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ironbutterfly 25-Aug-09, 06:05	answer to current trivia challenge The answer to cyn's question of how many moves were made to checkmate in PM's "A Night at the Opera" consultation game in Paris, 1858, is that PM mated his opponents with 17. Rd8#. So technically the number of moves is 16 1/2, though most of us would refer to it as 17.
cyna 25-Aug-09, 09:05	RE: Answer to current trivia challenge The game ended after 17 moves by Paul Morphy, 1-0. His final move to mate was 17. Rd8#. You are correct, ironbutterfly. Paul Morphy vs Duke Karl / Count Isouard "A Night at the Opera" was played in Paris, 1858, Philidor Defense (see Paul Morpy Trivia for more info on this game: gameknot.com ) and the link to the game itself is found here: www.chessgames.com And since you also correctly identified move 17 as being Rd8#, which checkmated PM's two "amateur" opponents, you earned an extra point. Now ironbutterfly asks the next question. ironbutterfly=4 pts johnclark=3 pts cyna 2.5 pts
ironbutterfly 25-Aug-09, 09:53	Who said this about PM? PM is often praised for his great tactical sense, but more recent grandmasters praise his positional understanding as well. Which Russian grandmaster said the following: "his harmonius positional understanding and deep intuition would have made Morphy a highly dangerous opponent even for any player of our times" ?
johnclark 25-Aug-09, 20:17	re: On the family I have my doubts on that because betting is an actiity that all classes enjoyed, especially those who could afford it- the well to do. I think we would see that behavior in many sporting activities frequented by others of the Morphy social class status. You have horse racing, dog racing, dog and chicken fights, boxing, poker... I don't think wagering for the SPORT was the issue. What about issues of CONTROL over PM?
cyna 25-Aug-09, 20:57	re: On the family That's a possibility... poor Paul.
johnclark 26-Aug-09, 19:39	Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov Do you have these books and have you actually read them? I used google search engin for this answer. What about modifying the rules to NO SEARCH ENGINES? Books, articles, even online resources are fine, just no search engines? Or we can keep it at all available resources. Just an idea.
ironbutterfly 26-Aug-09, 20:39	to answer your first questions: some, and some....... Here is the quote from Valery Beim's "Paul Morphy: A Modern Perspective": "Valeryi Smyslov is quoted in 'Garry Kasparov On My Great Predecessors: Part I', on page 44, as saying, 'his harmonious positional understanding and deep intuition would have made Morphy a highly dangerous opponent even for any player of our times.'" [I've read a lot of Beim's book, and read through Kasparov's books without playing most of the games. I have Beim's book; got Kasparov's books last year through our county library system. Think I've told you before that you can order them online and pick them up at your local branch. All clear?  ] Doesn't matter to me what we do about search engines.
cyna 27-Aug-09, 22:57	re: On the family Not sure where this originated, but I've seen it before. Could it have been from Lawson's book? Here is an excerpt by jazapan: "Paul Morphy; The Pride and Sorrow of Chess" "In accord with the prevailing sentiment of the time, Morphy esteemed chess only as an amateur activity, considering the game unworthy of pursuit as a serious occupation. Chess professionals were viewed in the same light as professional gamblers. It was not until decades later that the age of the professional chess player arrived." SOURCE: www.squidoo.com
cyna 27-Aug-09, 23:41	re: On the family From 'The Encyclopedia of Chess' by Anne Sunnucks: "Two and a half years had passed since he had come into man's estate, when he should have attended to his profession; when, as his mother and family had expected, a grown man and a southern gentleman who might in his leisure hunt or shoot, would not have demeaned himself by taking seriously a board game, let alone giving public displays. And his mother now extracted a promise from him, which he kept, never again to play chess in public." Where did the author get this info? Does anyone know? It is not referenced in her book. And where have we read about the Morphy family shooting or hunting as "leisure" past time? All we ever knew of the males in the Morphy family is that they played chess and went to the opera... -cyna
cyna 28-Aug-09, 01:06	re: On the family Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper in its August 30, 1856 issue wrote: CHESS CHALLENGE EXTRAORDINARY. -- Mr. Ernest Morphy of Moscow, Claremont County, Ohio, [Ernest lived in Ohio for a period of time] a very strong player and one of the most masterly analysts in this or any country, has written a private letter to a friend in this city, saying that he is desirous to get up a match, between the 1st and 31st of January next in New Orleans between his nephew, Paul Morphy, (as he writes, incontestably the superior of himself or Rousseau and who holds the sceptre of chess in New Orleans) and Mr. Stanley or Marache (and we presume any other players in the country) for $300 a side -- $100 to go to the loser (if Paul wins) to pay the expenses of the journey to New Orleans. Mr. James McConnell, attorney at law, New Orleans or Paul Morphy himself, may be written in regard to it. The proposition emanates from Mr. Ernest Morphy, who subscribes the $50 towards the purse. SOURCE: blog.chess.com
cyna 29-Aug-09, 22:55	PM Trivia Challenge JC, I'm wondering what your next trivia question is? I believe these are the current scores: johnclark=4 pts ironbutterfly=4 pts cyna=2.5 pts
ironbutterfly 04-Sep-09, 11:24	who said this?? It's not my turn, but yesterday I was going through boxes of old chess mags in my office, trying to force a bit of organization on the mess and clutter and fill up my recyclable bin, and while leafing through the Winter 2004 issue of "Chess Life" came across this quote: "Morphy was perhaps the most accurate chess player who ever lived. He had complete sight of the board and never blundered." Anyone know what famous chess player said that?
johnclark 04-Sep-09, 17:51	who said this? I know Anderssen said something much to the same effect. He likened Morphy to a piece of machinery. He is quoted as saying, "...He [Morphy] never makes a mistake; but if his adversary commits the slightest error, he is lost." Obviously Chess Life was not running a piece on a 19th century figure. I would hazzard the guess of Kasparov.
cyna 05-Sep-09, 09:52	re: who said this? My guess is Bobby Fischer...(?)
ironbutterfly 06-Sep-09, 05:21	Bobby it is! Bobby Fisher is correct, cyn - a point for you! The comment is taken from an interview/article written by Frank Brady in which Fischer picks "The Ten Greatest Masters in History," based on the quality of their games rather than on titles or accomplishments. Another intriguing Fischer statement: "In a set match, Morphy would beat anybody alive today."
johnclark 06-Sep-09, 10:29	Cyna gets the next question johnclark=4 pts ironbutterfly=4 pts cyna=3.5 pts
cyna 06-Sep-09, 11:43	The Height of Fame How tall was Paul Morphy?
johnclark 07-Sep-09, 11:50	The Height of Fame Just a guess- 5' 2"???
cyna 07-Sep-09, 13:07	re: The Height of Fame Good guess, JC. According to Philip W. Sergeant's book, "Morphy's Games of Chess" published in 1957, 1st ed., pgs. 19-20: "Anderson and Morphy were a curious contrast, which must have made the match all the more interesting for the few privileged to watch. The Professor, a man now forty years of age, massive in figure, with an honest voice, a sweet smile, and a countenance as pleasing as it was expressive,... Opposite him was Morphy, "this boy of twenty-one, five foot four inches in height, of slim figure"*... impassive, with his eyes fixed steadfastly on the board, looking up, and then without exultation, only when he saw a win." (*this comment was attributed to Edge.) The score remains: johnclark=4 pts ironbutterfly=4 pts cyna=3.5 pts And now, johnclark asks the next trivia challenge question.
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