Paul Morphy
Number of games in database: 403
Years covered: 1848 to 1869
Overall record: +201 -26 =26 (84.6%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      150 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS

With the White pieces:

Evans Gambit (45)
    C51 C52
King's Gambit Accepted (27)
    C37 C39 C38 C35 C33
Sicilian (15)
    B21 B44 B40 B20
King's Pawn Game (13)
    C44 C40 C20
Philidor's Defense (13)
    C41
King's Gambit Declined (12)
    C30 C31

With the Black pieces:

King's Gambit Accepted (21)
    C33 C39 C38
Evans Gambit (15)
    C51 C52
Ruy Lopez (14)
    C77 C65 C60 C78 C64
Giuoco Piano (9)
    C53 C50 C54
Philidor's Defense (7)
    C41
King's Pawn Game (5)
    C44

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Morphy vs Duke Karl / Count Isouard, 1858 1-0
   Paulsen vs Morphy, 1857 0-1
   Bird vs Morphy, 1858 0-1
   Morphy vs Le Carpentier, 1849 1-0
   Morphy vs Schrufer, 1859 1-0
   Morphy vs Anderssen, 1858 1-0
   Morphy vs A Morphy, 1850 1-0
   J Schulten vs Morphy, 1857 0-1
   N Marache vs Morphy, 1857 0-1
   Morphy vs NN, 1850 1-0

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Paul Morphy -The Great Chess Genius by Timothy Glenn Forney
   Morphy Favorites by chocobonbon
   paul morphy best games by brager
   If chess was a religion, Morphy would be God. by Chopin
   Paul Morphy: A Modern Perspective by Avalon Landing
   morpstau's favorite games by morpstau
   Paul Morphy's Best Games by KingG
   Morphy Chess Masterpieces by nuts
   Blunder Check: Paul Morphy by nimh
   Morphy plays openings other than 1.e4 e5 by Fischer of Men
   frank124c's favorite games--morphy's strategems by frank124c
   chess strategems iv - under construction by gauer
   MORPHY GAMES by gambitfan
   Morphys Masterpeices by HailM0rphy

GAMES ANNOTATED BY MORPHY: [what is this?]
   La Bourdonnais vs McDonnell, 1834
   La Bourdonnais vs McDonnell, 1834
   McDonnell vs La Bourdonnais, 1834
   La Bourdonnais vs McDonnell, 1834
   La Bourdonnais vs McDonnell, 1834
   >> 31 GAMES ANNOTATED BY MORPHY

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PAUL MORPHY
(born Jun-22-1837, died Jul-10-1884) United States of America

[what is this?]

Paul Charles Morphy was born on June 22, 1837 in New Orleans. He was the son of a successful lawyer and judge Alonzo Morphy. His uncle, Ernest Morphy, claims that no one formally taught Morphy how to play chess, but rather that he learned the rules by observing games between himself and Alonzo. When Morphy was only 12 years old, Johann Jacob Loewenthal visited New Orleans and at the behest of his father, agreed to play a casual match with the prodigy. Young Paul won 2½ to ½.

In 1857 Morphy won the First American Chess Congress with a dominating performance. This success was followed by a European trip where he met and triumphed over most of the prominent masters of the period, including Adolf Anderssen whom he defeated +7 -2 =2. Upon returning to America, he announced his retirement from chess.

Although the official title of World Champion did not exist in his time, Morphy was and is widely regarded as the strongest player of his day. Even today his games are studied for their principles of open lines and quick development, and his influence on the modern game is undeniable. Mikhail Botvinnik wrote of his influence: "His mastery of open positions was so vast that little new has been learned about such positions after him."

page 1 of 17; games 1-25 of 403

Game	Result	Moves	Year	Event/Locale	Opening
1. Morphy vs A Morphy	1-0	31	1848	New Orleans	C23 Bishop's Opening
2. Morphy vs A Morphy	1-0	18	1848	New Orleans	C33 King's Gambit Accepted
3. Morphy vs NN	1-0	19	1848	New Orleans	C20 King's Pawn Game
4. Morphy vs NN	1-0	20	1849	New Orleans cg	C39 King's Gambit Accepted
5. Morphy vs A Morphy	1-0	15	1849	New Orleans m	C51 Evans Gambit
6. J McConnell vs Morphy	0-1	23	1849	New Orleans	C38 King's Gambit Accepted
7. Morphy vs E Rousseau	1-0	23	1849	New Orleans	C50 Giuoco Piano
8. Morphy vs J McConnell	1-0	23	1849	New Orleans	C40 King's Knight Opening
9. Morphy vs E Rousseau	1-0	17	1849	New Orleans	C39 King's Gambit Accepted
10. Morphy vs J McConnell	1-0	29	1849	New Orleans	C39 King's Gambit Accepted
11. Morphy vs E Morphy	1-0	20	1849	New Orleans	C53 Giuoco Piano
12. Morphy vs A Morphy	1-0	21	1849	New Orleans -	C51 Evans Gambit
13. Morphy vs J McConnell	1-0	11	1849	New Orleans cg	C35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
14. Morphy vs Le Carpentier	1-0	13	1849	New Orleans	000 Chess variants
15. Morphy vs A Morphy	1-0	46	1849	New Orleans	C51 Evans Gambit
16. Morphy vs Lowenthal	1-0	55	1850	New Orleans	C42 Petrov Defense
17. J McConnell vs Morphy	0-1	14	1850	New Orleans	C02 French, Advance
18. Morphy vs NN	1-0	14	1850	casual	C44 King's Pawn Game
19. Morphy vs E Morphy	1-0	25	1850	New Orleans	C52 Evans Gambit
20. J McConnell vs Morphy	0-1	25	1850	New Orlean	C52 Evans Gambit
21. Morphy vs NN	1-0	18	1850	?	000 Chess variants
22. Morphy vs Lowenthal	1-0	49	1850	New Orleans	B21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
23. Morphy vs A Morphy	1-0	18	1850	New Orleans ?	000 Chess variants
24. Morphy vs Maurian	½-½	46	1854	New Orleans	000 Chess variants
25. E Morphy vs Morphy	½-½	29	1854	New Orleans (USA)	C51 Evans Gambit


page 1 of 17; games 1-25 of 403

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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 220 OF 220 · Later Kibitzing >
Nov-29-08		The Rocket: His rating would be around 2400 if he still played in the style of the 1800s romantic chess but had he learned modern theory nobody knows how high he would have been rated.

Nov-29-08		tamar: Seeing as people tend to repeat patterns in their life, I would suppose Morphy would not play the professionals of today either.

Nov-29-08		savagerules: <brankat> I believe it was in reference to General MacLellan and his continuous reluctance to engage his forces during the early days of the Civil War, that Lincoln finally wrote him asking him sarcastically, "Sir do you mind if we borrow your army?, there's a war going on."

Nov-30-08		sleepyirv: <tamar> It wouldn't be a "pattern" if he was born, raised, etc. today- if he was interested in chess; he would be one of the best, if not the top, player in the world.

Nov-30-08		sleepyirv: It's General George McClellan- The letter (which was left unsent): My dear McClellan: If you don’t want to use the army I should like to borrow it for a while. Yours respectfully, A. Lincoln

Dec-02-08		brankat: I suppose that was around the time of the "Peninsula campaign" :-) Yes, it took "our George" a while to get in stride, and then, as soon as he got engaged in a good fight (read: a massacre) at Antietam, honest Abe took away the command, again.

Dec-08-08		Pawn Ambush: "II plantera la banniere de Castille sur les murs de Madrid au cri de Ville gagnee, et le petit Roi s'en ira tout penaud."- Paul Morphy (He will plant the banner of Castille upon the walls of Madrid to the cry of victorious city, and the little King will go away looking very sheepish)." This is on of the most beautiful lines I've ever read, so much so that it has inspired me to create one myself: He will clear a path through the mindfield and upon reaching the fallen flag shall lead the charge, they will follow him, and storm the castle and then the flag shall be planted!

Dec-10-08		spikester2848: Anyone here know if in Morphy's days they played blitz (5min chess) as we do today? Or if blitz play even existed back then?

Dec-10-08		HeMateMe: Not sure, but they may have had that bell variant, a bell rings every ten seconds, and you have to move before the bell rings, or you forfeit. Or they may have had fast, small, hour glasses, turned after each move, to force quick play.

Dec-12-08		Boomie: <brankat: I suppose that was around the time of the "Peninsula campaign" :-) Yes, it took "our George" a while to get in stride, and then, as soon as he got engaged in a good fight (read: a massacre) at Antietam, honest Abe took away the command, again.> He was relieved for not pursuing the tattered Southern forces with the many divisions he had held in reserve throughout the battle. The war could have ended there. The rebel forces had one working cannon at the end of the battle and it's fire was being directed by Longstreet...heh. That's how beat up they were. The Little Napolean was a fine training general but had no business being on a battlefield against Lee.

Dec-13-08		brankat: <Boomie> Then Gen.Longstreet must have been a good gunner ;-) Also, Gen.McLellan was not getting much in terms of reliable info from Pinkerton, not to mention that, apparently, his major concern was always to save as many lives as possible, rather than to take them. But, it didn't work at Antietam. Sam Grant, on the other hand, didn't count the dead at Shiloh, and won the battle. Gen.McLalland's heart was never in the War, but in the reconciliation with the "erring sisters", and Peace. Ironically enough, Little Napoleon "coached" young Armstrong Custer :-) Who knows, with a 150 years worth of a hindsight, and especially with the last dozen years, or so, in mind, perhaps it would have been better to have had 2, not one, major power on the continent.

Dec-13-08		Boomie: <brankat: his major concern was always to save as many lives as possible, rather than to take them. But, it didn't work at Antietam.> Failed miserably at saving lives there. It was the bloodiest day in US military history. Which is exactly what the North wanted. Although Lee's conduct of the battle was brilliant, it was a strategic blunder. The rebs could not win a war of attrition. Grant got a bit of luck at Shiloh. General A. S. Johnston was killed during the first day. Johnston was one of the South's top 5 commanders. Like any great general, he fought from the front and paid the full price. But we digress from the game at hand. Perhaps we can continue elsewhere.

Dec-13-08		brankat: <Boomie> The game? Which one? Btw, I heard that Gen.Johnston had only a minor wound, a shot in a leg. But, being busy with the conduct of the battle, refused a treatment on the spot, and bled to death. That certainly helped the Northern Army.

Dec-13-08		brankat: Carlsen's page, perhaps? :-)

Jan-02-09		amadeus: oompa-loompa? http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/.

Jan-20-09		AuN1: i wonder who would have won in a match between steinitz and morphy...

Jan-28-09		MrMelad: Here is a game of Morphy from 1857 that doesn't appear in this database (I got it from <SBC>'s site http://batgirl.atspace.com) [Event "Unoffical Games From the 1st ACC"] [Site "New York, USA"] [Date "1857.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Morphy, Paul C"] [Black "NN"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C51"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN " click for larger view "] [PlyCount "37"] [EventDate "1857.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. O-O Nf6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Ba3 d6 10. e5 Ne4 11. Re1 d5 12. Bb5 Bg4 13. Rc1 Qd7 14. Qa4 Bxf3 15. Rxc6 O-O-O 16. e6 fxe6 17. Rxb6 c6 18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. Qa6+ 1-0 position after 15..0-0-0 click for larger view I liked 16.e6 very much, it is more forcing than the immediate 16.Rxb6 because it prevents 16..Qg4, ending the game faster.

Feb-03-09		WhiteRook48: great style

Feb-07-09		cruiseyleemorph: I would just like make a comment about Morphy that many might not know or it may have not been brought up her eon this forum. Morphy retired or stopped putting all his energy into chess when he was only 20 years old! He did play on after this but I dont think he played tournaments like he did before 1858. If he would have carried on playing properly and studying fully he may have been even more renowned as the greatest player ever. I still feel this is true anyway!

Feb-07-09

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