Birds Table-talk on Morphy.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 406, 28 September 1889, Page 5

Birds Table-talk on Morphy.

— , _^p, • Probably, with the exception of Steinitz, Blackburne is the finest living player. Steinibz is a slow player, and is always pretty well crowded for time, and I doubt if he coul,d have made as good a showing against Zukertort had the latter been less confident, and arranged the match at a time limit of 20 moves to the hour instead of 15. 1 trotted Steinitz the closest heat he ever contested. He beat me 8, to, 7, with six draws. This was in '67. In '58 Morphy beat me 10 to 1, with 1 draw. Steinitz; claims that he is a better player than ever Morphy was, bub I think my lecord with each is a fair test of the strength of the two. Steinitz claims that when I played with Morphy I was out of practice, but I cannot explain away my crushing defeat by that great player in any such way I never played better chess in my life than when he beat me. Morphy had more science than Steinitz — more imagination. His career was ve,ry short, though very brilliant, and whether or not he could have held first honours a,s lon,g as Steinitz has, is a matter o.f spm,e do,ubt. ; but Morphy never met his match- He was never compelled to play his best game. His resources were nover fully tested. We were taken a littlo by surprise by Morphy, He was a young man of 21 or 22 years, with bright eyes and flowing hair and broad forehead When in England he was ccxri and calculating, never showing enthusiasm. All we could provoke from h^m at the most wonderful sights in London affords wae, 11 Yes, I see ; that's very pretty." When he was in London he was all right, but he^ went to Paris, and foolishly entered upon the gaieties of the gay French capital. His physique wn,s not strong and he broke do\y,n. They say he was never quite right mentally nfterwavd. At one time they hoped he b«d recovered sufficiently to play ohess once more ; in fact, the doctors advised him to play chess as the best means of restoring his mental vigour. We hoped to have him play in the Continental tournament of 1878, but were dqom,ed to disappointment.'