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Paul Charles Morphy was born June 22, 1837 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father was Alonzo Michael Morphy, a lawyer, state legislator, Supreme Court Justice of Louisiana, and state attorney general. From this, among other bits of Morphy's life, we know that he was born into a distinguished and well respected lineage. Alonzo was one-third Portuguese, Spanish, and Irish each. His mother, Louise Therese Felicite Telcide Le Carpenter, however, was of a solid French/Creole dynasty. We can assume that young Morphy grew up better than most children, in an atmosphere of aristocracy. Morphy learned to play chess by watching his elders play during their free time. His uncle, Ernest Morphy, reported that Paul had surprised him and Alonzo after their chess game, approaching his Uncle and announcing that he should have won. He next set the pieces on the board at the point of his uncle's error, and played out the game exactly as it could have been if his uncle had not blundered, checkmating his father's position. Until this point, no one had any idea that young Morphy had been educated in the strategies, let alone basic principals of chess. Surprise of his knowledge, combined with excitement of the child's gift, permeated the New Orleans masses, and he soon was known as a chess prodigy. His skills were honed on Sunday afternoons when his family took him to local chess activities. By the age of nine, he was one of the strongest players in New Orleans, crushing whoever opposed him in his strategical turbulence. In 1846, General Winfield Scott visited the city, and announced that he was anxious for a game of chess with a strong local player. Scott was regarded a strong chess player by others, but the strongest regards came from himself. Nine year-old Paul Morphy came forward as a challenger to the general. Of course, Scott considered this an insult, but locals assured him that the boy was without a doubt, a prodigy. Scott reluctantly agreed to play. Morphy lacerated the general's side of the board twice, the second time, calling checkmate in a matter of six moves. Scott's pride was mortally wounded, and he surrendered for the night. In 1850, chess master Johann Löwenthal visited New Orleans, and was tormented by the twelve-year old Morphy's prowess three times in a row. After the age of thirteen, Morphy slid back into his studies, away from chess for several years, later graduating from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, at the age of seventeen. He stayed an extra year to study mathematics and philosophy, later awarded an A.M. degree with the highest honors. Next, he was accepted into the University of Louisiana to study law, receiving an L.L.B. on April 7, 1857. He is said to have learned the Louisiana Civil Code by heart. Still too young to practice law, however, Morphy decided to once again pursue chess. Morphy first traveled to New York, there competing in a chess tournament against several masters, defeating each of them in turn, including Louis Paulsen. After this, Morphy was regarded as the United States chess champion. Soon after, Morphy was invited to attend a chess tournament in Birmingham, England in 1858. He traveled to England, but never actually played in the tournament. However, he played several matches against the leading English masters, all but Howard Staunton, whom had time to study Morphy's skill and abstained from a match against him. He later excused his cowardice by remarking that Morphy had insufficient funds to play a staked match, and complaining of his own disposition due to time constraints imposed by a writing project he was then engaged in.
He eventually developed a mental disease, and would wander the streets of New Orleans talking to imaginary people. He died of a stroke after entering cold bath water after a warm afternoon walk. He was found dead in the bath at the age of forty-seven. Morphy left behind a wealth of knowledge and understanding about chess. He was greatly admired by chess champions for years to come and credited by Bobby Fischer as perhaps the best player ever. His famous “Opera Game” played during an intermission at an Opera is used as an example and teaching tool for proper development of pieces even to this day. # # # # # Editor: Here is that famous "Opera Game" Mitchell refers to: Morphy,P vs Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard, Paris, 1858: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.dxe5 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 dxe5 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Qb3 Qe7 8.Nc3 c6 9.Bg5 b5 10.Nxb5 cxb5 11.Bxb5+ Nbd7 12.0-0-0 Rd8 13.Rxd7 Rxd7 14.Rd1 Qe6 15.Bxd7+ Nxd7 16.Qb8+ Nxb8 17.Rd8# 1-0 See also:
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Morphy
continued his trek across Europe, traveling to France, where he went
contracted influenza and high fever, and was treated with leeches. Even
though Morphy was too weak to move without aid, he insisted on playing the
German Champion, Adolf Anderssen, supposedly the best player in Europe.
Anderssen had traveled from his hometown in Germany, seeking to defeat the
American Champion and silence the hype; however, he was defeated with ease
by the flu-ridden Morphy. Anderssen admitted that Morphy was the
stronger player, and that he was fairly beaten, but also commented that he
was out of practice and wasn't ready to play Morphy.
From
this point on, Morphy would become even more highly regarded due to his
gentlemanly disposition to everyone around him, and eventually be twice
unofficially proclaimed the Chess Champion of the World, and lionized in
England as well. After his grand chess career, he came home to New
Orleans to retire, then back to Paris to avoid the Civil War, and then back
to New Orleans to spend the rest of his life without a profession.
