The Exploits and Triumphs, in Europe, of Paul Morphy, the Chess Champion

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Edge Frederick Milnes. The Exploits and Triumphs, in Europe, of Paul Morphy, the Chess Champion

CHAPTER I. MORPHY'S FIRST GAMES

CHAPTER II. THE FIRST AMERICAN CHESS CONGRESS

CHAPTER III. MORPHY PREPARES TO START FOR EUROPE

CHAPTER IV. CHESS IN ENGLAND

CHAPTER V. MORPHY IN ENGLAND

CHAPTER VI. THE STAUNTON AFFAIR

CHAPTER VII. MORPHY IN FRANCE

CHAPTER VIII. THE CAFÉ DE LA RÉGENCE

CHAPTER IX. THE MATCH BETWEEN MORPHY AND HARRWITZ

CHAPTER X. MORPHY'S GREATEST BLINDFOLD FEAT

CHAPTER XI. CONTINUATION OF THE MATCH WITH HARRWITZ

CHAPTER XII. MORPHY IN SOCIETY

CHAPTER XIII. MORPHY AND THE FRENCH AMATEURS

CHAPTER XIV. MORPHY GETS BEATEN

CHAPTER XV. MORPHY AND ANDERSSEN

CHAPTER XVI. MORPHY AND MONGREDIEU

CHAPTER XVII. TROPHIES

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Paul Morphy's father, Judge Morphy, of the Supreme Court of Louisiana, beguiled his leisure hours with the fascinations of Chess, and, finding a precocious aptitude for the game in his son, he taught him the moves and the value of the various pieces. In the language of somebody, —

I have here spoilt a very pretty story. The report in chess circles is, that the young Paul learned the moves from seeing his father play with his uncle, Mr. Ernest Morphy, long ranking amongst the first players in the Union, and one of the brightest living ornaments of American chess. One evening – so runs the tale – this gentleman awaited the arrival of the Judge, when Master Paul impudently offered to be his antagonist. What was the uncle's astonishment at finding the stripling a match for his deepest combinations, and what the father's surprise on discovering a very Philidor in his son of ten years! Deschapelles became a first-rate player in three days, at the age of something like thirty. Nobody ever believed the statement, not even Deschapelles himself, although his biographer declares he had told the lie so often that he at last forgot the facts of the case. But the story about Morphy beats the Deschapelles story in the proportion of thirty to ten. I sorrowfully confess that my hero's unromantic regard for truth makes him characterize the above statement as a humbug and an impossibility.

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Mr. Lewis collected quite a number of players around him, and was in fair way to find his enterprise profitable; but the most prominent members demurred to his not playing with them so much as they desired, more especially as Mr. Lewis did not appear to regard the institution as a Free School for the inculcation of Chess. The best of the young amateurs were Messrs. Walker, Brand, Mercier and McDonnell; the last, the best of the lot. McDonnell received from Mr. Lewis the odds of Pawn and Two Moves, but when he had fairly surmounted that advantage and could win every game, his antagonist declined playing on even terms, much to McDonnell's disappointment. This, however, appears to be the usual course with leading chess players, – Deschappelle's conduct in regard to Labourdonnais being a notable example of the fact. There are peculiar idiosyncrasies in chess human nature, as, for instance, the remarkable reserve and "don't-come-nigh-me" feeling with which leading amateurs treat each other. Go into any public or private chess association, and you will find that the superior craft steer clear of each other as a general thing; reserving their antagonism for matches few and far between.

The Club subsequently removed to the bottom of St. Martin's Lane, and shortly broke up, McDonnell and others returning to the London Club, whence they had migrated. A futile attempt was afterwards made to establish a grand aristocratic silk and satin club in Waterloo Place, the door of admission to which could only be opened with a golden key of ten guineas. Here lots of every thing could be found except chess, and no wonder, for the game does not find supporters, to any extent, among the rich, depending mainly upon individuals to whom ten guineas are a consideration. The club expired in twelve months. Caïssa thus lost her last foothold at the West End, and Mr. Lewis henceforth virtually abandoned the practice of chess.

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