This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with American FIDE master and chess author Charles Hertan. Charles’s latest work “The Real Paul Morphy” focuses on the life and career of one of the most enigmatic figures in chess history.

Paul Morphy (1837-1884) learned chess at a young age and quickly made a name for himself as a prodigious talent. Known for his brilliant, aggressive style and deep understanding of the game, Morphy quickly vanquished all opposition in the United States. At one point, he travelled from his native New Orleans to Europe to seek stronger opposition, but to no avail. When a match with Howard Staunton did not materialise, Morphy, age 22, returned to the United States and promptly retired from chess to start a legal career. He would repeatedly decline invitations to return to competitive chess, even as his law practice failed to pick up steam. In his later years, Morphy developed severe mental illness and died at the young age of 47. His short but brilliant career would earn him the nickname “The Pride and Sorrow of Chess”, which has stuck to this day.

Charles Hertan is not only good at chess and writing, he has also worked as a psychotherapist, which informs much of his understanding of Morphy’s eccentric mind. Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Charles takes us deeper into his writing process and gives his assessment of Paul Morphy as a chess player and human.

“The Real Paul Morphy” is now available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-real-paul-morphy 

Timestamps

0:00 – Intro

1:43 – How did the concept for “The Real Paul Morphy” come about?

2:55 – How good was Morphy in Charles’s estimation?

5:00 – Morphy’s incredible natural talent

10:25 – Morphy’s dominance in the US and first European tournaments

13:01 – AD BREAK

13:53 – Morphy’s gentle personality

17:19 – Why did the match with Howard Staunton fall through, according to Charles?

19:20 – The difficult character of Howard Staunton

24:11 – Frederick Milnes Edge

29:03 – AD BREAK

30:26 – Morphy’s mental illness, comparison with Fischer

35:40 – Morphy’s later years as a psychotic

38:15 – The women’s shoes myth

40:41 – Can we draw a connection between Morphy’s brilliance and madness?

44:00 – Morphy’s disdain for chess as a hobby worthy of pursuing as an occupation

49:40 – AD BREAK

50:12 – Charles’s desire to keep Morphy’s legacy alive

55:20 – The “romantic” label, Charles’s assessment of Morphy, Staunton and Anderssen

58:10 – Morphy’s influence on the game, Wilhelm Steinitz

1:00:10 – Will Charles write about Pillsbury next?

1:02:20 – Outro