Paul Morphy's father. The
younger son, Ernest, was born on November
22, 1807 in Charleston, SC. Ernest died on
March 7, 1874.

In 1803, San Domingo became Haiti.

On November 22, 1807, Ernest Morphy

(1807-1874), the uncle of Paul Morphy, was
born in Charleston, SC. He was also a
distinguished chess player.
In 1809, Don Diego was appointed Spanish
consul to New Orleans and moved there.

In 1811, the College d'Orleans (College of

New Orleans) was Louisiana's first
institution of higher learning. It operated
until 1826.

On April 30, 1812, Louisiana became the

18th state.

In 1814, Don Diego Morphy, Sr., died in

New Orleans. Upon his death, Diego, Jr.,
took over as Spanish consul to New
Orleans, which he held until 1818. He then
devoted himself to teaching Spanish and
making translations. He wrote a book on
Spanish idioms and a dictionary of the
French, Spanish, and English languages.

In 1816, Alonzo Morphy attended the

French College d'Orleans, formerly located
in the Fauborg Marigny district of New
Orleans, near the French Quarter. He
studied law and studied under Edward
Livingston (1764-1836), an American jurist
and statesman who served as U.S. Secretary
of State from 1831 to 1833. He graduated
from there in 1819.

On January 7, 1819, Alonzo Morphy was

admitted to practice law. He established a
law practice at 61 Toulouse Street in New
Orleans.

Alonzo was elected to the House of

Representatives and was a congressman
from 1825 to 1829. In 1829, he was attorney
general for Louisiana. From 1839 to 1846,
he was a Supreme Court justice for
Louisiana. He was also regent of the New
Orleans Public Schools, administrator of the
Charity Hospital, and director of the Bank
of Louisiana.

On February 21, 1829, Alonzo married

Louise Therese Felicite Thelcide Le
Carpentier (familiarly known as Telcide).
He entered the marriage with $16,000 worth
of property that included 6 slaves. His future
wife came into the marriage with $4,000
given to her by her father. Her father was
Joseph Esau Le Carpentier (1780-1850?)
and her mother was Modeste Blache (1784-
1840). Joseph was a slave auctioneer.

Telcide was renowned in the salons of New

Orleans as a brilliant pianist and musician.
Paul Morphy's sister, Helena, was a good
musician. (source: Sergeant, Morphy's
Games of Chess, p. 2)

From 1829 to 1841, Alonzo Morphy and his

family lived at 1113 Chartres Street in the
French Quarter of New Orleans. It is the
house that Paul Morphy was born in. The
house was later occupied by Pierre Gustave
Toutant Beauregard (1818-1893), the
famous Confederate General. He only
resided there during the winter of 1866-67
with his son in a rented room. It was later
owned by author Francis Parkinson Keyes
(1885-1970). The street was dominated by
the Ursuline Convent on the river side.

Paul Morphy was born at the Chartres Street

residence on June 22, 1837 in New Orleans.

He had two sisters, Malvina Modesta

Sybrandt (1830-1894) and Helena (1839-
1900?), and a brother, Edward (1834-
1900?). His father's nationality was Spanish,
but he was of Irish origin and was born in
Charleston, SC. His mother was Louise-
Therese-Felicite-Thelcide Morphy (1810?-
1885) was French Creole. Paul Morphy's
father, Alonzo Michael Morphy (1798-
1856) was a Judge of the Supreme Court of
Louisiana. Paul Morphy's uncle, Ernest
Morphy, was known as a strong chess
player.

In 1838, the New Orleans Chess Club was

formed. The Secretary of the Club was
Ernest Morphy (1807-1874). They met in a
room formerly occupied by the District
Court, Merchants' Exchange. The club
lasted less than two years.

On August 31, 1839, Alonzo Morphy was

appointed as a Justice of the Louisiana
Supreme Court by Governor Andre Roman
(1795-1866). Alonzo Morphy held that
office until March 19, 1846.

In 1840, when Paul Morphy was 4 years

old, be began to read and write.

In 1841, New Orleans launched the first

public school system in Louisiana.

In 1841, the Morphy family moved to 89

Royal Street (later re-numbered to 417
Royal Street) in New Orleans. The house
remained in the Morphy family until the
death of Malvina and John Sybrandt in
1894. Malvina died on June 13, 1894 at the
age of 64. John Sybrandt died on September
21, 1894 at the age of 72. The Morphy
mansion is today the site of Brennan's, a
famous New Orleans Creole restaurant in
the French Quarter. It was established in
1946. There is a plaque remembering Paul
Morphy near the front door.

The Morphy house on Royal Street was the

first American bank in Louisiana. In 1805, it
was the first financial institution created in
New Orleans after the Louisiana Purchase.
A secret underground passage-way
connected the bank with the home of the
President of the bank (source: "The Morphy
Family," Our Folder, 1921, p. 22). The
house later became a cheap rooming house,
then a cheap hotel.

On May 8, 1841, Ernest Morphy, Secretary

of the New Orleans Chess Club, announced
a meeting of the club at the Merchants'
Exchange in New Orleans. (source: New
Orleans Times-Picayune, May 8, 1841)

Paul Morphy seemed to learn chess on his

own while watching others play. During one
summer afternoon, after watching a long
game between his father, Alonzo, and his
uncle, Ernest, Paul surprised them by stating
that Ernest should have won. The two had
just agreed to a draw. Paul proved his claim
by setting up the pieces and demonstrating
the won his uncle had missed.

Paul later played chess against his

grandfather, Joseph Le Carpentier and his
uncle, Charles Le Carpentier. Paul's older
brother, Edward (Edouard), played some
chess, but later lost interest.

On December 27, 1845, Charles Henry

Stanley (1819-1901) defeated Eugene
Rousseau (1810-1870), a bank clerk, in New
Orleans - 15 wins, 8 losses, 8 draws. It was
the first US chess championship (although
the term "US Chess Champion" did not exist
at the time). The match was for $500. This
was the first organized chess event in the
U.S. The match took place at the Sazerac
Coffee House in New Orleans. Rousseau's
second in the match was Ernest Morphy,
who took his 8-year-old nephew, Paul
Morphy, to the match. (source: New Orleans
Times-Picayune, Dec 27, 1845 and Bell's
Life, Feb 15, 1846)

From the age of 8 Paul played hundreds of

games against the best players in New
Orleans. By the time he was 13 he was the
best chess player in New Orleans and one of
the best players in America.

In December 1846, Major General Winfield

Scott (1786-1866) was in New Orleans for
five days and wanted to play some chess
with a strong local player. After dinner, his
opponent was brought in. It was 9-year-old
Paul Morphy. Paul supposedly beat the
general twice that evening. Winfield Scott
served on active duty as a general longer
than any other man in American history,
from 1807 to 1861.

The problem with the account is that

General Winfield Scott was in New Orleans
under arrest. Major General Gideon Pillow
(1806-1878) had him arrested in Mexico.
Scott was being transferred to Washington,
D. C. to stand trial. Scott later had Pillow
arrested on charges of insubordination and
violating regulations.

However, other sources say that General

Winfield Scott was on his way to Mexico to
take command of the American Army and
stopped in New Orleans. He asked to play a
game of chess with someone, when they
brought in 9-year-old Paul Morphy. They
played two chess games and Paul won both
games quickly. Scott supposedly rose from
the table and indignantly left the room
without even congratulating Paul.

Paul Morphy attended Jefferson Academy

(53 Royal Street), a private school, near his
home on 89 Royal Street, in his early years.
The Academy is now Broussard's
Restaurant on 819 Rue Conti. Paul preferred
reading and writing and avoided school
sports and all other kinds of physical
activity. (source: Dizikes, "Paul Morphy
Against the World," Sportsmen and
Gamesmen, 2002, p. 160)

In 1848, Paul Morphy defeated his father,

Alonzo. It was Paul Morphy's first recorded
chess game.

On June 22, 1849, Paul Morphy, on his 12th

birthday, beat his uncle, Ernest Morphy, in
his first blindfold game.

On September 28, 1849, Paul Morphy, age

12, defeated Eugene Rousseau in a chess
game. During the years 1849 and 1850, Paul
played 50 games of chess against Rousseau,
winning nine-tenths. (source: Frere,
Morphy's Games of Chess, 1859, p. 4)

On October 28, 1849, Morphy defeated

Eugene Rousseau in a chess game in 23
moves. The game was later sent for
publication in the chess magazine La
Regence.

Paul Morphy — Eugene Rousseau, New

Orleans, Oct 28, 1849 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bc4 f5 4.d3 Nf6 5.O-O d6 6.Ng5 d5
7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Nc3 Nce7 9.Qf3 c6 10.Nce4
fxe4 11.Qf7+ Kd7 12.Qe6+ Kc7 13.Qxe5+
Qd6 14.Qxd6+ Kxd6 15.Nf7+ Ke6 16.Nxh8
exd3 17.cxd3 Kf6 18.b4 Be6 19.Re1 Bg8
20.Bb2+ Kg5 21.Re5+ Kh6 22.Bc1+ g5
23.Rxg5 1-0

On October 31, 1849, Ernest Morphy sent a

letter and a chess game (see above game) of
his nephew, Paul Morphy to
Lionel Kieseritzky (1806-1853) in Paris,
editor of the chess magazine La
Regence. The letter read:

"I send you herewith a game of chess played

on the 28th instant between M. R------ and
the young Paul Morphy, my nephew, who is
only twelve. This child has never opened a
work on chess; he has learnt the game
himself by following the parties played
between members of his family. In the
openings he makes the right moves as if by
inspiration; and it is astonishing to note the
precision of his calculations in the middle
and end game. When seated before the
chessboard, his face betrays no agitation
even in the most critical positions; in such
cases he generally whistles an air through
his teeth and patiently seeks for the
combination to get him out of trouble.
Further, he plays three or four severe
enough games every Sunday (the only day
on which his father allows him to play)
without showing the least fatigue." The
game was published in La Regence in
January 1851.

In 1849, Morphy played chess against James

McConnell (1829-1914). He was a friend of
Paul Morphy in New Orleans and became a
successful lawyer.

In May 1850, the Hungarian master Johann

Jacob Löwenthal (Loewenthal) (1810-1876)
visited New Orleans. Löwenthal and another
Hungarian, Colonel Pragay, traveled to New
Orleans on May 10, 1850, carrying with
them a letter of introduction to Eugene
Rousseau. On arriving in New Orleans,
Löwenthal became ill. He later recovered
and called on Eugene Rousseau, where he
learned about Paul Morphy. He asked to
meet the boy and play a few games of chess
with him.

Löwenthal played 12-year-old Paul Morphy

three games (Löwenthal only remembered
one or two games), and Paul won all three
games from Löwenthal. Some sources, such
as Ballou's Pictorial and a Paul Morphy
article in the New York Times, September
3, 1899, say that one game was drawn.
Löwenthal altered an ending to make it look
like a draw. One game was played on May
22, another game was played on May 25,
and the final game was played May 27,
1850. When Löwenthal lost, he threw his
arms around Paul and said he would become
the greatest player ever known. Löwenthal
then tried to convince Paul's father to send
the boy for further chess perfection to
England. Instead, his father enrolled him in
St. Joseph's College.

Löwenthal then returned to Cincinnati,

where he set up a smoking and chess divan.
Löwenthal later wrote that at the time when
playing Morphy, he was "depressed in mind
and suffering in body, and was also
prostrated by the climate." (source:
Loewenthal, Morphy's Games of Chess,
1869, p. 4)

On June 22, 1850, Paul turned 13 and would

soon enter college.

On December 3, 1850, at the age of 13, Paul

became a student of St. Joseph's College
(Spring Hill College) at Spring Hill on
Dauphin Street, near Mobile, Alabama, 145
miles from New Orleans. He was part of a
student body of 210. His older brother,
Edward, age 16, also enrolled at this time.
Paul Morphy did not bring any chess book
or chess set to college.

Spring Hill College was Alabama's oldest

institution of higher learning, established in
1830. It was the first Catholic college in the
South. It was the third oldest Jesuit college
and the fifth oldest Catholic college in the
United States.

In January 1851, Paul Morphy's first

published game (see above game) appeared
in La Regence, published by Kieseritsky.

As a freshman in college, Paul was elected

vice president of the Thespian Society acted
regularly in the school plays. In 1851, he
played the role of Charles in the Comedie
Francais, Gregiore during the
commencement exercises. Paul Morphy also
took up fencing at his father's insistence. It
was his only physical activity.

In October 1851, Paul Morphy was given

first prize for Good Conduct at Spring Hill
College. (source: The Times-Picayune, Oct
17, 1851) He also took first premiums in his
class for Latin, Greek, and English. He took
second premiums in Christian Doctrine,
French, and Arithmetic.

In 1852, Morphy played the role of Portia in

The Merchant of Venice. His brother,
Edward, played the part of Shylock.

In October 1852, Paul Morphy won the

highest award for Good Conduct at Spring
Hill College.

On October 20, 1852, Paul Morphy played a

chess game against James McConnell
(1829-1914). The game was later published
in the New York Clipper on July 26, 1856.
McConnell was a friend of Morphy's.
Morphy gave his book The Chess
Tournament: London 1851, published by
Howard Staunton, to McConnell. Morphy
had played over all the games and the book
had numerous marginal notes in Morphy's
handwriting by which he expressed his
opinion o f the games and certain moves.
Morphy also made a comment on Staunton's
chess play by writing on the title page to
make the authorship read like this: "By H.
Staunton, Esq., author of the Handbook of
Chess, Chess-Players Companion, etc (and
some devilish bad games)." (source: "the
Life of Paul Morphy," Evening Gazette
(Cedar Rapids), Dec 29, 1900, p. 1)

In 1852, Paul Morphy taught Charles

Amedee Maurian (1838-1912) how to play
chess. He was the closest and life-long
friend of Paul Morphy. They attended
Spring Hill College together where Morphy
taught Maurian how to play chess. In 1854,
he defeated Paul Morphy in a match in New
Orleans (+6-5=1), but at various piece odds.
In 1858, he lost a match to Paul Morphy
(+1-2=0). From 1858 to 1860, Maurian
edited the chess column in the New Orleans
Delta. In October 1862, Maurian and
Morphy sailed to Cuba on a Spanish
steamboat, with the ultimate destination of
Paris in 1863. In 1869, he lost a match to
Paul Morphy (+2-6=0) at knight odds.
Altogether, there are 75 known games
between Maurian and Paul Morphy. From
1883 to 1890, he co-edited the chess column
in the Times-Democrat. He moved to Paris
in 1890. He died on December 2, 1912.

In the summer of 1853, Paul Morphy played

a few chess games with some of his
classmates.

In 1853, Paul Morphy played a blindfold

chess game against Jesuit Father Domique
Beaudequin (1827-1909) at Spring Hill
College, according to one of Morphy's
contemporaries at Spring Hill Collge, Mr.
W. G. Boylan of New Orleans. (source:
American Chess Bulletin, 1911, p. 259)

In 1854, the earliest known photograph of

Paul Morphy was taken.

In 1854, Paul Morphy took an interest in

astronomy. While at Spring Hill College, he
was a member of the Philomathic Society
(an association of persons who love
sciences) and delivered an astronomy
lecture on the discovery of Neptune, which
occurred in 1846 by astronomer Johann
Galle (1812-1910) in Berlin. Paul's older
brother, Edward, was the Philomathic
Society's secretary and vice president.

By 1854, Paul Morphy, while at Spring Hill

College, became proficient in literature,
math, science, music, the arts, and was
marked competent in Latin, Greek, French,
Spanish, German, and English. He was also
a good speaker and actor.

For his Bachelor's Degree thesis, Morphy

argued against the notion of "forcible
secession" in a political upheaval or cause
of war.

On October 10, 1854, at the age of 17, Paul

Morphy was awarded the Bachelor of Arts
(A.B.) degree at Spring Hill College. He
was one of 5 students that graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts degree during this period.
(source: The Times-Picayune, Oct 14,
1854)

In 1854-1855, Paul stayed at Spring Hill

College, studying mathematics and
philosophy. In October 1855, he was
awarded a Master of Arts (A.M.) degree
with the highest honors ever bestowed by
the school His commencement address was
entitled, "The Political Creed of the Age."
The only other person who received a
Master of Arts in 1855 was Paul Morphy's
sometime chess opponent, Louis Landry.

After graduation from Spring Hill College,

Paul's older brother, Edward, became a
cotton broker and, later, the director of the
New Orleans Cotton Exchange.
On March 1, 1855, Paul traveled 12 miles
from his school into Mobile, Alabama a few
times. During one of these visits, he played
three games with Judge Alexander Beaufort
Meek (1814-1865), who was serving as
judge of the probate court there. He later
became the President of the American Chess
Congress in 1857. Morphy won all three
games. On the same day, he beat Dr. Ayres
of Alabama in two games. (source: Ballou's
Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion, July
2, 1859, p. 1)

In November 1855, after graduating from

Spring Hill College, Paul Morphy enrolled
at the Law School at the University of
Louisiana in Lafayette, Louisiana.

On June 10, 1856, Ernest Morphy sent a

chess game and the only known chess
problem (a mate in two moves) that Paul
Morphy created, to the New York Clipper.

On June 28, 1856, Paul Morphy's (1837-

1884) only chess problem was published on
page 78 in the New York Clipper. Morphy
composed the problem in 1849.

On August 30, 1856, Ernest Morphy took

out an advertisement in Leslie's Illustrated
Newspaper, entitled, "Chess Challenge
Extraordinary." He challenged anybody in
the United States to come to New Orleans
and play Paul Morphy, age 19, in a stakes
match at $300 a side. There were no takers.

Alonzo Morphy received a cut above the

eye from a Panama hat worn by a friend. He
had turned to speak to his friend, and the
brim of the hat cut his eye. The cut led to
congestion of the brain.

On the morning of November 22, 1856,

Alonzo Morphy age 58, Paul Morphy's
father, died in New Orleans (source: The
Times-Picayune, Nov 23, 1856). He was a
lawyer who was Attorney General of
Louisiana from 1828 to 1830, and a Justice
of the Louisiana Supreme Court from 1839
to 1846. Alonzo left an estate of
$146,162.54 (over $3 million in today's
currency) and owned two female slaves
(worth $1,700 according to the inventory of
Alonzo's estate). He originally had 6 slaves.
His heirs were his wife and four children.

On November 23, 1856, Alonzo Morphy's

funeral was held at his residence on Royal
Street. The funeral was said to be one of the
largest ever held in New Orleans.

In 1857, the New Orleans Chess Club was

re-formed. It previously existed from 1838
to 1841. Paul Morphy was its President and
Charles Amedee Maurian was its Secretary.

In 1857, Daniel Willard Fiske (1811-1904)

edited the short-lived The Chess Monthly
(co-edited by Paul Morphy). Fiske was also
an author, librarian, diplomat, and
businessman.

In January 1857, Paul Morphy played four

chess games with Judge Meek, winning
them all.

On April 7, 1857, at the age of 20, he

received a Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.) degree
from the University of Louisiana. He spoke
English, French, Spanish, and German
fluently. He was not yet of legal age (age
21) to practice law, but was admitted to the
bar with the qualification that he could not
practice law until he reached 21 (June 22,
1858). It was said that he had memorized
nearly the entire Louisiana Civil Code in
preparation for his degree. (source: Buck,
Paul Morphy, His Later Life, 1902, p. 7)
In April 1857, Paul Morphy received an
invitation from the New York Chess Club to
participate in the First American Chess
Congress in New York, to be held in
October 1857. The purpose of the Congress
was "of ascertaining the feasibility and
propriety of a general assemblage of the
chess players resident in America." The
Congress consisted of three separate
tournaments: the Grand Tournament, the
Minor Tournament, and the Problem
Tournament. At first, he declined because of
his father's death, but at the urging of his
uncle Ernest, he decided to play in the
event. He felt it would be selfish of him to
leave, at least before the period of mourning
was over.

By this time, Paul Morphy had played some

one hundred chess games with his uncle,
Ernest. (source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Sep
25, 1858)

At the time, Morphy owned only two chess

books: Chess Studies published by Horwitz
and Kling in 1851, and The Chess
Tournament: London 1851 published by
Staunton in 1852. He borrowed two chess
books from Maurian: Chess Player's
Handbook and Companion, by Staunton,
and Treatise on the Game of Chess by
Lewis. He also had copies the French chess
magazine, La Regence, edited by Lionel
Kieseritzky. However, Morphy knew by
heart hundreds of games by the European
masters.

Morphy was able to memorize almost all the

contents of chess literature that he read. In
the book he owned, The Chess Tournament:
London 1851 by Staunton, Morphy wrote on
the front page next to Staunton's name, "and
author of some abominable games." He later
gave that book away as a gift. (source:
Dietze, Chess Phenomenon Paul Morphy,
2016, p. 15)

When the telegram announcing that Paul

Morphy was leaving New Orleans for the
Congress reached New York, Louis Paulsen
(1833-1891) declared that the first prize
would fall on him. Paulsen was the second
strongest chess player in America after
Morphy. Paulsen was a German immigrant
who lived in Dubuque, Iowa, and growing
potatoes. Judge Meek also informed the
members of the New York Chess Club that
Morphy would carry off the first prize in the
tournament. One member shot back,
"Because he beats you, Judge, you think he
must necessarily beat everyone else."
(source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Sep 25,
1858)

On September 23, 1857, Morphy left New

Orleans aboard the steamer Benjamin
Franklin and arrived in Cincinnati a few
days later. He then took a train from
Cincinnati to New York City, arriving on
October 4, 1857. It was 11 days of travel for
Morphy to get from New Orleans to New
York. While in New York for the First
American Chess Congress, Morphy stayed
at the St. Nicholas Hotel. Prior to this trip,
Paul had never traveled any further from
New Orleans than Mobile, Alabama for
school.

For the 1857 American Chess Congress, the

top 16 players in America were invited.
Besides Morphy, the players included
William S. Allison, Samuel R. Calthrop,
Daniel Willard Fiske, William Fuller, Hiram
Kennicott, Huburt Knott, Theodor
Lichtenhein, Napoleon Marache, Judge
Alexander Meek, Hardman P. Montgomery,
Louis Paulsen, Frederick Perrin, Dr.
Benjamin I. Raphael, Charles Henry
Stanley, and James Thompson.

On October 5, 1857, before the Grand

Tournament started, the New York Chess
Club, located at 19 East 12th Street in
Manhattan, was open for a casual meeting
of the players and the pairings. Morphy
played and defeated Frederick Perrin (1815-
1889), the secretary of the New York Club.
As the second game began between the two,
Charles Stanley (1819-1901) entered the
club. Perrin gave up his seat so that Stanley
could play Morphy a game. Morphy won
four games in a row against Stanley.

On October 6, 1857, at 11 am, the Congress

started at the rented Descombes Rooms at
764 Broadway in New York (which later
became the Wanamaker's Department Store
at Broadway and 9th Street). The New York
Chess Club was too small for the event. A
lottery was held for the pairing and the
colors. The congress ran through November
10.

After the first round, Morphy and Paulsen

both had some time to spare waiting for the
others to finish. Morphy had defeated
Thompson 3-0, and Paulsen defeated
Calthrop 3-0.

On October 10, Paulsen gave a four-board

blindfold exhibition. Morphy was one of his
opponents who also played blindfolded
against Paulsen. The organizers of the
Committee on Management charged
spectators $1 to watch the exhibition. Before
it stated, the main hall of Descombes Rooms
was standing room only. Morphy won.
Paulsen drew one (against Denis Julien)
other and won two games (against C. Shultz
and W. Fuller).
On October 17, the entire Congress was
treated to dinner at Denis Julien's St Denis
Hotel, located on the corner of Broadway
and 11th Street, sponsored by the New York
Chess Club . The dinner carried a chess
theme and named its bill of fare after chess
players. Huge cakes in the shapes of
chessboards, as well as kings, queens and
knights in jelly, and bishops, rooks and
pawns in cream, adorned the tables. There
were statues of Benjamin Franklin carved
out of ice, and a confectionary castle to
Caïssa (goddess of chess) and a monument
to Andre Danican Philidor. As the note to
the Congress explained, "It's needless to
state how much better the Côtelettes
d'Angeau à la Bilguer tasted than simple
lambchops."

Morphy easily defeated them all and won

the event on November 10, 1857. Morphy
defeated Thompson 3-0, Meek 3-0,
Lichtenhein 3 wins and 1 draw, and Paulsen
5 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws. Morphy won 14
games, lost 1 game, and drew three games.

On November 10, 1857, the first American

Chess congress ended. It was won by Paul
Morphy, followed by Paulsen for 2nd place,
then Lichtenheim for 3rd place, then
Raphael for 4th place. William Homer of
Brooklyn won the Minor Tourney.

On November 11, 1857, there was an

awards ceremony for the congress. Morphy
refused the $300 first place money, (over
$6,000 in today's currency), although it was
announced before the tournament was over
that the prizes would not be given in hard
dollars. Instead, he accepted a silver pitcher,
four goblets, and a silver tray. The tray was
manufactured by Ball, Black & Co. of New
York. The plate was inscribed, "This service
of plate was presented to Paul Morphy as
the Victor in the Grand Tournament at the
first Congress of the American National
Chess association, New York, 1857." It was
valued at $300. Paulsen received a gold
shield and eagle. (source: New York
Tribune, Nov 12, 1857, New York Times,
Nov 13, 1857, The Chess Monthly, vol 1,
1857, p. 348)

During the congress, Matthew Brady (1822-

1896), or one of his assistants, took several
photographs of the chess players, including
Paul Morphy.

After the Congress, Morphy played several

causal games with several players. He
played Charles Stanley in a match whom
Morphy played with the odds of a pawn and
move. The stakes were set at $100 a side.
Morphy won with 4 wins and a draw.
Stanley resigned the match. Morphy then
sent the $100 to Stanley's wife, who needed
the money for her and her children. It was
feared that if the money was given to
Stanley himself, he would have used the
money on his drinking habit. Mrs. Stanley
was pregnant at the time.

In 1857, Paul Morphy defeated John

Schulten (1821-1875) in a match in New
York with 23 wins, 1 loss, and no draws.

After Morphy's victory at New York, some

suggested that a European master should
come to America to play him. When the
British master Howard Staunton (1810-
1874) heard this (Staunton was considered
the best player in the world), he wrote in his
weekly paper column, "The best players of
Europe are not chess professionals, but have
other and more serious things to occupy
their minds with." Morphy's friends in New
Orleans did send a challenge to Staunton to
come to America, but Staunton rejected it.
He did say that if Morphy came to Europe,
he would find him (Staunton) ready.

While in New York, Paul was offered to co-

edit the Chess Monthly, edited by Daniel
Fiske (1831-1904). Morphy was to provide
annotated games.

In December 1857, Charles Stanley's

daughter was born. She was named Pauline
after Paul Morphy.

On December 6, 1857, Morphy visited

Eugene Cook (1830-1915) in Hoboken,
New Jersey. Cook was confined to his house
most of the time because he was an invalid.
Morphy was accompanied by Frederick
Perrin, W.J.A. Fuller, and Daniel Fiske.
While there, Perrin, Fuller, and Fiske played
a consultation game with Morphy, which
they won.

On December 17, 1857, Morphy left New

York and reached New Orleans at the end of
the month.

While in New York, Morphy played 94

even games, winning 85, losing 4, and
drawing 8. He played 159 games at odds,
winning 104, losing 36, and drawing 19. He
played 3 blindfold games, winning 2 and
drawing 1. He lost one consultation game,
Morphy vs. Fiske and Fuller and Perrin.

After Paul returned to New Orleans, he

spent a lot of time at the New Orleans Chess
Club and played several blindfold games
simultaneously against other players.

In January 1858, Morphy gave a 2-board

blindfold exhibition at the New Orleans
Chess Club.

In January 1858, Paul Morphy was chosen

president of the Chess Club of New Orleans,
headquartered at the Mercantile
Library. (source: New York Times, Jan 20,
1858) He gave blindfolded simultaneous
exhibitions at the club and gave the most
careful attention to directing it.

During this period, Paul went to the opera as

much as he could in New Orleans and took
up fencing again.

In February 1858, a committee of the New

Orleans Chess Club sent Howard Staunton a
challenged for a match to be played between
himself and Paul Morphy for $5,000 a side
(over $800,000 in today's money) in New
Orleans. Staunton would be reimbursed
$1,000 for his traveling expenses. The
winner of the first 11 games would be
declared the victor. Staunton declined the
invitation on the ground of the distance. The
New Orleans Chess Club sent this letter to
Staunton without ever consulting or
negotiating with Paul Morphy first. Morphy
afterward decided to visit England and the
continent, instead.

In 1858, a chess club was formed in Quincy,

Illinois. One of its members was Ernest
Morphy, the uncle of Paul Morphy.

In 1858, the Morphy Chess Club was

formed in Petersburg, Virginia in honor of
Paul Morphy.

On March 9, 1858, Paul Morphy wrote a

letter to his friend Daniel Fiske in which he
referred to a possible match with Howard
Staunton (1810-1874). There was a
challenge for the stake of $5,000.

On March 31, 1858, he gave a 7 board simul

at the New Orleans Chess Club, winning 6
and losing 1.
In April 1858, Morphy gave a 7 board simul
at the New Orleans Chess Club.

On April 4, 1858, Staunton wrote a letter

back to the New Orleans Chess Club,
decking their invitation. He wrote that
professional duties compelled him to
abandon chess for a while.

On April 30, 1858, Sam Loyd re-published

Morphy's only known chess problem in the
New York Musical World.

In May 1858, he gave an 8 board simul at

the New Orleans Chess Club.

Paul was invited to attend the international

chess tournament to be held in Birmingham,
England in the summer of 1858. He
accepted the challenge and traveled to
England.

On May 31, 1858, Morphy left New Orleans

for New York. He sailed from New Orleans
to New York on the S.S. Philadelphia.

On June 9, 1858 Paul Morphy left New

York and went to England on the steamship
S.S. Africa. Chess Monthly says it was the
S.S. Arabia), to challenge their best chess
players. The New Orleans chess club
suggested paying Morphy the amount
needed for him to participate in the
Birmingham tournament, to be held in
England, but Morphy declined the offer, as
he did not want to be considered a
professional chess player. He stayed in
England for 3 months trying to arrange a
match with Staunton. But Staunton claimed
he had more serious things to do. Staunton
also continued to smear Morphy in his
newspaper chess column, claiming Morphy
was chasing money, among other things. In
the last letter that Morphy send to Staunton,
he writes "Allow me to repeat, what I have
constantly declared in all the chess circles I
have had the honor to participate. That I
have never wanted to make any skill I may
possess, a tool for making a profit."

Paul Morphy landed in Liverpool on June

20, 1858. He was met there by Fredrick
Edge.

Morphy arrived in Liverpool and

immediately took a train to Birmingham,
England, about 80 miles away. The
tournament was scheduled to start at the
Station Hotel on Morphy's 21st birthday,
June 22, but it has been postponed until
August 24. Morphy, however, was unaware
of the schedule change. When Paul got to
Birmingham on June 20, he met Thomas
Avery, the president of the Birmingham
Chess Club. They went to the Birmingham
Chess Club, and a portrait was taken of
Morphy. Morphy spent a night in
Birmingham, and then went to London the
next day.

On June 21, 1858, Morphy arrived in

London with Frederick Edge, his secretary
in Europe, and registered at Loewe's Hotel
on Surrey Street. Morphy played the owner
of the hotel, Edward Loewe, six games, and
won all six.

On June 23, 1858, Morphy visited the other

London chess clubs such as Simpson's and
St. George's. While at the St. George's chess
club, he encountered Howard Staunton and
inquired about the challenge match between
the two. Staunton agreed to play, but asked
to be allowed a month to brush up on his
chess openings. Morphy agreed.

The first game Morphy ever played publicly

in England was at the Divan against
Frederic H. Lewis. The result was a drawn
game. (source: Winter-Wood, "Paul
Morphy," The Chess Amateur, June 1907, p.
282)

Staunton invited Morphy to his country

home in Streatham.

On June 27, 1858, Morphy went to

Staunton's country home, along with
Thomas Wilson Barnes (1825-1874) and
John Owen (1827-1901). At Staunton's
home, they played a few consultation
games. Morphy and Barnes defeated
Staunton and Owen in the first game.
Morphy and Barnes won a second game, but
it was played over nine days and finished at
St. George's Chess Club.

Morphy played Barnes a series of 27 games.

Morphy won 19 games and Barnes won 8
games. Barnes won more games from
Morphy than any other player.

On July 3, 1858, Morphy played a series of

three games against Reverend John Owen,
who called himself "Alter" in chess circles.
Owen won the first and Morphy won the
final two games. Morphy later won two
more games from Owen.

On July 10, 1858, Staunton published the

agreement between him and Morphy in the
Illustrated London News. The match was to
be 21 games for a stake of 500 pounds a
side. The match was to take place after the
Birmingham tournament.

In July 1858, Morphy accepted a challenge

match from Johann Löwenthal.

In 1858, Paul Morphy and Johann

Löwenthal sat down at the St. James Chess
Club and posed for a picture taken by the
London Stereoscope Company. The medium
was a hand colored albumen silver print.
The picture was owned by Oliver Wendell
Holmes (1809-1894). His family donated it
to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

On July 19, 1858, Morphy played his first

game with Löwenthal at the London Chess
Club. The game was drawn in 7.5 hours.

After 10 games, Morphy won 7, lost 2, and

drew 1. At this point Löwenthal claimed he
was sick and wanted to postpone the rest of
the match (the first to win 9 games was the
winner). A week later, the match resumed
and Morphy won on August 21, 1858.
Morphy was 100 pounds from Löwenthal,
and then used that money to buy 120 pounds
of furniture, which he then gave to
Löwenthal's family for their new apartment.

Great Chess Challenge in England. The

celebrated American chess player, Mr.
Morphy, has arrived in London, and
requests us to announce, in all courtesy and
respect, that he is prepared to play any man
living a match of chess for any sum from
one hundred to one thousand pounds.
...Bell's Life in London, July 6. — Brooklyn
Daily Eagle, Jul 26, 1858

On August 10, 1858, Morphy started a

match with Owen. Morphy won his first
game.

In August, after defeating Löwenthal,

Morphy played a series of game with Henry
Bird (1830-1908), winning 10, losing 1, and
drawing 1.

He stayed in England for 3 months trying to

arrange a match with Staunton. On August
14, 1858, Morphy wrote to Staunton asking
when Staunton's seconds could meet with
Morphy's seconds to work out the details of
the match. Staunton replied that he needed
an extension to finish preparing. He was
working on his edition of the complete
works of Shakespeare.

On August 21, 1858, Morphy wrote back to

Staunton asking when was the earliest
opportunity Staunton had for the match.

Without replying back to Morphy, Staunton

went to Birmingham, which began on
August 24, 1858. Originally, Staunton had
declared that he wouldn't enter the
tournament. However, once he arrived and
found out that Morphy was not going to
play in the event, Staunton signed up to
play. Morphy had promised his family that
he would not play in a chess tournament for
stakes. Morphy showed up in Birmingham
on August 26, and too late to enter the
tournament. He won two games from James
S. Kipping that evening.

While in Birmingham, Morphy ran into

Staunton, He asked him again when he was
ready to play a match between the two.
Staunton responded that he would be ready
at the beginning of November.

On August 27, Morphy gave an 8-board

blindfold exhibition in the rooms of Queen's
College in Birmingham, England. The
players, all members of the British Chess
Association, were Lord Lyttelton (president
of the British Chess Association), Thomas
Avery, Rev. George Salmon, Mr. Carr, Dr.
Jabez Freeman, Mr. Rhodes, J.S. Kipping,
and W.R. Wills. The exhibition took over 6
hours. Morphy won 6, lost to Kipping, and
drew with Avery.

Staunton also continued to smear Morphy in

his newspaper chess column, claiming
Morphy was chasing money, among other
things. In the last letter that Morphy send to
Staunton, he writes "Allow me to repeat,
what I have constantly declared in all the
chess circles I have had the honor to
participate. That I have never wanted to
make any skill I may possess, a tool for
making a profit."

Morphy had to give up the idea of a match

against Staunton and went to Paris, where
he defeated Lowenthal (in London),
Harrwitz, and Anderssen within a space of
six months.

On August 31, 1858, Paul Morphy and

Frederick Edge were late at the railway
station that would take them from London to
Folkstone, then across the Channel and on
to Paris. So they went to Dover and took a
ship to Calais, France. Morphy became sea
sick while crossing the Channel. At first, the
French officials would now allow Morphy
in the country with a United States passport,
but Morphy could speak perfect French and
he was allowed in. The customs officials
confiscated his underwear, however. They
stayed in Calais for the evening and then
took a 10 hour train ride to Paris the next
day, about 150 miles away.

Once in Paris, Morphy had dinner, and then

visited the Café de la Régence on Rue Street
Honoré (opened from 8 am to midnight). He
did not announce his visit the first evening
and was not recognized.

On September 5, 1858, Morphy started his

official match with Daniel Harrwitz (1823-
1884) for a stakes of 295 francs. Harrwitz
did not want seconds. The winner would be
the first to win seven games. Harrwitz also
wanted the match to be played in the public
café at the Café de la Régence. At the time,
Harrwitz, considered one of the best players
in Europe, was employed by the owner of
the Café de la Regence to play chess with all
challengers. (source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle,
Oct 1, 1858)

Harrwitz won the first game. When Morphy

resigned, Harrwitz rose from his chair,
stretched across the table, and took
Morphy's pulse. He then declared to the
crowd, "Well, it is astonishing! His pulse
does not beat any faster than if he had won
the game."

Harrwitz won the second game on

September 7, 1858. After the game, he told
the crowd, "Oh, it takes very little trouble to
beat this fellow." Morphy responded by
saying that Harrwitz would not win another
game from him.

Morphy won the third, fourth, and fifth

games. Harrwitz then wanted a 10-day delay
because of "ill health." After 12 days delay,
Harrwitz lost the sixth game on September
23, 1858. Harrwitz then asked for another
delay of 6 days.

On September 15, 1858, Paul Morphy sat

for the well-known sculptor, Eugene
Lesquesne (1815-1887), in Paris to have a
marble bust made of him. The bust was
exhibited at the Exposition des Beaux Arts
in April, 1859.

On September 19, 1858, Morphy dined with

the deposed Duke of Brunswick, Charles
Frederick August William (1804-1873). The
Duke played at least 11 games in
consultation against Morphy during
Morphy's stay in Paris.

On September 27, 1858, Morphy gave an 8-

board blindfold exhibition, winning 6 games
and drawing 2 games. It was held at the
Café de la Régence. The owner of the café
wanted to charge a spectator fee of 5 francs
for the exhibition, but Morphy said he
would not give the exhibition unless the café
was open to anyone who walked in. So the
event was free for anyone who could get
inside the establishment. His opponents
were Baucher, Bierwith, Borneman,
Guibert, Lequesne, Potier, Preti, and Seguin
(and 50 other players in the room to give
advice to Morphy's 8 opponents). Morphy
was seated in the billiard room of the café,
with his back to the chess table in the other
room. The blindfold exhibition lasted for 10
hours, without anything to eat or drink for
Morphy. When the event was over, it took
30 minutes for Morphy to get outside of the
café after being congratulated by everyone
inside. However, the crowd outside was
greater than the one inside the café, and the
shouting was more deafening. French
Imperial guards, not knowing what was
going on, thought a new revolution in Paris
had broken out.

The next morning, Paul Morphy dictated to

Edge all the moves of his 8 blindfold games,
including possible variations. For two hours,
Morphy dictated the moves and hundreds of
variations of all eight games. Later that
evening, Morphy fell asleep in front of an
open window that was blowing in cold air.
He became sick with a cold and had a fever
the next day. However, he still wanted to
continue the match with Harrwitz and not
claim ill health like Harrwitz did.

The 7th game between Morphy and

Harrwitz was played on September 29,
1858. Harrwitz now objected to playing in
public at the Café de la Régence and wanted
a private room. Morphy lost a rook in an
oversight after having a winning position,
but was able to draw with perpetual check.

Harrwitz asked for another week delay after

this game, still claiming ill health (yet it was
Morphy who was sick with a fever).
Morphy showed up every day at the Café,
playing all comers in chess until midnight.

On October 3, 1858, Harrwitz lost his 8th

game with Morphy. The score was now 5
wins for Morphy, 2 wins for Harrwitz, and
one drawn game.

Harrwitz resigned the match by on October

4th. Paul Morphy had received a verbal
message that "Mr. Harrwitz resigns the
match on account of ill health." Mr.
Lequesne handed over the 295 francs
($1,400 in today's currency) to Morphy.
Morphy offered a second match to Harrwitz,
but Harrwitz declined.

Morphy won 5 games, lost 2, and drew one

game in the match. In percentage terms,
Harrwitz had the best overall result against
Morphy (winning 3, losing 5, drawing 2).

Morphy had his winnings (which he at first

declined) deposited with the proprietor of
the Café de la Régence to defray the
expenses of Adolf Anderssen (1818-1879),
his next opponent, to Paris from Breslau,
Germany.

Having defeated Harrwitz, he even rejected

receiving the prize of 290 francs. But he was
forced to, and later used the money to pay
Anderssen's journey to France. During that
time, the greatest living French sculptor,
Lequesne, made a bust of Morphy and had it
exhibited at the Exhibition des Beaux Arts.
Before Paul Morphy arrived on the scene,
dealers in chessmen and boards sold perhaps
1 or 2 chess sets a year. Now they were
selling 20 times as much.

On October 7, 1858, Morphy wrote to

Thomas Hampton, Secretary of the St.
George's Chess Club that the New Orleans
Chess Club had deposited 500 British
pounds at the Banking House of Haywood
& Company in London. The was Morphy's
stakes to be used in the approaching match
with Howard Staunton.

On October 9, 1858, Howard Staunton told

his readers that a match between him and
Morphy could not take place because
Morphy couldn't come up with the stakes
required by Staunton. This turned out to be a
lie and was an excuse so that Staunton
would not have to play Morphy. On
October 16, 1858, the Duke of Brunswick
and Morphy visited the Italian Opera House
in Paris where the duke had a box. They
played a game of chess during the
performance of "Norma."

Morphy - Duke of Brunswick and Count

Isouard, Paris, 1858 Philidor's Defense 1.e4
e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.dxe5 Bxf3 5.Qxf3
dxe5 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Qb3 Qe7 8.Nc3 [8.Bxf7+
Qxf7 9.Qxb7 is simpler] 8...c6 9.Bg5 b5
10.Nxb5 cxb5 11.Bxb5+ Nbd7 12.O-O-O
Rd8 13.Rxd7! Rxd7 14.Rd1 Qe6 15.Bxd7+
Nxd7 16.Qb8+!! Nxb8 17.Rd8 mate 1-0

On November 1, 1858, Morphy played a

casual game against the Duke of Brunswick
and Count Isouard de Vauvenargue at the
Italian Opera House in Paris. The
performance that evening was Rossini's
"The Barber of Seville."

In November, 1858, Staunton promised to

play Morphy.
In November, 1858, Mr. James M. Mason,
the American Ambassador to France,
introduced Morphy to Emperor Napoleon III
(1808-1873).

While in Paris, Morphy met the grandson of

Philidor.

Morphy originally planned to visit the chess

clubs in Germany, but he got sick and felt
he could not travel. He invited Adolf
Anderson to come to Paris instead.
Anderssen responded that he could not leave
his post as a math teacher in Breslau, but he
would be able to visit Paris during
Christmas vacation. Morphy wanted to
leave early and be home in New Orleans by
Christmas. It took a medical doctor to
convince Morphy that he was too ill to cross
the Atlantic Ocean during the winter time.

On December 15, 1858, Adolf Anderssen

arrived in Paris from Breslau. The next
morning, Anderssen visited Morphy, who
could not get out of bed. They agreed that
the victor would be the first to win seven
games with no stakes. They both were
playing for honor.

When Morphy arrived in Paris to play Adolf

Anderssen (1818-1879), Morphy was
suffering from the flu. His medical
treatment consisted of being leeched. He
lost four pints of blood and was too weak to
leave his hotel bed. Anderssen's friends had
told him not to damage the German prestige
by traveling abroad and play a match against
this young man (Morphy) without official
recognition. But Anderssen felt otherwise,
and when his friends asked him why he did
not play as brilliant as he did in his famous
match against Jean Dufresne (1829-1893),
Anderssen replied "No, Morphy would not
let me." And Morphy himself, was playing
the second strongest chess player
(Anderssen) in the world from his hotel bed
suffering from the flu, and still won the
match with a 7-2 score.

The match between Morphy and Anderssen

began on December 20. It ended on
December 28. There were no stakes for the
match because Morphy would not accept it.

Anderssen lost the match of 11 games (he

won 2, drew 2, lost 7) in 9 days. Anderssen
had not played a chess match in 6 years and
travelled to Paris on his vacation time, even
though it had been stipulated earlier that the
match was to be held in Breslau. After this
official match, the two players played 6
offhand games. Anderssen won 1 and lost 5
of these games.

Morphy won the match with a 7 wins, 2

losses, and 2 draws. He lost the first game,
drew the second game, then won five games
in a row. Game 8 was a draw. Game 9 was a
win for Morphy. Game 10 was a win for
Anderssen. Game 11 was a win for Morphy
and he won the match.

On December 29, 1858, a day after the

formal match, Morphy played Anderssen 6
casual games and won 5, lost 1.

In 1859, the Morphy Chess Club was

formed in Washington, DC.

In 1859, the Morphy Chess Club of

Wilmington, Delaware defeated the
Philadelphia Amateur Chess Club by
telegraph. (source: The Bloomington
Pantagraph, Feb 11, 1859)

In January 1859, a small plastic replica bust

of Paul Morphy arrived in New Orleans. It
was probably made by W. Lay of London in
1858.

In February-March, 1859, Morphy played

Augustus Mongredien, President of the
London Chess Club, in a match and won
with one draw (the first game) and six wins.
The match was held at the Hotel du Louvre
in Paris.

In April 1859, a bust of Paul Morphy by

Eugene Lesquesne was exhibited at the
Exposition des Beaux Arts.

On April 4, 1859, a banquet was held in

Morphy's honor in Paris. A laurel wreath
was placed over the head of a bust of
Morphy, carved by Eugene Lequesne.

On April 6, 1859, Morphy returned to

London with his brother-in-law, John
Sybrandt (1822-1894), and Jules Arnous de
Rivière (1830-1905). He was once again
warmly received by the British chess
community and visited the London chess
clubs.

On April 13, 1859, Morphy gave an 8-board

blindfold exhibition at the London Chess
Club.

On April 20, 1859, Morphy played 8

blindfold simultaneous games against the
top players of each chess club he visited.
The event was held at the St. George Chess
Club in London. He won 5 and drew 3
games.

On April 22, 1859, Morphy watched and

took notes of the chess games played
between Henry Bird and Jules Arnous de
Riviere. Morphy agreed to play a chess
match with Bird on short notice. Morphy
requested a postponement, but nothing came
of the match. (source: Renette, H.E. Bird: A
Chess Biography, 2016, p. 81)

On April 26, 1859, Morphy played five

masters simultaneously at the St. James
Chess Club in London. Initially, Morphy
was going to only play four players, but
Henry Bird joined in at the last minute. He
played Jules Arnous de Rivière, Samuel
Boden, Thomas Barnes, Henry Bird, and
Johann Löwenthal. This order was the same
table order that Morphy faced. Morphy won
two games (Bird and Rivière), drew two
games (Boden and Löwenthal), and lost one
(Barnes). This was Morphy's only sighted
simultaneous exhibition in his career. The
simul lasted for over 6 hours. At the time,
Löwenthal was ranked #3 in the world,
Riviere was ranked #6 in the world, Boden
was ranked #11 in the world, Barnes was
ranked #12 in the world, and Bird was
ranked #15 in the world.

Morphy was invited to a private audience

with Queen Victoria (1819-1901). The
queen presented Morphy with a chess
cabinet. She also presented him with a
sheepskin that a drawing of a chessboard. In
the lower right-hand corner was the
signature of Queen Victoria. (source:
American Chess Bulletin, 1916, p. 227)

In 1859, Samuel Morse was in Europe and

watched Paul Morphy play chess. When
Paul Morphy returned to New York, the
New York Chess Club had a testimonial
dinner for Paul Morphy on his
return. Samuel Morse was invited to sit at
the head table with Morphy, but Morse
wrote back to the Testimonial Committee,
regretting he had a previous engagement,
but wished Morphy well.

In April 1859, a Brooklyn baseball team

was named after Paul Morphy. The
"Morphy Base Ball Club" was active in
New York for several years. Paul Morphy
was an honorary member.

In April 1859, a huge hot air balloon named

the "Paul Morphy" was launched from New
Orleans and crash landed in Pike County,
Mississippi, 130 miles away. The two
occupants were unhurt.

On April 27, 1859, Paul Morphy and his

brother-in-law, John Sybrandt, left
Liverpool, England aboard the steamship
Persia.

When Morphy returned to New York on

May 11, 1859 aboard the steamship Persia,
he was greeted by all the top New York
chess players. He was greeted by Mead,
Perrin, Lichtenheim, Fiske, Fuller, Graham,
and many other leading members of the
New York Chess Club. (source: Brooklyn
Daily Eagle, May 13, 1859)

Shortly after Morphy's arrival in New York,

William Fuller, acting as an agent for
publisher Robert Bonner, offered Morphy
the position as chess editor of the New York
Ledger weekly newspaper. Morphy readily
accepted and was paid $3,000 (over $76,000
in today's currency) in advance to write
America's first chess column for the New
York Ledger newspaper. Morphy barely did
this for a year, but was fired. The editor and
proprietor, Robert Bonner, was not seeing a
return on the investment. Morphy wrote his
first article on August 6, 1859 and ended it
on August 4, 1860 (52 columns). Morphy
annotated 35 games from the La
Bourdonnais-MacDonnel matches,
intending to publish all the games between
the two players. He also annotated a few of
his own games and others. (source: New
York Ledger articles -
http://www.chessarch.com/excavations/exca
vations.php?a=1&source=New_York_Ledg
er)

Morphy stayed at the St. Nicholas Hotel.

That evening, Morphy played some chess,
giving knight odds, at the New York Chess
Club. (source: "Chess Chronicle" by Charles
Stanley, Harper's Weekly, May 28, 1859)

On the evening of May 12, 1859, Morphy

played his first match gamer with Frederick
Perrin, President of the Brooklyn Chess
Club.

On the afternoon of May 14, 1859, Morphy

played chess, giving knight odds to Dr.
James W. Stone, at the St. Nicholas Hotel
that Morphy was stating at.

On the evening of May 14, 1859, Morphy

visited the Union Chess Club in New York
(members were mostly German) and played
a few games of chess at knight odds,
winning against Mr. Isidor, President of the
Club, and Mr. Beneke.

On the evening of May 16, 1859, Paul

Morphy defeated Frederick Perrin at the
New York Chess Club, giving him knight
odds. (source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May
17, 1859).

On May 25, 1859, a testimonial banquet was

held at the chapel of New York University
in honor of Paul Morphy. It was organized
by the New York Chess Club and Colonel
Charles Mead presided over the ceremony.
Speeches were made, including reading a
letter from Samuel Morse. Morphy was then
presented with a chessboard and pieces, and
then a custom designed watch. A solid gold
and silver chess set was also presented to
Morphy. He also received a silver plate
made by Tiffany. It was presented to him by
John Van Buren (1810-1866), President
Martin Van Buren's son. At the banquet,
John Van Buren said, "Ladies and
Gentlemen, I ask you to unite with me in
welcoming with all the honors, Paul
Morphy, Chess Champion of the World!"

The watch was presented to Paul Morphy by

William Fuller. The watch was made by the
American Watch Company. Roman
numerals were replaced by chess pieces on
the watch. Years later, Morphy has to pawn
his watch.

The May 26, 1859 issue of the New York

Times devoted four of its front-page
columns to reporting Morphy's chess
achievements. The New York Daily News
used five of its six columns on page one to
reporting Morphy's achievements.

On May 26, 1859, Morphy was given

another testimonial dinner at Buhler's
Restaurant and sponsored by the Union
Chess Club. The restaurant was located on
the corner of 8th and Broadway. There were
70 people present for this dinner. He was
given a silver wreath.

On May 28, 1859, Paul Morphy was given a

reception at the Boston Chess Club.

On May 29, 1859, he went to Cambridge

where he met Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
(1807-1882).

On May 30, 1859, Morphy went to

Waltham, Massachusetts. Here he toured the
American Watch Company, later known as
Waltham Watch Company. The original dial
of the watch given to Morphy was designed
by John Webb, Jr., head of the American
Watch Company's dial department.
On the evening of May 30, 1859, Morphy
was greeted at the Paul Revere House in
Boston by Longfellow, Oliver Wendell
Holmes (who presided and made the
opening speech), Samuel Morse, Chief
Justice of Massachusetts Supreme Court
Lemuel Shaw, President Walker of Harvard
College, Senator Henry Wilson of
Massachusetts, Louis Agassiz the creator of
American science, the mayor of Boston, and
John van Buren, the former President's son.
Van Buren toasted Morphy as 'The Chess
Champion of the World.' It was the first
time that expression had been used. An
episode during the reception in New York
shows what a devastating blow it had been
for Morphy that Staunton rejected to play
him. Colonel Mead, the chairman of the
reception committee, talked in his speech
about chess, as a profession, and pointed
Morphy out, as this profession's foremost
representative. Morphy strongly opposed
being described this way, and he was so
angry, that Colonel Mead became
overwhelmed by confusion, and felt so
dishonored by his misfortune, that he
decided no longer to participate in the
Morphy celebration. Morphy's overreaction
may be explained by the fact, that Staunton
had labeled Morphy as a professional chess
player, and thus refused to play him. During
the reception, a gold and silver chess set,
valued at $1,000 and designed by Tiffany &
Co., was given to him. A similar chess set
had been made for Queen Victoria. A
beautiful board, of equal elegance, was also
provided. He was also given a special chess
watch from the American Watch Company
of Waltham, Massachusetts. There were 140
invited guests. Holmes toasted "Paul
Morphy, the World Chess Champion."
Manufacturers sought his endorsements and
a baseball club was named after him.
During the reception a letter was read from
Everett Edwards, who was unable to attend.
He was an American politician, pastor,
educator, diplomat, and orator from
Massachusetts. (source: Brooklyn Daily
Eagle, June 1, 1859)

While in Boston, Morphy played only three

games.

On June 1, 1859, a Morphy Base Ball Team

was organized in Jersey City, New Jersey.
(source: Earliest Baseball Clubs -
http://mlb.mlb.com/memorylab/spread_of_b
aseball/earliest_clubs.jsp)

On June 3, 1859, Morphy left Boston for

New York.

In June 1859, an oil painting of Paul

Morphy was made by Charles Loring Elliott
(1812-1868). The painting hung on the wall
of the Manhattan Chess Club for over a
century.

On June 16, 1859, Paul Morphy visited

Brooklyn at the invitation of the Brooklyn
Chess Club. In the afternoon, he dined with
the Club at the home of Thomas Frere. In
the evening, he went to the Brooklyn Chess
Club and played several players at knight
odds, beating them easily. This included
Hubert Knott, the best player in Brooklyn,
and Marache. (source: Brooklyn Daily
Eagle, June 17, 1859)

On June 22, 1859, Morphy's 22nd birthday,

the Athenaeum Club of New York had a
birthday party for Paul Morphy. He was
made an honorary member.

In July 1859, a wood engraving of Paul

Morphy by Winslow Homer appeared in
Ballou's Pictorial Drawing-Room
Companion, published in Boston, along with
an article on Morphy. The drawing was
made expressly for Ballou's Pictorial by
Homer, who used a recent photograph of
Morphy taken by Mr. S. Massury, during
Morphy's recent visit to Boston. (source:
Ballou's Pictorial Drawing-Room
Companion, July 2, 1859, p. 1) The wood
engraving is now at the Cleveland Museum
of Art.

In August 1859, Paul Morphy was ill and

recuperated in Newport, Rhode Island.

On October 5, 1859, Morphy wrote a letter

to the American Watch Company which
was published on October 15, 1959 in the
New York Saturday Press. The letter stated
that the watch was a most reliable and
accurate time-keeper. He kept track of the
accuracy of the watch, and fount it to be 32
seconds fast from the time he received the
watch to Oct 1, 1859.

Morphy's name was used in advertising

cigars and hats. A Brooklyn baseball team
was named the Morphy Baseball Club.

On October 30, 1859, Morphy left New

York for Philadelphia. In Philadelphia he
visited the Athenaeum Club.

On November 11, 1859, Morphy gave a 4-

board blindfold exhibition at the Academy
of Music in Philadelphia for the benefit of
the Mt. Vernon Fund. The fund was used to
restore and preserve Mount Vernon. He won
all his games.

On November 17, 1859, Morphy left

Philadelphia and went to Baltimore,
Maryland. He visited the Monumental
Chess Club and played several opponents.
On November 24, 1859, Paul Morphy left
Baltimore for New Orleans.

On December 12, 1859, Morphy arrived in

New Orleans.

In late 1859, English chess amateur

Frederick Deacon claimed to have scored
one win and one loss against Morphy. He
supplied the scores to Howard Staunton,
who published them on December 17, 1859.
Paul Morphy later denied ever playing
Deacon. The games are considered
fabrications. Deacon said that the games
were played and the occasion was on April
8, 1859 at the British Hotel in London. His
witness was Deacon's cousin.

Morphy was paid $3,000 to write America's

first chess column for the New York Ledger
newspaper. Morphy barely did this for a
year and quit.

Paul Morphy was the first sports figure to

issue a commercial endorsement when he
declared of a watch, "I have examined the
contents of this watch and find it to be made
of 100 percent genuine machinery."

After Paul Morphy's triumph in New York

and Europe, steam boat captains reported
that card playing had diminished in half and
that chess had taken its place.

In 1859, Thomas Frère (1820-1900) brought

out the first games collection on Paul
Morphy in Morphy's Games of Chess.

On July 2, 1859, Scientific American

published an article that chess was rotting
kids' minds. The article began by noting
how Paul Morphy had recently trounced all
his European competitors.
In July 1859, the Morphy Hat, a French soft
hat, was being advertised for sale in North
Carolina. (source: The North-Carolinian,
July 23, 1859)

On August 6, 1859, Paul Morphy's first

chess column (Chess Department) appeared
in the New York Ledger. He annotated one
of the games from the Labourdonnai-
MdDonnell match (8 notes to the moves).
He also included a position from one of his
own games against Loewenthal.

In August 1859, Paul Morphy became ill

and stayed at the Ocean House Hotel in
Newport, Rhode Island.

On November 11, 1859, Paul Morphy

visited the Academy of Music in
Philadelphia, played 4 players blindfolded
and won all 4.

In November 1859, a picture of Paul

Morphy playing chess with Lewis Elkin
(1815-1867) was taken at the studio of
Frederick Gutekunst (1831-1917) in
Philadelphia.

In November 1859, the Philadelphia Chess

Club was formed after a visit by Paul
Morphy to the city. It lasted until 1866.

In November 1859, Paul Morphy visited the

Monumental Chess Club in Baltimore on his
way back to New Orleans. Paul Morphy sat
for a painting by Solomon Carvalho (1815-
1894). The portrait now belongs to the
Maryland Historical Society.

In December 1859, a horse named Paul

Morphy, foaled in 1853, won a horse
trotting race in New Orleans.
In December 1859, Paul Morphy gave up
serious chess.

In 1860, Morphy may have tried to open a

law office. He had business cards printed
that said, "Paul Morphy, Attorney-at-Law,
12 Exchange Place, Up Stairs, New
Orleans." It appears that he had no clients.
Some sources say that he opened up his law
office in 1859 or 1862, other sources say it
was 1864.

In June 1860, he went to New York and

stayed through October.

In May 1860, Jules-Emile Saintin (1829-

1894) created a miniature painting of Paul
Morphy and displayed it at the 35th Annual
Exhibition of the National Academy of
Design, 23rd Street and 4th Avenue.

On January 26, 1861, Louisiana became the

6th state to vote for secession from the
Union.

In April 1861, the Civil War broke out,

which interrupted Morphy's law career. He
was opposed to secession. Morphy's brother,
Edward, joined the Confederate Army right
away, but Paul did not.

In 1861, the American Watch Company

began to advertise their gold and silver
watches, using a letter from Paul Morphy as
an endorsement. (source: Steuben
Republican (Angola, Indiana), March 30,
1861)

In 1861, Congressman Alfred Ely (1815-

1892) of New York, while witnessing the
First Battle of Bull Run, was taken prisoner
by the Confederates and imprisoned in
Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. While
a prisoner, Paul Morphy came to Richmond
and visited him. (source: New York Times,
Feb 4, 1862)

On October 24, 1861, Paul Morphy visited

the Richmond Chess Club in Richmond,
Virginia, the capitol of the Confederacy. A
Richmond newspaper wrote that Morphy
"has kindly consented to be present" at the
meeting of a rebel chess club in the
Confederate capital. (source: Reading
Times, Nov 7, 1861) Another source
mentioned that Morphy was to join the staff
of Confederate General Edward Johnson
(1816-1873) and that Morphy was
practicing law in Richmond. (source:
Alexandria Local News, Jan 3, 1862)

Morphy met with General Pierre Beauregard

(1818-1893). Morphy visited the Richmond
Chess Club on October 24. Morphy was
seeking to obtain an appointment in the
diplomatic service of the southern
confederacy.

In April 1862, Morphy was in New Orleans

when the city was captured and occupied.
From April 25, 1862 to May 1, 1862,
Captain (later Rear Admiral) David Farragut
(1801-1870) and Major General Benjamin
Butler captured New Orleans without
fighting.

Morphy did not fight for the South during

the Civil War and stayed out of the War.

On October 10, 1862, Morphy and Charles

Maurian sailed from New Orleans to Cuba
on the Spanish man-of-war, Blasco de
Garay (some sources say the ship was the
Vasco de Gama). He spent a month in
Havana, staying at the Hotel America.

On October 17, 1862, Morphy played a

game of chess with Felix Sicre (1817-1871),
chess champion of Cuba. Morphy won in 34
moves. The game score was originally
published in El Diario de la Mariana on
October 19, 1862.

On October 31, 1862, Morphy and Maurian

sailed from Cuba to Cadiz, Spain on a mail
steamer. After arriving in Cadez, he took a
train to Paris and arrived in Paris in early
December. Morphy was accompanied by
Flag Officer Samuel Barron (1809-1888),
the Confederate Government's resident
Naval Attaché in Paris. Barron commanded
the Confederate States Naval Forces in
Europe, acting as a contact for Confederate
naval officers as well as blockade runners
and privateers until February 25, 1865 when
he resigned his commission, returning to the
United States shortly before the
Confederacy's surrender a month later.

Paul Morphy's mother, Thelcide, and his

sister, Helena, had arrived in Paris earlier.
His other sister, Malvina, had moved to
Paris a few years before.

In January 1863, George Palmer Putman

(1814-1872) met Morphy in New Orleans
and said that he had given up chess and was
not making success as a lawyer.

A Paris correspondent reported that Morphy

had not been on any Confederate staff, nor
had he taken any part in the Civil
War. (source: New York Times, Jan 21,
1863)

Morphy did not fight for the South during

the Civil War and stayed out of the War. He
traveled to Cuba, then to Paris in 1863. He
returned to New Orleans a year later. In
1867 his mental state was alarming, and his
mother persuaded him to go to Paris, hoping
that the change of environment would help
him. Morphy had now come to hate chess,
and he never approached the chess clubs
where had earlier celebrated his greatest
triumphs. He stayed in Paris for 18 months
before returning to his home.

In February, 1863, Ignatz Kolisch (1837-

1889) challenged Morphy to a match.
Morphy replied that he had given up on
competitive chess. Besides, Morphy refused
to play for money and Kolish refused to
play for fun. Kolish eventually became a
millionaire in the banking industry, and a
baron.

In 1863, the University of Leiden founded

the LSSG Morphy (the Leiden Morphy
Chess Society).

In late January, 1864, Morphy sailed to

Santiago de Cuba.

On February 16, 1864, he arrived in Havana

on the steamship Aguila.

On late February 1864, he sailed for New

Orleans, arriving the last week in February.
He opened a law office on 12 Exchange
Street, but closed it after a few months.

In November 1864, Paul Morphy acted as

Curator ad hoc (court-appointed legal
representative or probate lawyer). His client
was Adam Dhones, who, at the time, could
not be found for a court date. The 6th
District Court of New Orleans ordered that
Paul Morphy, Esquire, be appointed curator
ad hoc for Dhones to represent him. The
case was H. Bellocq vs. Adam Dhones and
Alexander Penent. It was a civil case argued
before the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Dhones was a co-owner of a schooner who
sold it in 1864 without consulting the other
co-owners. (source: Reports of Cases
Argued and Determined in the Supreme
Court of Louisiana, Vol 19, 1867, p. 503
and
http://dspace.uno.edu:8080/xmlui/handle/12
3456789/37555)

In 1865, Don Diego, Jr., died in New

Orleans.

In 1865, it was reported that Paul Morphy

had settled in Illinois and that his avocation
was the collection of claims in the United
States and States courts. (source: Richmond
Dispatch, Feb 11, 1865)

On July 25, 1865, he met with Daniel Fiske

and Napoleon Marache about publishing his
chess games with annotations.

In August 1865, Thomas Bill pleaded guilty

to stealing two pairs of boots at the New
York Hotel that belonged to Paul Morphy,
who had just arrived in New York. Bill was
sent to prison. (source: New York Times,
July 26, 1865)

At the beginning of November, 1865,

Morphy returned to New Orleans.

On November 14, 1865, Morphy was

elected president of the New Orleans Chess
Club.

In 1866, a chess club was formed at Yale

College called the Morphy Chess Club. Its
president was George D.
Ballantine. (source: The Progressive-Index,
Feb 19, 1866)

In 1866, Paul Morphy thought that his

brother-in-law, John Sybrandt, was robbing
him of his inheritance. Sybrandt was the
administrator of Alonzo Morphy's estate.
Paul took out several lawsuits against his
brother-in-law, which he lost.

In July 1867, Paul Morphy's mother

persuaded him to go to Paris with her and
his sister, Helena. Morphy played chess in
Paris, but would not play any chess in
public. He stayed in Paris for 18 months
before returning to his home.

In September 1868, Morphy arrived in New

York. He then returned to New Orleans.

In 1869, a massive fire at Spring Hill

College devastated many of the school's
records. Another fire broke out at the school
in 1909. Much of Morphy's material,
including his thesis and grade reports were
lost.

In December 1869, Paul Morphy played his

last games of chess with his friend, Charles
Maurian.

In 1871, the second American Chess

Congress was held in Cleveland, Morphy
was invited, but he declined all invitations.

In 1872, Morphy partnered with established

attorney E.T. Fellows. The partnership
lasted until 1874. On March 14, 1873, the
Brooklyn Eagle published a letter by C. J.
Woodbury, entitled, "The Eccentricity of
Paul Morphy."

On March 7, 1874, Paul's uncle, Ernest

Morphy, died. He was 67.

On August 20, 1874, Thomas Wilson

Barnes (1825-1874) died after going on a
diet and losing 130 pounds in 10 months (he
originally weighed 220 pounds). No one
really knows the cause of death and some
suspected stomach cancer. He was one of
the strongest English chess players in the
1850s. He scored more wins than anyone
else against Paul Morphy, defeating him 8
times. Morphy considered him the strongest
player he had ever encountered.

In 1875, Paul Morphy attacked one if his

friends, Mr. Binder with a walking stick,
trying to provoke a duel. Morphy thought
that Mr. Binder wanted to destroy all his
clothes and wanted to kill him.

In 1875, Paul Morphy refused an invitation

to play in the Grand International
Centennial Chess Congress (4th American
Chess Congress) of 1876, which was held in
Philadelphia. It was won by James Mason in
August 1876.

In 1875, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported

that Paul Morphy was an inmate of an
insane asylum in Louisiana, hopelessly mad.
Poverty was one of the causes that led to his
condition. (source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle,
Nov 23, 1875)

It was earlier reported that Paul Morphy had

become insane (source: Atlanta
Constitution, Nov 21, 1875) and was
confined to an asylum (source: The York
Daily, Nov 29, 1875). The New Orleans
Republican responded, "Mr. Morphy can be
seen on our streets any day, having given up
chess-playing for the practice of law. He
was never in better health, physically and
mentally, than now, and the above news is
calculated to surprise him and his
friends." (source: New York Times, Dec 1,
1875).

In December 1875, Charles Maurian first

began to notice some strange talk by
Morphy, who was suffering from delusions.
He stated the Paul thought he was being
persecuted by unknown persons.
In the late 1870s, Morphy allegedly ran
through the streets of the French Quarter
with an axe clutched in his hand. He
threatened to kill the first person who
crossed him. (source: "Top 5 Tombs to See
in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1," Discover
Historic America Tours -
http://discoverhistoricamericatours.com/top-
5-tombs-see-st-louis-cemetery-no-1/)

In 1877, it was reported that Paul Morphy

was in a New Orleans asylum, hopelessly
insane, losing his mental control in
1876. (source: The Perry, Iowa Daily Chief,
April 26, 1877).

In a letter to the New York Sun on May 2,

1877, Charles Maurian wrote that Morphy
was practicing law in New Orleans and had
never been insane.

As late as 1878, Paul Morphy continued to

receive invitations to chess tournaments.

By 1879, Paul Morphy had played his last

chess games against Charles Maurian.

In 1880, the census entry for Paul Morphy

listed his profession as "Professional Chess
Player."

In 1880, the New Orleans Chess, Checkers

and Whist Club came into existence.

In 1880, an oil painting of Paul Morphy was

made by A. Rosenbaum.

In 1881, the Morphy Chess Club was

formed in Brooklyn in Werney's Place.

Morphy withdrew from society and suffered

delusions of persecution in his later years.
According to his niece, he had in a period
the strange habit of walking up and down
the porch saying "Il plantera la banniere de
Castille sur le murs de Madrid, au cri de
Ville gangnee, et le petit roi s'en ira tout
penaud." In English "He will plant the
banner of the Castille on the walls of
Madrid, screaming : The city is conquered
and the little king will have to go." Two
years before Morphy died, he was asked if it
was okay to include him in a book about
famous Louisiana citizens because of his
achievements in chess. Morphy was
outraged by being connected with chess, and
answered, that his father, judge at the
supreme court of Louisiana, Mr. Alonzo
Morphy, at his death, had left a sum of
146.162 dollars and 54 cents. But that he
(Morphy) did not have a profession at all,
and thus had nothing to do in such a book.

Paul Morphy lived in fear of being poisoned

and only ate food prepared by his mother or
sister. He believed that neighborhood
barbers were conspiring to slit his throat.
His family tried to have him committed to
an asylum, be he argued his sanity so
convincingly that the authorities declined to
admit him.

In June 1882, Morphy's family considered

putting Paul in a mental institution called
the "Louisiana Retreat" in New Orleans. It
was run by the Sisters of Charity of St.
Vincent De Paul of the Catholic Church.
The family, including his brother Edward,
his cousin Edgar Hinks, and his best friend
Charles Maurian, took a ride there, but Paul
convinced the nuns he was sane and needed
no constraint or treatment. Morphy then
threatened to sue his friends, family, and the
Catholic Church.

In July 1882, Paul Morphy was asked if it

was okay to include him in a book,
Louisiana Biographies, about famous
Louisiana citizens because of his
achievements in chess. Morphy was
outraged by being connected with chess, and
answered, that his father, judge at the
supreme court of Louisiana, Mr. Alonzo
Morphy, at his death, had left a sum of
146.162 dollars and 54 cents. But that he
(Morphy) did not have a profession at all
and thus had nothing to do in such a book.

In January 1883, William Steinitz (1836-

1900) was able to interview Paul Morphy in
New Orleans for about 20 minutes.
Steinitz's experience with Morphy was
published in the New York Tribune on
March 22, 1883. They did not talk about
chess since Morphy would not grant an
interview if the subject of chess came up.
When friends of Morphy told him that
Steinitz was in town, Morphy replied, "I
know it. His gambit is not good." (source:
Buck, Paul Morphy, His Later Life, 1902, p.
27)

Paul Morphy was fond of grand opera and

seldom missed a performance at the French
Opera House on Bourbon Street (burnt
down in 1920).

In 1884, Dr. Johannes Zukertort interviewed

Paul Morphy. His experience with Morphy
was published in the Salt Lake City Tribune
on June 28, 1884.

On July 10, 1884, Paul Morphy died at his

home in New Orleans of apoplexy, 18 days
after his 47th birthday. (source: New York
Times, July 11, 1884 and The New Orleans
Times Picayune, July 11, 1884)

Morphy died of a stroke while taking a cold

bath after an afternoon walk on Canal
Street. He died at 89 Royal Street, New
Orleans. He was just 47 years old. Paul's
mother was concerned that Paul was taking
a bath for over an hour. He did not respond
to here and the door was locked. She called
a neighbor, Mollo, who forced the door
open. They found Paul unconscious and
called a doctor. The doctor pronounced Paul
Morphy dead from "congestion of the brain"
at 2:30 pm.

The British Chess Magazine published

Morphy's obituary in its August-September,
1884, issue, pp. 303-306. The October issue,
pp. 337-344, had an article called "An Hour
with Morphy."

The New York Times published Morphy's

obituary in their July 11, 1884 issue. The
articles said that he had died after a brief
illness.

Morphy's funeral was on July 11, 1884 at

the St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest church in
Louisiana. The pall bearers were Charles
Maurian, Edward Morphy, Edgar Hincks,
E.A. Morphy, Leonce Percy, and Henry
Percy.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune issue for

July 12, 1884, wrote that Morphy died
suddenly at 2:30 pm at the residence of his
mother. Just before his demise, he was seen
on the street, apparently in good health. The
newspaper said he died of congestion of the
brain. His mother found him in the bath tub,
both hands clinging to the sides of the tub,
and his head resting on the side of the tub.
According to the newspaper account, she
immediately called the doctor, Dr. Meux,
who happened to be passing the house at the
time. He made an effort to recall him to
consciousness, but in vain. The congestion
to the brain was cause by the cold water
after he took a long walk in the midday sun
prior to returning home for his bath.

The Morphys' are buried in an above-ground

tomb (#366) at Saint Louis Cemetery
Number One, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The cemetery is located near the St. Louis
Cathedral, a few blocks north of the French
Quarter. It is the oldest cemetery in New
Orleans. The tomb contains eight Morphy
family members. Some have confused a
pyramid tomb topped by a likeness of a
chess knight as Morphy's grave. This was
depicted in some early picture postcards as
Morphy's tomb. It is actually the Varney
family tomb, created in 1814.

The Morphy tomb reads:

A.D. 1817

MORPHY

Paul Morphy 1837-1884

Emma Merlin Morphy 1862-1947

Paul H. Morphy 1886-1951

Juanita Morphy 1889-1972

Elmina Morphy 1890-1978

Paul H. Morphy, Jr. 1925-1991

Yevkine Morphy Prados 1901-1993

Edward Rene Morphy 1928-1994

The New York Sun in its obituary notice on

Morphy said that blindfold chess had made
him insane and killed him. "The strain in his
brain produced a brain fever, from which he
never recovered."
On July 15, 1884, there was a special
meeting held at the Manhattan Chess Club.
It was resolved that following the passing of
Paul Morphy, the portrait of Morphy by
Charles Elliott hanging in the Manhattan
Chess Club would be draped in mourning
for a period of three months.

Paul Morphy played 216 competitive games

during his lifetime, winning 181, losing 20,
and drawing 15 (winning 87.3% of his
games). He played 59 serious games in
matches and the 1857 New York
tournament. He won 42, drew 9, and lost 8.

Paul Morphy's opponents included: Adolf

Anderssen (1818-1879), Alexander Arnold
(1820-1900?), Thomas Avery (1813-1894),
Dr. Alfred Ayres, Thomas Barnes (1825-
1874), Count Bastorot, Henri Baucher
(1818-1912), Dominique Beaudequin
(1827-1909), Beneke, C. Bierwirth, Henry
Bird (1830-1908), Samuel Boden (1826-
1882), Pierre Bonford (1820-1865),
Bornemann, A. Bottin, A. Bousseroiles,
Karl Von Braunschweig (1804-1873),
William Broughton, Thomas Bryan (1803-
1870), Wincenty Budzinski (1815-1866),
Virginia Butt, Samuel Calthrop, Paul
Capdevielle (1844-1922), Charles Le
Carpentier (1820-1886), Joseph Le
Carpentier (1772-1851), George Carr (1837-
1914), Rafael Carraquesde, Solomon
Carvalho (1815-1897), Count Casablanca,
Thomas Catchings (1806-1883), Henry
Cattley (1821-1897), Jacques Chamouillet
(1783-1873), Charles II (1804-1873),
George Cheney (1837-1861), Moncure
Conway (1832-1907), James Cunningham
(1838-1905), Marc d'Isoard-Vauvenargues
(1804-1883), Richard Dawson (Lord
Cremorne) (1817-1897), Alphonse
Delannoy (1806-1883), Francois Devinck
(1802-1878), Placido Dominguez, Duchess
de la Tremoile, August Ehrmann (1786-
1859), Lewis Elkin (1815-1867), Daniel
Willard Fiske (1831-1904), A. Ford, James
Freeman, William Fuller (1822-1889),
George Gill, Celso Golmayo (1820-1898),
Francisco Graziani (1828-1901), F.
Greenaway, Guibert, Haer, George
Hammond (1815-1881), Thomas Hampton
(1806-1875), Daniel Harrwitz (1823-1884),
Arthur Hay (1824-1878), Isidor, Franciscus
Janssens (1822-1881), Alfred Jones (1812-
1870), Paul Journoud (1821-1882), Hart,
Denis Julien (1806-1868), Hugh Kennedy
(1809-1878), Hiram Kennicott (1810-1880),
James Kipping (1822-1899), Theodor
Knight, Hubert H. Knott (1830?-1892),
Louis Landry, Jean Laroche (1811-1866),
Louis Lecrivain (1798-1860), Eugene
Lequense (1815-1887), Frederic Lewis
(1834-1889), Samuel Lewis (1813-1890),
Theodor Lichtenheim (1829-1874), Edward
Loewe (1794-1800), Johann Loewenthal
(1810-1866), George Lyttelton (1817-1876),
Napoleon Marache (1815-1875), George
Maude (1800?-1864), Charles Maurian
(1838-1912), James McConnell (1829-
1914), Charles Mead (1815-1876),
Aureliano Medina, George Medley (1826-
1898), Alexander Meek (1814-1865), J.
Meunier, Otto Michaelis (1843-1890),
Augustus Mongredien (1807-1888),
Hardman Montgomery (1834-1870), Alonzo
Morphy (1798-1856), Edward Morphy
(1834-1893), Ernest Morphy (1807-1874),
Princess Anna Murat (1841-1924), Arthur
Napoleao (1843-1925), C. Nicholson, John
Owen (1827-1901), David Parry, Louis
Paulsen (1833-1891), Alphonse Perrin
(1820-1901), Frederick Perrin (1815-1889),
Edward Pindar (1830-1873), William Potier,
Jean-Louis Preti (1798-1881), Theodore
Rabuske (1820?-1897), Benjamin Raphael
(1818-1880), Albin Reif, John Rhodes
(1814-1898), Horace Richardson (1830-
1891), Jules Riviere (1830-1905), Eugene
Rousseau (1810-1870), Pierre Saint-Amant
(1800-1872), Saint Leon, George Salmon
(1819-1904), Mr. Sanchez (professor of
Spanish), F. Schrufer, John Schulten (1821-
1875), Winfield Scott (1786-1866), C.
Seguin (1809-1887), Felix Sicre (1817-
1871), Jose Sicre, Frederick Slous (1802-
1892), Samuel Smyth (1816-1869), Charles
Stanley (1819-1901), Howard Staunton
(1810-1874), Dr. James W. Stone (1824-
1863), William G. Thomas (1830?-1898),
James Thompson (1804-1870), John Thrupp
(1817-1870), Benjamin Tilghman (1822-
1901), George Walker (1803-1879),
Walters, Preston Ware (1821-1890),
William Wills (1810?-1879), and Thomas
Worrall (1807-1878). All of these players
have a Morphy number of 1.

People who played a chess game with

Morphy have a Morphy number of 1.
Players who did not play Morphy but played
someone with a Morphy number of 1 have a
Morphy number of 2. People who played
someone with a Morphy number of 2 have a
Morphy number of 3, et cetera. For
example, Viswanathan Anand, along with
many current top players, has a Morphy
number of 5: Anand played Efim Geller
(Morphy number 4), who played Salo Flohr
(Morphy number 3), who played Géza
Maróczy (Morphy number 2), who played
John Owen (Morphy number 1), who played
Morphy. Those with a Morphy number of 3
include: Leonard Barden, Pal Benko,
Melvin Chernev, Dennis Horne, Borislav
Ivkov, Erik Karklins, Franciscus Kuijpers,
Aleksandar Matanovi?, Friðrik Ólafsson,
Jonathan Penrose, Oliver Penrose, and Peter
Swinnerton-Dyer.

Morphy stood 5 feet, 4 inches in height and

was slim. He never married. He wore a
cloak, kid gloves, a monocle (he was
nearsighted at an early age), and always had
a walking stick. He was always particular
about how he dressed. He was a dandy.

Paul Morphy's mother, Thelcide, died on

January 11, 1885.

In a series of chess articles published

between January and April of 1885 in The
International Chess Magazine, William
Steinitz took exception to the claim that
Morphy's chess games were more free of
errors than that of any other master before
or after him. Steinitz pinpointed some of the
errors committed by Morphy.

Paul Morphy's sister, Helena, died in 1886

On July 24, 1886, the estate of Paul Morphy

and all of his belongings and trophies were
sold out at a public auction in New
Orleans. His chess set sold at auction for
$1,500. It was purchased by Walter
Denegre acting for the New York and
Brooklyn Chess Club. (source: New York
Times, July 25, 1886)

On August 18, 1888, an article entitled

"Anecdote of Morphy," appeared in the
Columbia Chess Chronicle. The article
stated that Morphy was an officer on
General Beauregard's staff. At a dinner,
Morphy had seen a picture on the wall, a
copy of the Moritz August Retzsch painting
Die Schachspieler (The Chess Players).
Morphy closely examines the chess board
and realizes the young man's chess position
is not nearly as hopeless as one might first
imagine. In the September 22, 1888 issue,
Charles Gilberg (1835-1898) tried to
reproduce the game position that Morphy
defended. He got the position all wrong
between the devil and the cavalier.
On Jan 22, 1890, a large fire broke out in
New Orleans. It burned down the New
Orleans Chess, Checkers, and Whist Club
(corner of Canal and Baronne Streets),
including its chess library, valued at
$15,000. The chess club had one of the
most valuable libraries in the world,
including a lot of Paul Morphy
memorabilia. Morphy's relics, score
sheets, autographs, portraits, and stationary
were all destroyed. (source: New York
Times, Jan 23, 1890) The club was rebuilt,
but the building was demolished in the
1930s to make way for a Walgreens
drugstore.

On May 2, 1891, the old Spanish house on

Royal Street in which Paul Morphy lived
and died was sold at auction for $6,000. It
was the oldest house on the street, over 120
years old. Morphy's father, Alonzo,
purchased it for $90,000, but the house was
now uninhabited and was a crumbling
ruin. (source: New York Times, May 3,
1891)

On October 18, 1893, Edward Morphy,

Paul's brother, died in New Orleans.

In 1897, a Paul Morphy Society was

established in Berlin, opened to all chess
players in the world. Its chief object was to
collect and publicize all unpublished games,
letters, and biographical notes of Paul
Morphy. The president of the Society was
Franz Gutmayer (1857-1937), in Berlin.
(source: American Chess Magazine, June
1897, p. 290)

In 1898, an article called "Paul Morphy's

Last Games," by G. Reichhelm appeared in
the American Chess Magazine, volumes 1
and 2. Morphy's last games were played
against Charles Maurian at knight odds.

In 1901, Charles A. Buck of Toronto,

Kansas, wrote Paul Morphy, His Later Life.
The matter first appeared in a Western
newspaper. The book was published by
William Lyons of Newport, Kentucky, on
January 11, 1902. Buck wrote that his
sources were Paul Morphy's relatives and
acquaintances in New Orleans. It was Buck
who wrote that Paul Morphy was so
enamored of a wealthy and pretty young
lady in New Orleans, that he asked her to
marry her. But she scorned the idea of
marrying "a mere chess-player."

In 1904 and 1905, the Paul Morphy Chess

Club in Boston won the Metropolitan Chess
League of New England.

In 1909, Geza Maroczy wrote Paul Morphy:

Sammlung der von ihm Gespielten Partien,
(Paul Morphy: Collection of Games Played
by Him), published by Verlag von Viet &
Co. The original book had 434 pages with
front piece, diagrams, and photographs. It
was revised in 1925.
On December 2, 1912, Paul Morphy's best
friend, Charles Amedee de Maurian (1838-
1912) died in Paris.

In 1916, Philip Sergeant of London

published Morphy's Games of Chess. It was
the first new work on Paul Morphy in
English since 1860.

In 1924, the city of New Orleans named a

street near the Fair Grounds after Paul
Morphy. There is a Paul Morphy Street in
New Orleans.

Sometime after 1921, Paul Morphy gold

pocket watch, made by the American Watch
Company in 1859, disappeared.
In 1926, Regina Morphy-Voiter wrote The
Life of Paul Morphy in the Vieux Carré of
New Orleans and Abroad. She was the
daughter of Paul Morphy's brother, Edward.
She was born in 1870 and was 14 when her
uncle Paul died.

In 1930, psychoanalyst Ernest Jones (1879-

1958) wrote, The Problem of Paul Morphy,
the most famous example of a single case
study in the psychoanalytic discipline. It
was delivered to the British
Psychoanalytical Society in 1930 and
published in 1931. Jones was a protégé of
Sigmund Freud and his biographer, and
made chess into an Oedipus complex to
protect the Queen (mother) and checkmate
the King (father).

In 1938, David Lawson (Charles Whipple)

(1886-1980)began his study of Paul
Morphy. By the 1950s, he was the principal
authority on Morphy.

In 1948, Alexander Bisno (1897-1987)

named his son Paul Morphy Bisno (1948-
2011). Alexander Bisno was a former
president of the Manhattan Chess Club in
the early 1950s. In 1952, he was the team
captain for the USA team that participated
in the Helsinki Chess Olympiad. In 1954, he
captained the USA team in the USA vs.
USSR match, held in New York City. He
was the first president of the American
Chess Foundation in 1955.

In 1955, David Lawson started a campaign

to get a picture of Paul Morphy on a postage
stamp in 1957 to celebrated Morphy's 100th
anniversary winning of the First American
Chess Congress.. The U.S. Postal Service
declined the offer. (source: Chess Life, Aug
5, 1955, p. 7)
In 1957, centennial monument dedicated to
Paul Morphy's 1857 victory in the First
American Chess Congress was erected
behind Mobile Hall at Spring Hill college,
presented by the Log Cabin National Chess
Affiliation (now defunct).

In an interview in former Yugoslavia,

International Grandmaster Bobby Fischer
(1943-2008) commented on Paul Morphy
saying "Morphy ... I think everyone
agrees.... was probably the greatest of them
all."

In 1964, Fischer wrote an article in

Chessworld, naming Morphy as one of the
10 greatest chess players of all time and "the
most accurate chess player who ever lived."

In 1970, Bobby Fischer was interviewed by

Dimitrije Bjelica (1935- ) in Sarajevo and
was asked why Paul Morphy stopped
playing competitive chess. Fischer
answered, "I don't know. He got fed up with
the whole chess scene, you know. He could
not get this match [to prove that he was the
world's best player]. He thought that they
were petty people. He thought that these
people were not honorable...Just the people
in chess, he felt that they were not honorable
people. He did not like the type of people he
met, I think. For example, Staunton refused
to play him and Staunton did some
dishonest things in their negotiations for a
match: he did everything to avoid playing
him, because he would have lost easily. He
[Staunton] refused to admit this and he tried
to make it appear that Morphy didn't want to
play or something."

David Lawson (1886-1980), born in Boston,

was the author of Paul Morphy The Pride
and Sorrow of Chess, published in 1976
when Lawson was 89 years old. He
discovered a number of unknown Morphy
games which he published in the British
Chess Magazine. His real name was Charles
Whipple. He had a degree in Civil
Engineering from New York University. He
died in New York at the age of 93. (source:
Chess Life, Sep 1980, p. 13)

In 1978, Lawson sold his Morphy collection

to chess publisher Dale Brandreth (1931- ).

On December 24, 1982, Chad issued seven

chess stamps, with one depicting Paul
Morphy.

In 1986, the U.S. Chess Trust purchased

Paul Morphy's coin silver beverage set
(pitcher and four goblets) that was presented
to Morphy for winning the first American
Chess Congress. Morphy's good friend,
Judge Edward Bermudez, inherited the set
from J. Samory. Bermudez became the
Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme
Court. It passed through several hands
before it came to be owned by a French
family in Louisiana, who finally sold it to
the U.S. Chess Trust. It is now on display at
the World Chess Hall of Fame.

In 1986, Paul Morphy was inducted into the

U.S. Chess Hall of Fame. (source:
https://worldchesshof.org/chess-hall-of-
fame/paul-morphy)

In 1998, Guinea brought out a postage

stamp labeled "Paul Morphy." The problem
with the stamp was that the accompanying
picture on the stamp was Boris Spassky.

In 2001, Paul Morphy was inducted into the

World Chess Hall of Fame. (source:
https://worldchesshof.org/chess-hall-of-
fame/paul-morphy)
In 2010, Stan Vaughan wrote a fictional
book entitled: Paul Morphy: Confederate
Spy.

In 2017, a TV movie called "The Opera

Game" was released. It was a documentary
and drama about Paul Morphy.

Here are a few similarities between Bobby

Fischer and Paul Morphy.

Both of them learned chess at around age 6.

Both of them were child prodigies in chess.

Both of them had extremely good memories

and memorized hundreds of games.

Both were found unfit for military during

war (Morphy for the Civil War in 1861 and
Fischer for Vietnam in 1964).

In 1857, Morphy won the American Chess

Congress. 100 years later, in 1957, Fischer
won the US Open and won the Centennial
U.S. Championship in 1957/58.

Morphy was the best player in the United

States in 1858. Fischer was the best player
in the United States in 1958.

Both are the only US world champions in

chess. Morphy was the unofficial world
champion in 1858 after beating Anderssen
in a match. Fischer was the official world
champion from 1972 to 1975.

Both returned to the USA as heroes after the

world championship.

Both withdrew from competitive chess after

winning the world championship.
Neither defended their world championship
title.

Both demonstrated some paranoid

symptoms and delusions.

Both thought they were being persecuted in

later life. Morphy thought he was being
persecuted by unknown persons. Fischer
thought he was being persecuted by Jews
and Russians.

Both died relatively young. Morphy died at

47. Fischer died at 64.

Both died in isolation.

Both had famous biographers. David

Lawson was the biographer of Morphy.
Frank Brady was the biographer of Fischer.

Both had a Regina (Spanish for Queen).

Morphy's niece was Regina. Fischer's
mother was Regina.

Both of their fathers died at a young age.

Morphy's father died at age 57. Fischer's
father died at age 56 if we assume that Paul
Nemenyi was his father.

Both won the U.S. chess championship in

Manhattan.

Both played several games with a reverend.

Morphy played many games against
Reverent John Owen. Fischer played many
games against Reverend Bill Lombardy.

Both were the youngest members of their

chess club. Morphy was the youngest
member of the New Orleans Chess Club.
Fischer was the youngest member of the
Manhattan Chess Club.
Both were particular about how they were
dressed. Both preferred suits and ties.

Both had chess clubs named after them.

New York had a Morphy Chess Club. In
Yugoslavia, a chess club was named after
Fischer.

Both had lawsuits against other people and

both had their lawsuits dismissed by the
court.

Both physically attacked a friend. Morphy

attacked his friend, Mr. Binder, over an
incident. Fischer attacked his friend, Pal
Benko, over an incident, and got into a
fistfight.

Both had Catholic rites after they died.

Morphy was a 1.e4 player. Fischer was a

1.e4 player.

Here are a few differences between Bobby

Fischer and Paul Morphy.

Morphy's family was wealthy. Fischer's

family was poor.

Morphy lived in a mansion. Fischer lived in

various apartments.

Morphy had a career in law. Fischer's only

career was chess.

Morphy did not own or real a lot of chess

books. At age 20, Morphy only owned 3
chess books. Fischer had a large chess
library and read many chess books.

Morphy was gifted academically (Bachelor

of Arts and Master of Arts degrees) and
received a law degree at age 20. Fischer
dropped out of high school at age 16.
Morphy was short (5 feet 4 inches). Fischer
was tall (6 feet 2 inches).

Morphy was not athletic. Fischer was very

athletic with tennis, swimming, walking,
racquetball, etc.

Morphy never asked for money or would

play for money. Fischer always played for
money.

Morphy never gave simuls around the

country. Fischer did give simuls around the
country.

Morphy's name was used to advertise

everything from cigars to hats. Fischer's
name was never used for advertising.

Morphy was a southern gentleman with

manners. Fischer was demanding and had a
difficult personality.

Morphy never married. Fischer was with

several women and was married.

Morphy's father, Alonzo, is known.

Fischer's father is unknown (was it Hans
Fischer or Paul Nemenyi?).

Morphy played blindfold games in public.

Fischer did not play blindfold games in
public.

Morphy was nearsighted and wore a

monocle. Fischer's vision was 20/20.

Morphy had good teeth. Fischer had most of

his teeth pulled.

Morphy lived with his mother throughout

his life. Fischer's mother moved out of their
apartment and Fischer did not stay with his
mother.

Morphy's parents were Catholic. Fischer's

parents were Jewish.

Morphy played competitive chess for 2

years. Fischer played competitive chess for
20 years.

Morphy's family is Spanish-Irish-Creole.

Fischer's family is Polish-Jewish.

Morphy played hundreds of games against

the best players in New Orleans, and won
most of them. Fischer played hundreds of
games against the best players in New York,
and won most of them.

After 1.e4, Morphy played 1...e5. After

1...e4, Fischer played 1...c5.

Morphy had an intact family of mother and

father. Fischer was raised by a single
parent.

Morphy, as a child, was limited to playing

chess only on Sundays. Fischer, as a child,
was allowed to play chess all the time.

References:

Abbott, Karen, "A Chess Champion's

Dominance — and Madness," Smithsonian
Magazine, Dec 12, 2011
Abravanel & Clere, Magic Morphy, 1994
Arthur & Kernion, "Morphy Family,"Old
Families of Louisiana, 2009
Batgirl (Sarah Beth Cohen) - Documents
Pertaining to Paul Morphy -
http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/documents.h
tml
Batgirl (Sarah Beth Cohen) — Paul Morphy
bio - htttp://batgirl.atspace.com/ and
http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/morphybio1.
html
Batgirl (Sarah Beth Cohen) — Paul Morphy
Index -
http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/index.html
Batgirl — Paul Morphy Timeline -
http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/Timeline.ht
ml
Batgirl — Players' Index -
http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/contenders.h
tml
Batgirl — Visions of Morphy -
https://www.chess.com/article/view/visions-
of-morphy
Beauvais, First and Last Days of Paul
Morphy
Beim, Paul Morphy: A Modern Perspective,
2005
"Biography of Paul Morphy," Brooklyn
Daily Eagle, Sep 28, 1858
Buck, Paul Morphy, His Later Life, 1902
Caparros, Paul Morphy — Partidas
Completas, 1991
Chiappini, Morphy Biografía 25 partidas
magistrales, 2003
Coria, Morphy, 1961
Coria and Palau, El genio del ajedrez: Pablo
Morphy, 1979
Cunningham, Half-Hours with Morphy,
1899
Cutler, "Paul Morphy, Chess Prodigy,"
American Heritage, August 1972
Del Rosario, A First Book of Morphy, 2004
Dietze, chachphänomen Morphy, 1996
Dietze, Chess Phenomenon Paul Morphy,
2016
Dizikes, "Paul Morphy Against the World,"
Sportsmen and Gamesmen, 2002
Dufresne, Paul Morphy's Schachspielkunst,
1890
Edge, Paul Morphy, The Chess Champion,
1859, reprinted in 1973 by Dover
Edge, The Exploits and Triumphs in Europe
of Paul Morphy, 1859
Esnaola, Morphy su vida y 353 partidas,
1988
Falkbeer, Paul Morphy: Sketch from the
Chess World, 1860
Fiekultura, Paul Morphy (Russian), 1980
Fischer, Jessica, "Paul Morphy: Mozart of
Chess — Youtube -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pRV4
xLPMoU
Fischer, Johannes, "Paul Morphy: How
Good Was He Really," ChessBase, May 24,
2017
Fiske, The Book of the First American
Chess Congress, 1859
Franco, Morphy Move by Move, 2016
Frere, Morphy's Games of Chess, 1859
Hooper and Whyld, The Oxford Companion
to Chess
Jones, "Das Problem Paul Morphy,"
Psychoanalytische Bewegung, May-June
1931
Keyes, The Chess Players, 1960
Kinabrew, The Paul Morphy Presentation
Watch: Where is it Now? 1993
Knaak and Mueller, Paul Morphy: Genius
and Myth, Chessbase CD, 2003
Lange, Paul Morphy: Skizze aus der
Schachwelt (Paul Morphy: Sketch from the
Chess World), 1859
Lawson, Paul Morphy: The Pride and
Sorrow of Chess, 1975
Lawson, Paul Morphy: The Pride and
Sorrow of Chess, New Edition, 2010 (edited
by Thomas Aiello)
Loewenthal, Morphy's Games, 1860
Loewenthal, Morphy's Games of Chess,
1869 and 1898
Lovas, Paul Morphy, 2006
Luniaczek, 0 vybraných partií Paula
Morphyho, 1989
MacDonnell, "Morphy," Chess Life-
Pictures, 1883
Maroczy, Paul Morphy: Sammlung der von
ihm Gespielten Partien, (Paul Morphy:
Collection of Games Played by Him) 1909,
revised in 1925 and 2012
Morphy and Stanley, Morphy's Match
Games, 1859
Palau, El Genio del Ajedrez Paul Morphy,
1961
Paul Charles Morphy grave — Find a Grave
-
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/737/
paul-charles-morphy
"Paul Morphy, the Young American Chess
Champion" Ballou's Pictorial Drawing-
Room Companion, July 2, 1859
"Paul Morphy, A Historical Character,"
Chess Player's Chronicle, 1860, p. 40
Paul Morphy — www.chessgames.com
Petrovic, Morphy, 1971
Preti, Choix Des Parties, Jouees Par Paul
Morphy, 1859
Queyrouze, First and Last Days of Paul
Morphy, 2008
Reinfeld and Soltis, Morphy's Chess
Masterpieces, 1974
Safiullin, 333 Chess Games of Paul
Morphy, 1996
Schonberg, Harold, Grandmasters of Chess
Sergeant, Morphy Gleanings, 1931
Sergeant, Morphy's Games of Chess, 1916
and 1957
Sergeant, The Unknown Morphy, 1973
Shibut, Paul Morphy and the Evolution of
Chess Theory, 1993 and 2004
Stanley, Morphy's Match Games, 1859
Testimonials to Paul Morphy, 1859
"The Morphy Family," Our Folder, 1921
The Paul Morphy Chess Compendium -
http://www.biblio-paul-morphy.fr/
Vazquez, El Pablo Morphy, 1891
Vazquez, La odisea de Pablo Morphy en La
Habana, 1893
Voiter, Life of Paul Morphy in the Vieux
Carre of New Orleans and Abroad, 1926
Ward, The Genius of Paul Morphy, 1997
Winter, Edward, Chess Notes, 1982-
2018<br

Return to Main Page

Please report broken or duplicate links to

the Webmaster.

Official Website
Copyright 2017, 2018 by William D. Wall
All Rights Reserved
</br