Hidden Jewels From Morphy's Tactical Treasure Chest

Morphy, I think everyone agrees, was probably the greatest genius of them all.

-Bobby Fischer, 1992.

Welcome Everyone, to a biographical edition of the Osaka Papers.

Paul Charles Morphy of New Orleans was an American chess master of the Romantic Era of Chess. In an era typified by audacious tactical maneuvers and outlandish sacrifices, Morphy excelled by playing sound yet ferocious attacking chess. Undoubtedly, the greatest chess player of that era, (EVER if you ask me, but more on that later...O_o...)  he is known by the sobriquet, "The Pride and Sorrow of Chess", for although he was the unofficial world champion of the game, he ended his career after only a few short years at the top. He refused to play in any tournament or serious match without offering his opponent odds (i.e. playing a pawn or piece down).

All of this, I assume you already know...So, lets skip past his biography for now...

One of my many habits is playing through the "classics", while cooking my dinner and drinking a glass of scotch. It was during these nightly fores that I discovered hidden jewel after hidden jewel among Mr. Morphy's games. Not the well known games, that we have all seen a thousand times, but the lesser known masterpieces, games against amateurs, aristocrats, enthusiasts and of course against the most hapless player of all time: Nomen Nescio, better known as  "NN". These games were blindfold simultaneous exhibitions, casual games or odds games, played while Morphy started down a pawn, knight, rook or even knight and rook.

I've decided to share some of these tactics with the world at large.

So, without further ado, lets get to the Hidden Jewels From Morphy's Tactical Treasure Chest.

Original Blitz Player

Morphy was the original blitz player. Before the advent of chess clocks, players might spend literal hours on a single move, but Morphy shocked his opponents but playing the vast majority of his moves almost instantly. Modern players may criticize some of Morphy's inaccuracies, but they should remember that he was effectively playing blitz before there was blitz.

Here Morphy is up against Nomen Nescio aka NN (one of the worst players to ever live), accordingly Morphy started the game a whole Rook down.

NN has played the horrendous Re8, giving his king no escape squares, if only White could get his Knight to f7...how did Morphy proceed?

A Prodigious Memory

It has been said that a strong memory is prerequisite to excel at chess, Morphy was no exception to this rule.

Paul Morphy's mother was an opera singer and as a child Morphy was able to hum the entire score of an opera after listened to it once. Later when he became an attorney, he was capable of reciting any passage of the Louisiana State civil code, verbatim, in English or French. He could also replay chess games that he had read about years ago.

Falkbeer (of whom Falkbeer's Counter Gambit is named), once recounted a story that perfectly illustrates the astounding nature of Morphy's memory. Falkbeer and Morphy were analyzing a game together and Falkbeer commented that there might be a better move in a certain opening position. Morphy replied, "Oh, you probably mean the move you yourself made against Dufresne in one of your contests...", Morphy then called for a second board to be set-up, and replayed the entire game flawlessly from memory.

Falkbeer was speechless, Morphy had retained memory of an insignificant game played several years earlier, in a language and description he did not understand, a game Falkbeer himself had forgotten.

Here Morphy playing a knight down is able to unleash Boden's Mate on his hapless opponent.

Chess Superstar

Paul Morphy was more than a chess master, in the 1850s during his tour of Europe, he was a full-on chess superstar. At his matches in Paris the moves would be displayed on large boards outside the playing hall, crowds invariably gathered, and grew so enormous that the fire brigade had to be called out to perform crowd control.

He hobnobbed with the rich and famous, aristocrats, socialites, politicians and even royalty all paid him homage. He played against Emperor Napoleon III of France, he gave the monarch rook odds, and still prevailed.

He also met and played against Queen Victoria of Great Britain, but being a true Southern Gentleman, he "gallantly" lost.

Morphy has given his opponent rook and knight odds, despite this he is slightly better after only 14 moves. Can you see how he kept up the pressure leading to mate?

Killed by a Panama Hat

Morphy's life was beset by tragedy and sorrow. In fact, his attendance at the 1st National Chess Congress in New York City almost didn't happen, as Morphy was in mourning. Morphy's father Alonzo Morphy was killed by a panama hat.

Late in the year of 1856, Alonzo was speaking with a man outside of a court house, and as he turned to leave his eye was cut by the brim of a hat, the eye became infected and within two months he was dead.

As a result, Paul Morphy felt it was inappropriate for him to participate in the National Chess Congress, but with the urging of his uncle and others, he relented and took part in the tournament. The tourney catapulted him to stardom, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Despite playing in a blindfold simul, Morphy has already made two brilliant moves to reach this position, you'll need to play one more brilliant to finish things off in Morphy style.

The G.O.A.T.

Morphy is the "Greatest Of All Time", not Magnus Carlsen...hear me out!

No, I'm not saying Morphy was a better chess player than Magnus currently is, nor that he could beat Magnus if Morphy was to magically come back to life.

Morphy is the G.O.A.T. because his impact on chess is greater. Donald Trump or Barack Obama cannot be greater presidents than George Washington or Thomas Jefferson, Winston Churchill isn't a greater statesman than Julius Caesar, and Rick and Morty isn't greater than The Bugs Bunny Show...

Greatness can only be measure over the horizon of time, and in this way we cannot yet say whether Magnus' impact on chess will be greater than Morphy's.

For me, real genius belongs to the person who invented the wheel, not the bicycle, as the latter's triumph relies on the former, and so it is with Morphy. All modern masters stand on the shoulders of a colossus.

One more from the GOAT, good luck.

Pride & Sorrow

The less time we spend on the sad details of Paul Morphy's later life the better...O_o...

Despite becoming a lawyer, he was never able to establish a successful law practice. As his mental state deteriorated, he came to believe that he was the target of a grand conspiracy, one determined to keep him from his rightful place in society, this persecutory complex came to dominate every aspect of his life.

As the years went on he could be seen wandering the streets of New Orleans and holding entire conversations with himself, as well as bowing to people who were not there. He would at times stop in front of beautiful women and simply stare into their faces, saying nothing before stumbling off.

He died in 1884 at the age of 47, he was found in his bathtub...it is said the bathtub was surrounded by several pairs of women's shoes...

His Legacy

Gentlemen, we have come together for a noble purpose...Chess, hitherto viewed by our countrymen in the light of a mere amusement, assumes at last its appropriate place among the sciences which at once adorn and exalt the intellect.

-Paul Morphy, 1857

I am more strongly confirmed than ever in the belief that the time devoted to chess is literally frittered away.

-Paul Morphy, 1863

Paul Morphy's legacy is quite simple: he is the founding father of CHESS. Ideas we take for granted were first demonstrated by him and only perfected later by those who imitated his brilliance. His career was short, but in this to, there is a short of beauty.

His career reminds of a passage I read in Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian.

The way of the world is to bloom and flower and die...but not so Morphy. His spirit was exhausted at the peak of its achievement, his meridian was at once his darkening and the evening of his day...

Thanks for joining be on this biographic edition of the Osaka Papers, I hope you have enjoyed my musings over my all time favorite player...oh, yes, and feel free to share these tactics with your friends down at the Library or Chess Congress.

Cheers, SheldonOfOsaka.

P.S. Special thanks to Lucas Anderson and FM Warren Harper for their incredible lecture

"The Life and Chess of Paul Morphy", I drew heavily on this source for some of my anecdotes.