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Paul Morphy: A Modern Perspective. Valeri Beim. Russell Enterprises, Inc. 2005. 164pp. Figurine algebraic notation.
In 1857, a soft-spoken genius from New Orleans burst upon the chess scene. Paul Morphy dazzled the chess world with breathtaking combinations seemingly arising out of thin air. In his brief chess career, he was universally recognized as the best in the world.
In Paul Morphy: A Modern Perspective, international grandmaster Valeri Beim takes a close look at the play of the mid-19th century champion, putting his games under a modern, 21st-century analytical microscope. The result is a fresh and instructive look at the strategy and tactics of the American legend, and their relevance to the modern approach to the royal game.
Valeri Beim, is an international grandmaster now residing in Vienna. He is a respected chess instructor and author; this is his fifth chess book.
62 of Morphy's most important games, copiously annotated and discussed by GM Valeri Beim.
The book falls into two parts. First, Morphy's chess beginnings in Ameria are explored in the course of 19 games, most from the 1st American Chess Congress held in New York City in 1857, won by the young man from New Orleans.
After his triumph in NYC, Morphy travelled to England, where he played matches with Barnes, Boden, Bird and Manley. Although his hopes for a match with Staunton were dashed, he did play two consultation games with him, the American pairing with Barnes, the Englishman with Owen. The culmination of his visit to England came with victory in a match against Löwenthal. Crossing to the continent, he played two triumphant matches in Paris, first with Harrwitz, then Anderssen. Selected games from all of these encounters are analysed by Beim in some depth. Bein finds space also for the famous— almost too famous, so often is it seen in books for amateurs — "game at the opera" against Isouard & Brunswick. And then — silence. Beim abandons Morphy just as Morphy abandoned serious chess, and justly so: there is little to learn about either Morphy or chess from the games at odds which make up the bulk of Morphy's "collected games".
A very good book, easy to read and full of modern insights into Morphy's game. Probably the best chess book about Morphy.
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