Paul Charles Morphy (Junie 22, 1837 – Julie 10, 1884) was 'n Amerikaanse skaakspeler. Hy word gesien as een van die skaakmeesters van sy tyd. 'n Skaakwonderkind wat op 'n vroeë ouderdom afgetree het. Bobby Fischer het hom beskou as een van die top tien beste spelers ooit. Morphy is gebore in New Orleans. Hy het geleer skaak speel deur te kyk hoe sy vader en oom speel. Teen nege jaar oud was hy gesien as een van die beste in die stad. According to David Lawson, in Paul Morphy, The Pride and Sorrow of Chess, Mckay, 1976. Lawson says that Morphy was the first world champion to be so acclaimed at the time he was playing. Most chess historians, however, place the first official world chess championship in 1886, and so regard Morphy as having been the unofficial world champion when he soundly defeated Adolf Anderssen by 8 to 3 score with 2 draws. Morphy is considered the world's leading player between 1858 and 1860. Sunnucks, p. 310 Fischer, Bobby (1964), "The Ten Greatest Masters in History (as told to Ben Hickey)", Chess World 1 (1): 56–61, http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/fischer4.html