Paul Morphy, The Greatest Chessplayer In History

[Ravendon]

Paul Morphy was born in June 22, 1837 and passed away on July 10, 1884.

Of the 59 "serious" chess games he played, he won 42, drew 9, and lost 8 according to wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Morphy

There are about 403 tournament or serious games that are recorded between the years 1848 to 1869.

His winning percentage is 84.6%!!!!!! out of +201 -26 =26 according to chessgames.com.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=16002

Notice that he has very few draws and losses, but a huge lead in wins.

Here is a comparison between eras...

Alexander Alekhine
+1082 -252 =501 (72.6%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=10240

Robert James Fischer
+441 -89 =251 (72.5%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=19233

Jose Raul Capablanca
+322 -46 =252 (72.3%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=47544

Paul Keres
+1049 -211 =822 (70.1%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=21922

Garry Kasparov
+876 -151 =842 (69.4%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=15940

Wilhelm Steinitz
+413 -173 =119 (67.0%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=10421

Mikhail Botvinnik
+515 -144 =470 (66.4%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=11207

Emanuel Lasker
+575 -244 =254 (65.4%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=19149

Mikhail Tal
+1142 -311 =1320 (65.0%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=14380

Anatoli Karpov
+1143 -296 =1410 (64.9%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=20719

Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian
+689 -157 =1052 (64.0%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=16149

Viswanathan Anand
+665 -213 =899 (62.7%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=12088

Viktor Korchnoi
+1687 -702 =1737 (61.9%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=15866

Boris Spassky
+722 -222 =1228 (61.5%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=21136

Vasily Smyslov
+908 -316 =1386 (61.3%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=14676

Alexey Shirov
+743 -331 =822 (60.9%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=15809

Bent Larsen
+1129 -590 =789 (60.7%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=11227

Samuel Reshevsky
+452 -206 =563 (60.1%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=11209

Efim Geller
+802 -354 =1100 (59.9%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=15712

Adolf Anderssen
+402 -288 =53 (57.7%)
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=10342

[Shotgun]

Excellent

Ravendon-Man,

That there is one fine and well thought out post.

Not to mention the fact
that the forum comes with links.

The reasearch is impressive
You certainly did your

Homework

And by that I mean to say
I know the time involved

And the time it takes to post it



Reckon So,
Shotgun

[Ravendon]

Thanks Shotgun. I didn't want you to just take my word for it, but back it up with the links to the players' games and profiles. That way you could always play through some of their wonderful games.

Also, this isn't a knock on any player on the list. It's just to emphasize just how great the gap was between Morphy and everyone else in his era and in other eras. That percentage included every great player in the world at the time except for Staunton, who was washed up. Adolf Anderssen crushed Staunton in a large tournament and Paul Morphy destroyed Adolf Anderssen. And Morphy and partner crushed Staunton and partner in doubles chess. If Morphy knew how underhanded Staunton was, he would have been more devious and lost horribly to Staunton, thereby making him think that he was a total patzer. He should have played up how ignorant he was and deliberately played badly in exhibitions in London. And once he got a commitment from Staunton, then he could pounce and destroy him.

Anyway, can you imagine what it must have been like to be among the very best in chess at that time and to understand everything about chess and then have some young child come along who crushes you without mercy and you can't do anything to stop him? You have no knowledge that seems to help against him. Everything you do is basically wrong and he doesn't play like anyone you have known. Perhaps, a slight hint of François-André Danican Philidor mixed with a little bit of Adolf Anderssen and a whole lot of something else.

And how does Paul Morphy learn to play like that when everyone in the world and every game listed in books is in a different dominant style? How does someone like him come to be? Even his father and uncle played in the romantic style and that was the first one he probably learned. That's what has always fascinated me about him. That he was so different. Not just a little, but totally and radically different from everything that had come before him.

[ketchuplover]

Do you have any books pertaining to herr Morphy? How are they? Just wondering. Thanks.

[Ravendon]

Morphy's Games of Chess by Philip W. Sergeant & Fred Reinfeld, Dover; June 1989 is what got me started.

The Chess Genius of Paul Morphy by Max Lange is the European view of him.

Frederick Milne Edge: Paul Morphy, the Chess Champion. An Account of His Career in America and Europe. New York 1859 is by his confidante, buddy, butler, friend, servant, chess fan, biographer. It's the closest thing to a fly on the wall that we will ever get, since he was always with him.

Paul Morphy, The Pride and Sorrow of Chess by David Lawson, 424 pages; Mckay,1976 is the only full book length biography of him. Out of print.

The Chess Players by Frances Parkinson Keyes, Farrar, Straus and Cudahy; 1960 is fiction based on him. I haven't read it all the way through. It isn't bad. Not great fiction though and who could write fiction better than reality when it comes to Morphy, the first American World Champion?

The Pride and the Sorrow by Matt Fullerty, 2008 is a recent biographical novelization. Haven't read it.

ketchuplover wrote:

Do you have any books pertaining to herr Morphy? How are they? Just wondering. Thanks.

[ages0ne]

An excellent thread indeed. I've only begun to hear about Paul Morphy. It was suggested to me the other night on yahoo, to find some of his games on youtube. And now I find this tremendous resource, plus the knowledge that I share birthdays with the legendary Morphy... I couldn't thank You enough.

[Dame]

agesOne, welcome to the forum

Ravendon, how could I have overlooked this thread? :blush: Very well thought out and over. Thank you!

[ages0ne]

Thanx fer the welcome, milady I believe these forums truly are Heaven Sent & I am very grateful for all the work and dedication You Admins put into bringing the Chess communinty that much closer.

[/offtopic]

I could be wrong here, but it almost seems as if Morphy was using Evans Gambit as a humble way of opening his position, while at the same time offering tempting options to his opponent that surrendered the center to Morphys will.

[Ravendon]

In one game Morphy played b5 as Black in a reverse Evan's Gambit! However, Morphy played more Ruy Lopezes. When you can play like Morphy, you can play anything and make it exciting.