Player Profile: Paul Morphy

• Full Name: Paul Charles Morphy

• Federation: United States

• Active Since: Around 1848 to 1884

Player’s Description

A chess prodigy who revolutionized the game and then mysteriously walked away from it all. He didn’t just play chess, he redefined it.

Paul Morphy was born on June 22, 1837, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father, Alonzo Morphy, was a lawyer of Spanish and Irish descent and his mother Louise Therese Felicitie Thelcide Le Carpentier was a musician.

He himself learned chess by watching his father and uncle. He saw games as his pastime. But yet was so good in it that by the age he was 9 he defeated General Winfield Scott, a visiting dignitary who initially refused to play a child. Morphy won both games, announcing a forced checkmate in just six moves during the second.

His breakthrough tournament came in 1857, when he won the First American Chess Congress in New York. He beat top players including Louis Paulsen and was hailed as the U.S. Chess Champion. This was the same year in which he was awarded an LLB degree from University of Louisiana (now Tulane University). 

When he turned 22 he felt he had nothing left to prove and retired from chess. After that for some time he practiced law in New Orleans, but clients were more interested in his chess fame than legal advice. Frustrated, he eventually closed his office.  He spent the rest of his life  traveling far from the spotlight. Morphy died at age 47 from a stroke.

Although Paul Morphy left chess very early, his games are still studied because they are easy to understand, educational, and timeless. They are seen as great examples for both new and experienced players. The ideas of initiative, tempo, and logical thinking were taught through his style, and these have become key parts of modern chess.

Morphy's way of playing was considered revolutionary because modern chess principles were naturally followed by him. His idea of moving pieces, especially knights and bishops insteads of pawns allowed attacks to be started before his opponents were fully prepared. Which gave rise to the modern idea of why wasting time by moving the same piece again or pushing unneeded pawns was avoided. Instead, all the pieces were brought out and ready for action as fast as possible.

Morphy's drive to have control over the central squares like e4, d4, e5, and d5 these spots were treated as very important because more movement and power were given to pieces placed there. That helped in developing the modern principle of central control that isn't just for the opening, it sets the tone for the entire game. 

Scorecard 

• Total Games Played: 326 recorded games

• Wins: 257 

• Draws: 28 

• Losses: 41

Notable Tournament Wins

• 1857 First American Chess Congress – Dominated the event and became U.S. Champion

• 1858 European Tour – Defeated top players including Adolf Anderssen, Daniel Harrwitz, and Johann Löwenthal

• The Opera Game (1858) – A legendary casual game in Paris showcasing his tactical brilliance

Most memorable games

• The Opera Game (1858)  Paul Morphy– vs. Duke of Brunswick & Count Isouard

The Opera Game is one of the best diaplay of attacking chess. Morphy developed his pieces quickly, gained control of the center while his opponent missed tempi.

A knight sacrifice and then the queen was given up to keep the attack going and lead to a planned checkmate by Morphy.  Eventially, the open d-file was used by Morphy’s rooks to break into Black’s position and create threats.

-- Article contributed by Richa Kumari