1837 | The Chess Master Who Went Mad
New Orleans' Paul Morphy is named World Chess Champion
8 MINUTE READ | NUMBER 8
Watching The Queens Gambit on Netflix made me think that maybe I could be a chess master. Of course, I was kidding myself. But I did a little Googling and found a few moves to learn that would improve my game. Shortly after reading more about the moves, I discovered Paul Morphy, a New Orleans native, created them. I quickly forgot about being a chess master and started digging into his life.
World Chess Champion’s Tragic End
1837
During his journey to the Mexican War, Major General Winfield Scott made a detour in New Orleans and decided to visit some acquaintances. Eager to find a formidable opponent for a game of chess one afternoon, he sought the assistance of the local chess club. To his surprise, they introduced him to a prodigious 10-year-old boy named Paul Morphy.
Initially doubtful of the youngster's abilities, Scott's skepticism swiftly vanished as he found himself checkmated by Morphy in a mere ten moves. 1
Morphy’s Early Years
Born in 1837 in New Orleans, Morphy was the son of a Portuguese Irish father who served on the Louisiana Supreme Court and a mother of French-Creole descent. Despite his tender age, Morphy exhibited extraordinary talent for chess, having taught himself the game's intricacies and astonishing others with his prowess. At 12, he challenged and triumphed over the Hungarian master Johann Lowenthal, winning two out of three rounds.2
In 1850, at the age of 13, Morphy enrolled at Spring Hill College in Alabama and took a break from playing chess. Following his graduation in 1854, he remained at the college to pursue studies in mathematics and philosophy. He then transferred to the University of Louisiana (now Tulane University) to study law. By 1857, Morphy obtained his law degree and was reputed to have memorized the entire Louisiana Civil Code.
Despite being too young to practice law and having ample spare time, Morphy resumed playing chess after receiving an invitation to the First American Chess Congress in New York. Initially hesitant, he eventually accepted the invitation due to encouragement from his uncle. Morphy emerged victorious against all his opponents at the event, securing the title of chess champion of the United States.
Morphy Takes on Europe
Morphy embarked on a journey to Europe in 1858, where he showcased his exceptional skills by defeating some of the finest chess players on the continent. While in Paris, Morphy achieved a remarkable victory in a "blindfold" tournament. Morphy sat alone in one room, facing a blank wall, while his eight opponents were in another room with the chessboards. Morphy called out his moves, and after an intense 10-hour session, he emerged triumphant against his opponents.3
As a result of his remarkable achievements, Morphy earned widespread recognition and was hailed as the greatest chess player of his time. He was widely acknowledged as the World Champion of Chess, solidifying his position as an unparalleled talent in the game.
European newspapers thanked him for playing in Europe and praised him as one of the greats.
"Let no one be absurd enough to dispute the honours of Paul Morphy,” wrote London's Era Sun in May 1859.
Back in the States, Morphy was honored at several banquets in Boston and New York. "Every nook and cranny of the building was occupied, and even the ladies were compelled to stand in the passages, so great was the desire to be present on the event occasion," said the New York Herald. Police were called out to escort Morphy into the building.
He made the chess circuit, playing matches in Boston, New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia before returning to New Orleans.4
Back in New Orleans
Upon returning home, Morphy retired from active chess competitions and focused on establishing his law practice. However, his legal career was soon interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil War. There are conflicting accounts regarding his involvement during the war. Some sources suggest that Morphy served on General Beauregard's staff, while others claim he spent time in Havana and Paris, and others say he was kicked off Beauregard’s staff and traveled.
Following the war, Morphy resumed his law practice, but unfortunately, it did not flourish, leading to its eventual failure. He relied on his family's wealth to support himself and lived a life of idleness. Despite his remarkable achievements in chess and earlier legal studies, Morphy experienced difficulties finding professional success later in his life.
Morphy’s Madness
During this period, Morphy largely withdrew from public life, with only sporadic newspaper reports providing glimpses into the state of his mind. A prominent cotton merchant described one Morphy sighting:
"Paul, who is a very short man, cuts the most ridiculous figure in the ludicrous way he dresses. He is to be seen daily promenading up and down Canal Street, attired in the most tight-fitting garments, his knee-breeches appearing as if glued to his lower extremities, which are much of the spider order. His hands are encased invariably in the lightest shade of kids, and he sports in the most supercilious manner an elaborate pair of gold 'lorgnettes,' which he makes use of on every possible occasion."5
Morphy's mental state reportedly deteriorated, leading to episodes of delusion and paranoia. One particular incident involved his unfounded belief that barbers in the city had conspired to lace shaving cream with a substance that would irritate his skin. He would spend hours waiting for a barber he believed he could trust.
At one point, Morphy even pursued what he perceived as the mastermind behind this imagined plot and challenged him to a duel. Friends intervened, defusing the situation, and attempted to admit him to a Catholic sanitarium for treatment. They tricked Morphy, informing him they were hiding him from the police, who were supposedly searching for him. Upon reaching the Louisiana Retreat for the Feeble Minded, they brought him into a room and told him they were leaving him there. The nuns at the sanitarium convinced Morphy's friends to trust them with his care and return home.6
His family, who had just returned to New Orleans, were astonished to see Morphy walking down Carondelet Street, seemingly unaffected. Surprisingly, within minutes of the party's departure, Morphy convinced the doctors at the sanitarium that he was mentally sound.
"Paul Morphy is an object of pity," wrote the New York World in 1877. "He is sane on a few subjects, but his old hobby — chess — is so distasteful to him that he cannot bear to talk about his former exploits. It would really be an act of charity to remove him from the public gaze."
Even as late as 1878, Morphy continued to receive invitations to participate in chess competitions. However, he played the game very infrequently, and when he did, it was usually in private and under circumstances that seemed to stem from a sense of imagined desperation. At one point, Morphy found himself in such dire financial need that he intentionally lost a chess game for $200 with the promise to return and defeat his opponent later.
In July 1884, tragedy struck. After a long walk in the intense New Orleans heat, Morphy took a cold bath. After an hour, his mother grew worried and tied to check on him. The door was locked, and she called a neighbor to help open the door. They found Morphy unresponsive. A doctor was called, and Morphy was pronounced dead from "congestion of the brain." The next day he was buried in the family crypt in St. Louis Cemetery No 1. He was 47. ▪️
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Paul Morphy: Pride and Sorrow of Chess
by David Lawson
Still considered the only full-length biography of Morphy, this book tells the story of his upbringing in New Orleans, his successful chess career, the pressure of fame, and his descent into madness. If you want to learn more about Morphy, read this book. It can get a little long with the numerous references to correspondence throughout the book, but it is still a collection of his life. If you want a book to learn his chess moves, there is a better book for you. But, if you want to know more about Morphy and his life, you won't find a better book. Get it here.
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Smithsonian Magazine and Karen Abbott, “A Chess Champion’s Dominance—and Madness,” Smithsonian Magazine (Smithsonian Magazine, December 12, 2011), https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-chess-champions-dominanceand-madness-4307709/.
“Morphy,” Beauregard-Keyes, n.d., https://www.bkhouse.org/morphy.
Smithsonian Magazine and Karen Abbott, “A Chess Champion’s Dominance—and Madness,” Smithsonian Magazine (Smithsonian Magazine, December 12, 2011), https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-chess-champions-dominanceand-madness-4307709/.
“Paul Morphy: The Returning Hero,” www.edochess.ca, http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/morphybio11.html.
“Paul Morphy. Singularities of the Great Chess Player,” Belmont Chronicle, July 19, 1877.
“Eccentric Paul Morphy,” The San Francisco Examiner, July 19, 1877.