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23 chapters
PAUL MORPHY'S LATE SECRETARY.
PAUL MORPHY'S LATE SECRETARY.
ILLUSTRATED WITH TEN PORTRAITS ON WOOD. NEW YORK: D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 346 & 348 BROADWAY. M.DCCC.LIX. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. THIS RECORD OF PAUL MORPHY'S ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE OLD WORLD, IS DEDICATED TO The Members of THE FIRST AMERICAN CHESS CONGRESS, BY THEIR MOST GRATEFUL AND OBLIGED SERVANT, THE AUTHOR....
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PREFACE.
PREFACE.
I am much indebted, in the following pages, to the kind assistance of that able writer and veteran chess-player, Mr. George Walker, who has furnished me with most of the very interesting and valuable information contained in the fourth chapter of this work. I am likewise under obligations to Herr Löwenthal for many anecdotes relating to chess celebrities of the past, and other information; and also to Mr. George Medley, Honorary Secretary of the London Chess Club, and Mr. Ries, of the Divan. The
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MORPHY'S FIRST GAMES.
MORPHY'S FIRST GAMES.
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
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THE FIRST AMERICAN CHESS CONGRESS.
THE FIRST AMERICAN CHESS CONGRESS.
A circular was issued by the New York Chess Club, in the month of April, 1857, "for the purpose of ascertaining the feasibility and propriety of a general assemblage of the chess players resident in America." This "met with a hearty and zealous response from the amateurs and clubs of the United States. So favorable was the feeling everywhere manifested, that it was deemed advisable to proceed with the undertaking, and to complete at once the preliminary arrangements." [A] In consideration of the
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MORPHY PREPARES TO START FOR EUROPE.
MORPHY PREPARES TO START FOR EUROPE.
Arriving in Europe three months before Mr. Morphy, I was in some sort,—not from any consent or knowledge on his part, his avant courier ; and the fact of my having been one of the Secretaries at the New York Chess Congress, joined to my acquaintance with him, afforded me the opportunity of conversing frequently with prominent English players in reference to this new meteor in the chess firmament. Shortly after my arrival in London, I called upon the Secretary of the St. George's Chess Club, Thom
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CHESS IN ENGLAND.
CHESS IN ENGLAND.
Most of us know how "Box," when called upon by "Cox," to give explanations of the improper attentions he (Box) was paying to C.'s wife, hums and haws and begins, "Towards the close of the sixteenth century;" when Cox very properly cries out, "What the deuce has the sixteenth century to do with my wife?" Many of my readers may, like Cox, want to know what a great deal my book contains has to do with Paul Morphy; all I have to say, in reply, is,—if you don't like it, skip it; more especially the f
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MORPHY IN ENGLAND.
MORPHY IN ENGLAND.
It is easy to understand that when a man, and especially a young man, feels his strength in any department of thought or action, he will be desirous of putting his abilities to the severest test, so as to take that rank to which he is entitled. Paul Morphy perceiving that it was a hopeless task endeavoring to induce the chess magnates of the Old World to visit America, resolved to cross the Atlantic himself, and it would be difficult to imagine a more chivalric act in one so young than thus emba
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THE STAUNTON AFFAIR.
THE STAUNTON AFFAIR.
We must anticipate the events of a few months, in order to place the discussion with Mr. Staunton where it properly belongs, viz., with Morphy's achievements in England. I do not think I have omitted a single fact or incident connected with an affair which has now become history, and my readers will agree with me that Mr. Staunton has suffered a far worse defeat by not playing the match than if he had been vanquished, as everybody says he would have been. In dealing with this most delicate quest
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MORPHY IN FRANCE.
MORPHY IN FRANCE.
On the last day of last August, I awakened Paul Morphy at an early hour. The Folkestone train left London Bridge at 9 55 A. M. , and there was some twenty minutes of hard driving to get to the railway station; but Morphy came down to breakfast with admirable sang froid , took his own time at the meal, laughed at my fears of being too late, and got into a cab at least ten minutes later than we ought to have done. We arrived at the depot in time to see the doors shut in our faces. Now this was not
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THE CAFÉ DE LA RÉGENCE.
THE CAFÉ DE LA RÉGENCE.
Were I called upon to name the central spot in this whirling sphere, the point round which all other points revolve, I should say—The Café de la Régence. Probably many of my readers will not think so, but that does not alter the fact. I name that café, not as a chess player, but from more general reasons. Take a bowl of water or any other liquid— punch will do—and, prior to drinking, experiment upon it. Turn it round and round until the liquid revolves quickly, and mark: there is one spot in the
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THE MATCH BETWEEN MORPHY AND HARRWITZ.
THE MATCH BETWEEN MORPHY AND HARRWITZ.
Saturday came, and so did Harrwitz. We found him a little man, of about forty, with finely-developed head, and large, piercing black eyes. In conversation, he is exceedingly witty and "cool," and many are the good things told of him. Some of my readers will remember the rebuke he gave Mr. Staunton, when playing his celebrated match with that gentleman. Harrwitz had made a move which caused much reflection to his opponent, who rolled about on his chair and stroked his forehead energetically, as o
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MORPHY'S GREATEST BLINDFOLD FEAT.
MORPHY'S GREATEST BLINDFOLD FEAT.
Awaiting the return of his antagonist, Paul Morphy announced his intention of playing eight blindfold games, simultaneously, in the public café. It is needless to assure my readers that the mere announcement produced the greatest excitement; the newspapers heralded the fact throughout the city, and crowds of strangers came pouring into the Régence, and asking particulars of the habitués in relation to the approaching performance. Harrwitz had already asked Morphy to join him in a public display
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CONTINUATION OF THE MATCH WITH HARRWITZ.
CONTINUATION OF THE MATCH WITH HARRWITZ.
Morphy was at the Régence to the minute, but Harrwitz was not forthcoming. At last we received a message from him that he objected to play any longer in the public café, and requested Morphy to come up stairs into the rooms of the Chess Club. It would be difficult to describe the excitement caused by this announcement. Harrwitz's backers, of whom there were eight or ten, were very angry; more especially as it was at his own particular desire that the match was played in the café. The pretext was
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MORPHY IN SOCIETY.
MORPHY IN SOCIETY.
All the Paris newspapers soon took to writing about our hero, from the Moniteur to the Charivari . The latter, the oldest and most famous of all comic papers, gave cut after cut and article after article upon him; in fact, Morphy was its standing joke for a long period. One day there was a picture representing "Britannia, astonished at the checks she was receiving in India, requesting the young American to get her out of the difficulty." Another represented an individual who declined entering th
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MORPHY AND THE FRENCH AMATEURS.
MORPHY AND THE FRENCH AMATEURS.
Morphy's arrival in Paris, and his doings at the Café de la Régence, soon began to make him much sought after. The way in which some folks get lionized in the French capital is remarkable, and Morphy had to submit to it, not merely at the café, but even in his hotel. We soon found that continued residence at the Hotel Meurice would be inconvenient, for many reasons; and within a day or two of our arrival, had located ourselves in the Hotel Breteuil , at the corner of the Rues de Rivoli and du Da
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MORPHY GETS BEATEN.
MORPHY GETS BEATEN.
A few weeks after the resignation of the match by Herr Harrwitz, the amateurs of the Régence invited Herr Anderssen to visit Paris for the purpose of playing a match with Paul Morphy. Our hero originally intended making a visit to the principal chess clubs of Germany, and especially to Berlin, but having been an invalid since his arrival in the French capital, he feared to undertake the long journey by rail, and it was in consequence of this that the aforesaid invitation was sent. Herr Anderssen
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MORPHY AND ANDERSSEN.
MORPHY AND ANDERSSEN.
The first week in December, Monsieur de Rivière received a communication from Herr Anderssen, announcing his approaching arrival in Paris. A week prior to this Morphy had been laid up in bed with a severe illness. The rigors of a first winter in northern climates had told upon him, and I feared much for the result. He was leeched, and lost a great quantity of blood—I told him three or four pints; to which he replied, "Then there's only a quart left." He was kept very low during a fortnight, and
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MORPHY AND MONGREDIEU.
MORPHY AND MONGREDIEU.
After Anderssen's departure, Paul Morphy declared he would play no more even matches, and, certainly, his resolve was justified by the unheard-of manner in which he had walked over all opponents. There are but two players who do not confess the inutility of contending against him on even terms—Messrs. Staunton and Harrwitz—but then the former would not fight, and the latter fought and ran away, so that their opinions, with regard to themselves and Morphy, are somewhat damaged by circumstances. T
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TROPHIES.
TROPHIES.
And now that the battles are over, and the campaigns of this "Attila the destroyer" concluded, let us count the killed and wounded....
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IN ENGLAND.
IN ENGLAND.
Match Games (Even.) Morphy, 9. Löwenthal, 3. Drawn, 3. Pawn and Move. Morphy, 5. Rev. J. Owen (Alter), 0. Drawn, 2. Off-hand Games. Consultation Games. Staunton and Owen, 0. Morphy and Barnes, 2. Drawn, 0. Löwenthal and Medley, 0. Morphy and Mongredieu, 0. Drawn, 1. Löwenthal, Mongredieu, and Medley, 0. Morphy, Walker Greenaway, 0. Drawn, 1. Eight Games Blindfold at Birmingham. Morphy beat Lord Lyttelton, Doctors Salmon and Freeman, Messrs. Rhodes, Wills and Carr; drew against Mr. Avery, and los
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IN FRANCE.
IN FRANCE.
Match Games. Off-hand Games (Even). Odds of Pawn and Move. Odds of the Pawn and two Moves. Consultation Games. Blindfold Games. Morphy beat Messrs. Bancker, Bierwirth, Bornemann, Potier, Préti, and Seguin, and drew the games with Messrs. Guibert and Lequesne. At Versailles, Morphy, playing blindfolded, won against Monsieur Chamouillet and the Versailles Chess Club playing together against him, in consultation . I should like to say something on the above score, but feel quite incompetent to the
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D. APPLETON AND COMPANY,
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY,
" As fresh as the morning.... It abounds in fun, and in relish of the activities, competitions, and sports of boyish and adolescent life. "— Daily News. " Full of life, and fun, and vigor.... These sketches of school and college life are among the happiest of their kind. Particularly well written is the account of life at Cambridge. "— Examiner. " This volume brims with sense, cleverness, and humor. A lively and entertaining collection of great men's thought and quick woman's observation; a book
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TRANSCRIBERS' NOTES
TRANSCRIBERS' NOTES
Page 7. musquito as in original Pages 16, 20. Variable hyphenation of master-pieces, masterpiece as in original Page 31. palladins as in original Page 98. depreciatory as in original Page 115. coryphoeus corrected to coryphaeus Page 135. In the signature, Keneedy changed to Kennedy Page 152. Algaier corrected to Allgaier Illustration caption before page 197. MONGREDIEN standardised to MONGREDIEU (this may be incorrect and a reference to Augustus Mongredien). General. The following words have var
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