I had always believed that Morphy never lost a match, and beat some players even
at remarkable odds. However, I ran across a couple of articles which cast doubt
on this, and I wonder if someone could clear them up.

In the New York Times, Feb 28, 1863, an article says de Riviere beat Morphy 3 of
5 games in a friendly match. I didn't really put too much stock in this, because
I had read that Morphy had won 9 of 12 games from de Riviere in 1863, and I
figured that this was just reporting the start of a longer series of games (with
Morphy as usual doing poorly in the first few games), though calling it a 5 game
match was interesting. However, on May 23, 1863, another article says that Morphy
has again been beaten by de Riviere in a friendly match, the latter winning 3 of
5.

Certainly raises the possibility that Morphy's chess (along with by some accounts
his physical appearance or condition) had deteriorated quite a bit by 1863.
Louis or other Morphy experts, do you know if this was accurate reporting?

On a slightly related matter, de Riviere is called in one article the "brother of
Captain de Riviere of Blount notoriety". I could look it up, but it would be
easier if someone could tell me just what the cause of this notoriety was.

Thanks for any help!

Jerry Spinrad

On 18 Sep 2003 13:08:31 GMT, (Jeremy Spinrad)
wrote:


I had always believed that Morphy never lost a match, and beat some players even
at remarkable odds. However, I ran across a couple of articles which cast doubt
on this, and I wonder if someone could clear them up.

In the New York Times, Feb 28, 1863, an article says de Riviere beat Morphy 3 of
5 games in a friendly match.

Weren't these games at odds ?

(Jeremy Spinrad) writes:



On a slightly related matter, de Riviere is called in one article the "brother of
Captain de Riviere of Blount notoriety". I could look it up, but it would be
easier if someone could tell me just what the cause of this notoriety was.

I think I have it:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~alclarke/history.htm


Erwin's youngest sister-in-law, Emily James, was born October 16, 1816 in South Carolina, and married Frederick S. Blount. They lived in Erwin's house at Springhill and LaFayette, where Henri Arnous, Baron de Riviere, was brought wounded after a duel with Harry Maury in Mobile. Ultimately, the Baron, Emily Blount and her daughter Emily all three eloped with the Baron to Havana. Daughter Emily ultimately became Baroness; mother Emily Blount died in Paris on February 9, 1868 and is also buried in the Darrington-James cemetery at Choctaw Bluff.

Notice the "Arnous", as in the chess player's name.

More information on the duel, though the narrator
discreetly does not mention the Blount name:

http://sunsite.tus.ac.jp/pub/academi...ury/DHM_16.TXT

_Recollections of a Virginian in the Mexican, Indian, and Civil Wars_

1894 by General Dabney Herndon Maury - USA Minister to Colombia, S.A.;
Founder of the Southern Historical Society

edited, republished & (c) July 4, 1993 by
Wm. Maury Morris II,

All Rights Reserved


[the "Henry" referred to below is a Colonel, relative of the author]

After the close of the troubles in Nicaragua, a Captain Henri de
Riviere, who had been dismissed from the French army and had cast his
lot with General Walker's expedition, returned with the surviving
adventurers to Mobile, and became a favorite in the gay society there.
His impudent deportment aroused Henry's indignation, and a duel
resulted. A steamer took the duelists down to Pascagoula. Doctors
Knott and Ross went along as surgeons, and a many gentlemen of Mobile,
who desired "to see Harry shoot the Frenchman."

I was told by several eye-witnesses the remarkable history of this
curious affair. The ground was near the residence of the proprietor,
and a hammock was swinging on the veranda. Captain de Riviere advanced
to Captain Maury and asked him if he might take and hour's nap in that
hammock, as he felt very nervous. His request was granted, and his
second aroused him at the end of the hour. He arose apparently quite
refreshed, and took his place for the duel. They were to begin firing
revolvers at twelve paces, to advance a pace after each shot, and stop
if either fell. At the first shot, the Frenchman staggered backwards
and seemed about to fall. His antagonist lowered his pistol, but kept
his thumb upon the hammer and his eye upon the enemy, whom he detected
in the act of cocking his pistol, but before he could raise it and fire,
Maury shot him in the mouth. He was taken to the home of a gentleman in
Mobile, whose sympathetic wife and beautiful daughter cared for him
during some weeks.

When he had recovered sufficiently to travel, he departed, accompanied
by his devoted nurses. The head of the family went in pursuit of them,
reaching Havana just after they had left for Nassau, and arriving at
Nassau after they sailed for New York. In New York their escapade was
arrested by a lady who came out of the convent and claimed Captain Henri
de Riviere as her lawfully wedded spouse. Then at last the bereft
husband and father recovered his delinquent family, and returned to
Mobile. Towards the close of the war between the States, the Marquis de
Riviere died in France, leaving his great fortune to his brother,
Captain de Riviere. The head of the enamored family still living in
Mobile assented to the urgent request of the new marquis that he would
escort his wife and daughter to Paris, where the latter became the
Marquise de Riviere. They lived in great splendor till the
Franco-Prussian War, when the marquis was killed in battle.





William Hyde
EOS Department
Duke University

Jeremy Spinrad wrote (2003-09-18 06:15:04 PST):
In the New York Times, Feb 28, 1863, an article
says de Riviere beat Morphy 3 of 5 games in a
friendly match.


Mike Murray wrote (2003-09-18 11:13:58 PST):

Weren't these games at odds ?

_
Perhaps not. Also, perhaps Jeremy Spinrad has
uncovered some forgotten information about
Morphy. I have done a little bit of checking,
and, so far, I have not been able to find
anything about what Jeremy Spinrad describes.

I have found references to Morphy playing
Riviere in 1863 and 12 "casual" games in
databases (9 won by Morphy and 3 won by
Riviere.) See, for example:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/ChessTutor/morphy.htm

(Games 350-361 in the 415 game list.)

In the New York Times, Feb 28, 1863, an article says de Riviere beat Morphy 3
of
5 games in a friendly match.

Interesting. I believe Morphy spent virtually all of 1863 in Paris, so one
wonders who the Times' source was, and how accurate he might be.
Lawson's biography says "During 1863 Morphy also played a few games with St.
Leon and Mongredien, and a good many with Riviere." (p 279) I would guess these
were informal affairs, probably at odds, and not to be considered a "real" lost
match on Morphy's part, assuming the report is accurate. However, since even
Lawson did not seem to know any actual results, there is obviously room for
further research.

Taylor Kingston

An addendum to my earlier post. On page 289 of Lawson's biography of Morphy
is this:

"Years later it was revealed that during [1869 Morphy] and Maurian met
frequently for a game of chess. In fact, Maurian said they played, in
particular, four series of games, all at Knight odds, the result being:

First Series - Morphy 6, Maurian 3, Drawn 2
Second Series - Morphy 3, Maurian 3
Third Series - Morphy 7, Maurian 10
Fourth Series - Morphy 0, Maurian 4, Drawn 1

"... After the conclusion of the Fourth Series in December 1869, Morphy told
Maurian that he was now too strong to receive the odds of Knight and that
hereafter he would allow him the odds of Pawn and two moves only."

I suppose if Maurian, not a high-level player, could beat Morphy at knight
odds in 1869, it's conceivable that Riviere, whom Elo estimated at 2450, could
beat a depressed, distracted Morphy (which he was in 1863) at lesser odds or
perhaps even at no odds. However, I would speculate that Morphy treated these
games rather casually and felt no need nor inclination to exert himself.
Therefore it's hard for me to regard any such games as constituting a "lost
match" on Morphy's part.

Taylor Kingston

Jeremy Spinrad wrote (2003-09-18 06:15:04 PST):
In the New York Times, Feb 28, 1863, an article
says de Riviere beat Morphy 3 of 5 games in a
friendly match.


Taylor Kingston wrote (2003-09-21 12:26:35 PST):

Interesting. I believe Morphy spent virtually
all of 1863 in Paris, so one wonders who the
Times' source was, and how accurate he might be.

_
I do not know if this has anything to do with it,
but while describing the events of 1958, Lawson
refers to "Dr. Johnston, Paris correspondent of
the New York Times".


Taylor Kingston wrote (2003-09-21 12:26:35 PST):

I would guess these were informal affairs,
probably at odds, and not to be considered a
"real" lost match on Morphy's part, assuming
the report is accurate.

_
As I mentioned before, I have found references
to Morphy playing Riviere in 1863 and 12
"casual" games in databases (9 won by Morphy
and 3 won by Riviere.) See, for example:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/ChessTutor/morphy.htm

(Games 350-361 in the 415 game list.)

Eleven of the games are in Sergeant's well-known
Morphy book. (See games CCXXXVIII-CCXLVIII.)
They were not at odds.


Taylor Kingston wrote (2003-09-21 18:07:43 PST):

it's conceivable that Riviere, whom Elo
estimated at 2450, could beat a depressed,
distracted Morphy (which he was in 1863) at
lesser odds or perhaps even at no odds.
However, I would speculate that Morphy treated
these games rather casually and felt no need
nor inclination to exert himself. Therefore
it's hard for me to regard any such games as
constituting a "lost match" on Morphy's part.

_
In one of the Morphy losses (mentioned above),
he used the King's Gambit, an opening that he
does not seem to have been eager to use in
serious encounters.

In February of 1863, Kolisch, while seeking
a match with Morphy, remarked, "you have
resumed a recreation in which you so much
excell, and daily play the game with various
adversaries".

Morphy responded, "The few games that I have
played here have been altogether private and
sans facon."

Morphy and Riviere were friends and at one
point they even set out to collaborate on
a book on chess openings. (The work was
never completed or published, but a small
fragment of it has survived.)

My guess would be that in 1863, Morphy
agreed to play five games casually with
his friend, and, when the results turned
out slightly in favor of Riviere, Morphy
decided to play several more games with
more energy, adding to his number of
victories. No money would have been
at stake in any event. Of course, this
is just a guess.


Taylor Kingston wrote (2003-09-21 12:26:35 PST):

there is obviously room for further research.

_
It would be nice if someone could check French
reports at the time. Also, Staunton might have
commented on the matter in the Illustrated
London News.

Morphy responded, "The few games that I have
played here have been altogether private and
sans facon."


Interesting quote. As I don't have moi dictionary of French at my hand, I would
appreciate a translation of "sans facon."

Is there one of those little funny dealies under the cee?

Thanks for the topic it is interesting.

I wrote:

... while describing the events of 1958,
Lawson refers to "Dr. Johnston, Paris
correspondent of the New York Times".

_
Of course, that should have been 1858.

Another quote of interest is from the Brooklyn Eagle, April 5, 1864:
Paul Morphy, the chessplayer, has returned from Paris to New Orleans. He went to
Paris about four years ago as a loyal man, beat all the Europeans at chess, and
was flattered and honored immensely. He made his last visit as a rebel, got
beaten at chess, and attracted no attention whatever.

At the least this tells us something about the change of feelings towards Morphy
of many people; after his first trip, Morphy had even been mentioned as a
potential presidential candidate.

Jerry Spinrad