Chathurangam Home
aaraamthinaiChathurangamKalyanam.comNews on WebChennaionline
Home
Links Collection

News And Events

Indian Tournaments
Abroad
News
City Results
Indian  Calendar

Miscellaneous

Download Games
Chennai Champs
Associations
Academies & Clubs
FIDE Ratings

FeedBack

Guest Book
Feedback
Discussion

Coming Up!


July 17 - 22
1st Avadi FIDE Rated Open, Chennai

July 23 - 29
2nd Adyar Times FIDE Rated Open, Chennai

Aug 14 - 18
Chess Classic Mainz, Germany

More Events
  

You can Contribute!!

You are welcome to contribute to our site. You could send us  reports of tournaments in your region, analysis of your games or that of any other player. Or snippets, happenings or anything of interest that will capture the browser and the chess fan.

Legends

     

by G Srikanth

"What can be said to be permanent in this fleeting world, if not our remembrance of the deeds of great men?" - Ludwig Bauer

Paul Morphy (1837 - 84)

Game Viewer | Games

Paul Morphy was born on 22nd June 1837 in New Orleans. He learnt chess from his father at the age of 10. As a result of his wealthy background, Morphy had a sound education and he graduated in 1854. His chief attraction then was mathematics and law. Of course he was growing as a sound player too these years. His name became well known in the chess fraternity only after his triumph in the American Chess Congress of 1857, where he defeated Louis Paulsen. From then on he had a string of success against fellow Americans and its impact was such that he was considered invincible by them and they even challenged the world to produce his equal.

Morphy then set of on an European tour to establish his prowess there especially to prove against Howard Staunton. He arrived in London in June 1858 and first played against Lowenthal and won with a comfortable margin of +9 –3 =2. Morphy then played a match with Harrwitz as Staunton was avoiding to play him. He won that match by a score of +5-2=1. He then played a match with Anderssen by which time it was apparent that Staunton was consciously avoiding Morphy. Morphy won the match scoring +7-2=2. He also gave some exhibitions and was waiting to play Staunton. Barring a couple of consultation games in which his team lost both, Staunton never played a serious match. Adding to this Staunton ridiculed him as an adventurer without financial backing. Morphy internally got crushed at this and he returned immediately to America and endeavoured to practice law but found no recognition in that field. He totally broke down when a lady turned down his proposal stating that she would not marry a "mere chess player". By this time he became a psychotic and suffered from delusion syndrome. Morphy died in New Orleans in July, 1884 at the age of 47.

Morphy understanding of the principles of development and his strategy in general was far superior to his contemporaries. He was referred to as a "flashing meteor" who signaled the advent of a new era!

We present few of his games which were typical of his style. Though the opposition play was very poor, the execution was perfect.

Morphy, P – Duke of Braunsweig and Count Isouard
Paris, 1858

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.dxe5 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 dxe5 6.Bc4 Those were the days when theory was not well developed. But Morphy had a very superior sense for development, and his oponents could not cope up with his strategy. Here black should have atleast played 6...Qd7; or 6....Qf6. 6...Nf6 7.Qb3 Qe7 With the idea of exchanging queens after 8.Qb7 Qb4 etc. 8.Nc3! c6 9.Bg5 b5?

9...b6 was better. Now Morphy unleashes a powerful combination! 10.Nxb5 cxb5 11.Bxb5+ Nbd7 12.0–0–0 Rd8 13.Rxd7 Rxd7 14.Rd1 Qe6 15.Bxd7+ Nxd7 16.Qb8+! Nxb8 17.Rd8# 1–0
Paulsen,L - Morphy,P
New York, 1857
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bc5 5.0–0 0–0 6.Nxe5 Re8 7.Nxc6 dxc6 8.Bc4?! 8.Be2 8...b5 9.Be2 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Rxe4 11.Bf3?! Better was 11.c3 intending d4; Bd3. 11...Re6 12.c3? [Better was 12.d3 ] 12...Qd3 13.b4 Bb6 14.a4 bxa4 15.Qxa4 Bd7 16.Ra2 As a result of bad opening play, white is confined to total passivity. 16...Rae8 17.Qa6

Qxf3! Rips open white’s kingside. 18.gxf3 Rg6+ 19.Kh1 Bh3 20.Rd1 Bg2+ 21.Kg1 Bxf3+ 22.Kf1 Bg2+ 23.Kg1 Bh3+ 24.Kh1 Bxf2 25.Qf1 Bxf1 26.Rxf1 Re2 27.Ra1 Rh6 28.d4 Be3 0–1
Schulten - Morphy,P
New York, 1857
 

 

 

13.Kf1 White landed in this position after a very bad opening. 13...Rxe2 14.Nxe2 Nd4 15.Qb1 Bxe2+ 16.Kf2 Ng4+ 17.Kg1 Nf3+! 18.gxf3 Qd4+ 19.Kg2 Qf2+ 20.Kh3 Qxf3+ 21.Kh4 Nh6 22.Qg1 Nf5+ 23.Kg5 Qh5# 0–1

Morphy,P - Anderssen,A
Match, Paris, 1858
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 e5 5.dxe5 Qxe5+ 6.Be2 Bb4 7.Nf3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Qxc3+ 9.Bd2 Qc5 10.Rb1 Nc6 11.0–0 Nf6 12.Bf4 0–0!?
12....Qe7 is bit shaky after 13.Re1! If 12....Nb4; 13.Qe1 Nc2 14.Bb5 Kf8; 15.Qd2 Bf5; 16.Rfc1 Nd5; 17.Ba4 Nf4; 18.Bc2 Bc2; 19.Rc2 Qd6; 20.Qd6 cd6, 21.Rb7 With a clear advantage for white 13.Bxc7 Nd4 14.Qxd4 Qxc7 15.Bd3 Bg4 16.Ng5 Rfd8? A very bad move, black Should have played here..16.... intending Bg6 17.Qb4 Bc8 18.Rfe1 a5

19.Qe7! Now Black loses a pawn 19...Qxe7 20.Rxe7 Nd5 21.Bxh7+ Kh8 22.Rxf7 Nc3 23.Re1 Nxa2 24.Rf4 Ra6 25.Bd3 1–0
 Lichtenheein - Morphy,P
New York, 1857
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.e5 d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.Bd3 Bc5 As a result of indifferent opening play, white lags behind in development. 10.Bxe4 Qh4! 11.Qe2 dxe4 12.Be3?

He should have castled here. After the text he gets crushed 12...Bg4 13.Qc4 Bxe3 14.g3 If here, 14.Qc6 Bd7; 15.Qa8 Ke7; 16.g3 Bf2!; 17.Kf2 e3; 18.Ke1 Qb4; 19.c3 Qb2; 20.Qh8 Bg4!! and mate cannot be avoided. 14...Qd8 15.fxe3 Qd1+ 16.Kf2 Qf3+ 17.Kg1 Bh3 Mate cannot be avoided. 18.Qxc6+ Kf8 19.Qxa8+ Ke7 0–1

- G Srikanth

Top


Copyright 1997-2002, Chennai Interactive Business Services (P) Ltd.
[email protected]
Copyright and Disclaimer. Send your suggestions.