Paul Morphy :The 1st Unofficial World Chess Champion

Paul Morphy :The 1st Unofficial World Chess Champion

WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONS

Coach Gerald Ferriol

4/24/20222 min read

Paul Charles Morphy is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy and he was called “The Pride and Sorrow of Chess” because he had a brilliant chess career but retired from the game while still young.

He was born on June 22, 1837 in New Orleans, USA. He came from a wealthy and distinguished family. He learned to play chess before the age of nine by simply watching games between his father Alonzo and his uncle Ernest. His family soon recognized the boy's talent and encouraged him to play at family gatherings, and by the age of nine he was considered to be one of the best players in the city.

In April 1857, he received his L. L. B. degree since he was too young to be admitted to the bar. It would be another year and two months before he could begin practicing law and he had free time. In October the same year he accepted his uncle invitation to play at the First American Chess Congress in New York City, the top 16 in America were invited. Morphy easily defeated them all and won the event.

In June 1858, he went to Europe to challenge the best chess players. He won against them easily. He played with European Champion Howard Staunton and won, the match with them didn’t materialized but Morphy was acclaimed by most in Europe as the world's best player.

In 1859 he returned to New Orleans, Morphy declared he was retiring from chess to begin his law career. However, Morphy was never able to establish a successful law practice and ultimately lived a life of idleness, living off his family's fortune. Despite appeals from his chess admirers, Morphy never returned to the game.

In July 10, 1884 Morphy was found dead in his bathtub in New Orleans from a stroke at the age of 47.

He played 227 competitive games during his lifetime winning 83%.

Let’s look one of his best game.

https://www.chess.com/blog/GMG29/the-transformer

By Coach Gerald Ferriol