So Who Taught Morphy?
27 May '09 00:48This was started in another thread about smothered mates.
Thought I'd give it it's own thread. Would like to know what others think
without mixing it up with smothered mate games.
We were talking about how come Morphy became Morphy.
Who did he learn it from and was he the greatest player that ever lived?
Ever chess generation has learned from the previous generation.
And it can all be traced back to Morphy.
But from whom did Morphy learn his trade?
I was given some links to look at....and this is where you join us.
No mention about who taught Morphy to play like Morphy.
Or how come Morphy played like Morphy.
He was fairly well off so would have had all the chess books that
were printed then, but remember he had nothing like the choice
the avarage player has today. We are talking Pre-Steinitz.
And neither would his opponents, that is important to note because one
thing always pointed at Morphy is that he had no one to beat.
That is because the art of defending was just a twinkle in Steinitz's eye.
He would have got nothing from Philidor, even the 'legacy' was known to
chess players in 15th century. It was his 1749 book which laid down middle game
strategy that made Phildor famous.
(I wonder if Robbie knows that the Duke of Cumberland 'The Butcher
of Culloden' actually ordered 50 copies of this book).
There is no hint of Morphy in Philidor.
Labourdonnais and McDonell? (and Anderssen).
Great players who could pull of combinations but their games show
very little of the 'flow' that Morphy had.
Anderssens masterpieces, The Evergreen and the Immortal were played
in 1852 & 1855 when Morphy was already then showing signs of being Morphy.
Here is Morphy game from 1849. Morphy was 12.
Morphy -Rousseau, New Orleans, 1849
Labourdonnais and McDonell?
Look at the opening of the greatest game these two played against
each other. 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qe2
Setting a trap even I would think twice about setting. Bxf7+ and Qc4+
winning back the Bishop on c5.
For the record here is the game. It's Brilliant but it's not Morphy.
De Labourdonnais - McDonnell, 1st Match, game 21, London, 1834
The only book out at the time that gave anything like Morphy
was to produce was Greco's book,
(written in the 1620's but still being printed in the 18th century).
These games are 'invented'. Greco sat down and made up these
charming miniatures to illustrate the potetnial of development or to
show you a trap in an opening.
Here is one he invented from the Phildor.
It reminds one of a rather more famous game played 200 years later.
No doubt Morphy had this book and may have spent many an
hour skipping through these cartoons.
But I too had this book and althougjh some of the 'games' are
really sparkling they are nothing like Morphy's gems.
The moves Greco used to make a point (the blunders) are really bad.
So have come to conclussion that nobody taught Morphy.
He was gifted, blessed, a genius.
And you cannot dissect a genius.
Morphy-Carr (Blindfold 8 game simultaneous) London 1858
Thought I'd give it it's own thread. Would like to know what others think
without mixing it up with smothered mate games.
We were talking about how come Morphy became Morphy.
Who did he learn it from and was he the greatest player that ever lived?
Ever chess generation has learned from the previous generation.
And it can all be traced back to Morphy.
But from whom did Morphy learn his trade?
I was given some links to look at....and this is where you join us.
No mention about who taught Morphy to play like Morphy.
Or how come Morphy played like Morphy.
He was fairly well off so would have had all the chess books that
were printed then, but remember he had nothing like the choice
the avarage player has today. We are talking Pre-Steinitz.
And neither would his opponents, that is important to note because one
thing always pointed at Morphy is that he had no one to beat.
That is because the art of defending was just a twinkle in Steinitz's eye.
He would have got nothing from Philidor, even the 'legacy' was known to
chess players in 15th century. It was his 1749 book which laid down middle game
strategy that made Phildor famous.
(I wonder if Robbie knows that the Duke of Cumberland 'The Butcher
of Culloden' actually ordered 50 copies of this book).
There is no hint of Morphy in Philidor.
Labourdonnais and McDonell? (and Anderssen).
Great players who could pull of combinations but their games show
very little of the 'flow' that Morphy had.
Anderssens masterpieces, The Evergreen and the Immortal were played
in 1852 & 1855 when Morphy was already then showing signs of being Morphy.
Here is Morphy game from 1849. Morphy was 12.
Morphy -Rousseau, New Orleans, 1849
Labourdonnais and McDonell?
Look at the opening of the greatest game these two played against
each other. 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qe2
Setting a trap even I would think twice about setting. Bxf7+ and Qc4+
winning back the Bishop on c5.
For the record here is the game. It's Brilliant but it's not Morphy.
De Labourdonnais - McDonnell, 1st Match, game 21, London, 1834
The only book out at the time that gave anything like Morphy
was to produce was Greco's book,
(written in the 1620's but still being printed in the 18th century).
These games are 'invented'. Greco sat down and made up these
charming miniatures to illustrate the potetnial of development or to
show you a trap in an opening.
Here is one he invented from the Phildor.
It reminds one of a rather more famous game played 200 years later.
No doubt Morphy had this book and may have spent many an
hour skipping through these cartoons.
But I too had this book and althougjh some of the 'games' are
really sparkling they are nothing like Morphy's gems.
The moves Greco used to make a point (the blunders) are really bad.
So have come to conclussion that nobody taught Morphy.
He was gifted, blessed, a genius.
And you cannot dissect a genius.
Morphy-Carr (Blindfold 8 game simultaneous) London 1858
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