Chess - a gentlemans game!

After the Congress, Morphy played several causal games with several players. He played Charles Stanley in a match whom Morphy played with the odds of a pawn and move. The stakes were set at $100 a side. Morphy won with 4 wins and a draw. Stanley resigned the match. Morphy then sent the $100 to Stanley’s wife, who needed the money for her and her children. It was feared that if the money was given to Stanley himself, he would have used the money on his drinking habit. Mrs. Stanley was pregnant at the time. When the baby girl was born in December, 1857, she named her Pauline, after Paul Morphy.

is it not awesome!

A generous human being as well as a genius. Fantastic 🙂

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
After the Congress, Morphy played several causal games with several players. He played Charles Stanley in a match whom Morphy played with the odds of a pawn and move. The stakes were set at $100 a side. Morphy won with 4 wins and a draw. Stanley resigned the match. Morphy then sent the $100 to Stanley’s wife, who needed the money for her and her ...[text shortened]... girl was born in December, 1857, she named her Pauline, after Paul Morphy.

is it not awesome!

The cute part is that they did not have ADN tests at that time, and Stanley thought all the time that his wife daughter is his daughter too...
Do you still think Morphy was a nice guy ? 😀

Originally posted by vipiu
The cute part is that they did not have ADN tests at that time, and Stanley thought all the time that his wife daughter is his daughter too...
Do you still think Morphy was a nice guy ? 😀

haha, pretty funny.

Originally posted by vipiu
The cute part is that they did not have ADN tests at that time, and Stanley thought all the time that his wife daughter is his daughter too...
Do you still think Morphy was a nice guy ? 😀

he was a southern gentleman.

Originally posted by vipiu
The cute part is that they did not have ADN tests at that time, and Stanley thought all the time that his wife daughter is his daughter too...
Do you still think Morphy was a nice guy ? 😀

why do you think Stanley had a drinking habit?

Funny how we put things about people who are great at something. Morphy was obviously a phenomenon, so we try to make him maybe more/less of a man than he was. The truth of the matter is he was just a man, like the rest of us. Extremely good at something, maybe not good at everything. LOL I'm sure he did some very nice things for people, and I am sure he slighted a few too. To single out his abilities to just one topic, chess, he is incredible. To put him on a pedestal beyond that is up to peoples opinions. I think Morphy was an incredible chess player and very interesting individual. I think that extreme ability in one singular field makes one believe they should be at that level in all areas of their lives. Unfortunately that is not the case. It is tragic as much as it is impressive. Do you think Morphy really was ever at peace with himself? As well as someone like Bobby Fisher. I think they leave chess to define their individuality. Wherever they would be, the topic was chess. What if they felt like talking about fishing? Do you think the conversation would return to chess? I'm sure that has to wear into a persons mind, no matter how good they are at something. In other peoples eyes, they are only chess. Morphy considered chess to be just a game, not something to make a career out of. At least that is my understanding.

This is just my spin on things. Just to clarify, I think Morphy was incredible. I can only say that about his chess, since that is all I really know of him.

Originally posted by Eric LeFavour
Funny how we put things about people who are great at something. Morphy was obviously a phenomenon, so we try to make him maybe more/less of a man than he was. The truth of the matter is he was just a man, like the rest of us. Extremely good at something, maybe not good at everything. LOL I'm sure he did some very nice things for people, and I am s ...[text shortened]... was incredible. I can only say that about his chess, since that is all I really know of him.

yes, it is incredibly interesting, another user Scriabin said that he never enlisted for the confederate army, and as a direct consequence could not establish a law practice. but as far as i am aware, he considered himself, first and foremost a qualified lawyer and an amateur chess player second. I find this really interesting, that while Fischer himself was a professional chess player, he could not be bought for love nor money, if it was not too his liking.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
yes, it is incredibly interesting, another user Scriabin said that he never enlisted for the confederate army, and as a direct consequence could not establish a law practice. but as far as i am aware, he considered himself, first and foremost a qualified lawyer and an amateur chess player second. I find this really interesting, that while Fischer h ...[text shortened]... fessional chess player, he could not be bought for love nor money, if it was not too his liking.

Because of my own inability to play chess, Morphy seems to be untouchable. I just think it is so interesting that success is only measured by your peers in the particular topic. Again, we are talking chess. So Morphy is, so we all agree, one of the greatest ever. Bring his name up in a group of established attorneys and they may have never heard of him. I have to think, as you put it Robbie, Morphy considered himself an attorney first. Being that is the case, you have to think that Morphy had to struggle with that. "How can I beat the best minds in this game, but am unable to run a successful law firm"? Maybe he had the answer, I really don't know and am very uneducated when it comes to the guy. I'm just speaking on greatness really just being a matter of point of view. Same with being a gentlemen. Any of us can look and act like the finest of gentlemen in a particular setting. Our day to day life, alone, and with our loved ones really tells the true story.

And then again, what do you want to be remembered by? I think for Morphy, he would have rather us be talking about how great an attorney he was.

Interesting thread.

I lived in New Orleans in 73-74 and bought a used chess book in a shop right below where Paul Morphy lived in the French Quarter.
The book: Stauntons' Chessplayers Handbook

Did it have "(and some devilish bad games)" scribbled beneath Staunton's credits on the title page? 😉

Staunton died on Morphy's birthday. 22nd. June 1874.
Odds against that were 365-1

Chess- A Gentlemans Game ! It surely is. The best"game" ever invented.Its actually more than just a game though. Unfortunately,not every one feels this way. When playing OTB and the time runs out on the clock its game over. I do not think any one disagrees w/that. But, playing on-line some people do not believe these same rules apply. Its not the first time,but last night I took a timeout and shortly there after received a hateful message in my in-box,informing me that all people from my country suck,because the sender could not manage one move in 10 days.Have others run into this reprobate sort of behavior? I could never fathom someone behaving this way OTB. Its truly sad that good sportsmanship and being a gentleman are thrown out the window because you cant be seen.Its the nature of the internet,I guess. But its sad to see Chess brought to this level

Originally posted by Eric LeFavour
Because of my own inability to play chess, Morphy seems to be untouchable. I just think it is so interesting that success is only measured by your peers in the particular topic. Again, we are talking chess. So Morphy is, so we all agree, one of the greatest ever. Bring his name up in a group of established attorneys and they may have never heard of e would have rather us be talking about how great an attorney he was.

Interesting thread.

its not your inability yet my friend as you perceive it, for to be sure Morphy was a great player, the best of his time, and when we look at his games, are they not beautiful? why was it that Morphy was able to deafeat Andersson? it could not have been that his imagination was greater, for Andersson in this regard is unsurpassed, nor could it be his ability to create combination, for Andersson was also amazing in this regard, equal to Morphy.

what was it that Morphy had? Reti states that Morphy was the first truly positional player. Whereas Andersson would play moves merely to attack, Morphy did not, but he quietly got about developing his pieces, and when a positional opportunity arose, as in opening up a file against an uncastled king with a pawn or a piece sacrifice, Morphy was adept. This in no way diminishes his tactical play, but it was something way ahead of its time.

for example look at this game,

McConnell, J. v Morphy, Paul, New Orleans 1850



1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5

3...c5 Morphy attacks White's d4-e5 Pawn chain at its base. This is standard chess strategy. Morphy's plan is to open the c-file and gain an advantage on the Queen side. The game's dramatic ending, at move 14, is the result of play on this file.

5...Qb6, black piles pressure on the d4 square The entire game revolves around the play for the d-4 square

7.a3 White is planning to to play b4.

8.b4 Morphy can't allow White to capture with 9.bxc. This would ruin Morphy's plan of taking the c-file with his Rook. d-4 is a key square. Both sides have two pieces paying hommage to d-4. Morphy is playing with the idea of taking take the c-file as early as possible and as a consequence he wins the game as a result of play on this file.

10. Bb2 supporting the key square Nf5 attacking the key square

11. Qd3 White didn't see that his b4-Pawn was weak and needed support. Morphy sees it and captures the weak Pawn with initiative giving him an attack.

11....Bxb4+ check!! Morphy sacrifices the Bishop for an attack, taking advantage of his Queen side strength which includes the Rook on the open file.

12. axb4 This move loses quickly because of the mobility of Black's queenside pieces. The finale is a three move combination that starts with the c6-Knight. Black's centrally posted f5-Knight also plays an important supporting role.

12...Nxb4 Morphy has two Pawns for his Bishop.

13. Qd2 The Rook comes to life. ...Rc2

14.Qd1 What's the winning move for Black? ...Ne3 White resigns, his Queen is attacked and immobile: she's mated.

thus we can see, exemplified in this game, a deep positional understanding, which was something very special at the time. What do you think Eric, are such concepts too hard for you and I to grasp? i do not think so, given a little time and patience, even mortals like us may be able to grasp their significance. so take heart my friend, this is not any easy game, but little by little our understanding and thus our appreciation grows 🙂

Originally posted by orion25
why do you think Stanley had a drinking habit?

His fondness for drink was well known, he eventually ended up spending the last 20 years of his life in mental institutions as a result of his alcoholism. Strangely enough, he lived to be 82 !