Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-11-17

ne Garls correspondent OF the London
Times gives an interesting account of the as
founding performances Of young Paul Nor
ply, which have brought the excitement of
the chess playing world to a white heat. Not
long since he played against, and beat, blind
folded, eight OF the best players of Paris, at
one time ! The Cafe de la Regence, at which
this extraordinary feat occurred, has two
large rooms on the ground floor in the first
room, which is full of marble tables. were
seated the eight adyersaries of Mr.. Morphy.
In the second room, in which are two billiard
tables, was seated the single player. A large
portion OF the room, including the billiard ia
bles, was shut of from the crowd by a cord
and behind the tables in a large arm chair
sat Mr.. Morphy, with his back directly to the
crowd Two gentlemen, reporting for the
press, kept the game, and two other gentle.
men, Messrs. Tournoud aud Arnoud de Ri
were, cried out the moves, or rather carried
them from one room to the other. The ad-
versares of Mr., Morphy were Messrs. Bau
cher, Bier with, Barnamann, Lequesne, 1.-THE
distinguished sculptor,) Potter. Pret, and Sc.
gum. They were all either old or middle
aged men, while Mr.. Morphy is but twenty.
one years of age. The boards of the eight
players were numbered l, 2, 8, &c., in the or
der in which l have named the gentlemen.
At half past twelve O. clock the games com
meneed, MIR. MorRhy playing first, calling out
the same moves for all the eight boards, X P2.
Che games were conducted in French Mr.
Morphy epeaking French perfectly.) At seven
clock, No. was beaten with an unlocked
for check mate. Soon after eight O'Clock,
No. abandoned the game as hopeless. and
half an hour later, NJ. Lequesne, No 8, play
ed for and gained draw game. Nos. l. 2,
hpo 49,. H. i
No made the blind player accept draw
game, but it was half past ten o'clock, before
M. Seguin mo. 81 very old gentleman, who
contended with great desperation, was beat
en-. Thus he beat six, while two who acted
on the defensive and only sought a draw
game, effected their purpose. but draw
game. under such circumstances, ought to
be considered equivalent to beat. During
the entire game, winch lasted Just ten hours
Mr.. Morphy sat with his eyes and knees
against the bare wall, never once rising. or
looking towards the audience, nor even taxi
ing glass Of drink or other refreshment,-
Ills only movements were those of crossing
his legs from side to side, and occasjonalIv
humping tune with his fingers on the arms
Of the tauteuH He cried out his moves
without turning his head. Against, |. 2. 5
6, and Z, who were not up to the standard os
the other three players, he frequently made
his moves simultaneously, after receiving
theirs. He was calm throughout. and never
made mistake, nor did he call move twice.
1t must be reeoIlected, moreover that Morphy
played against the held'-in other words,
that around each of the eight boards there
was a large collection of excellent chess. Dlav
ers, who gave their advice freely, and who
had eight times longer to study their play in.
than he cinUla nj l.
against fifty men, and they never ceased for a
moment making supposed moves and study
ing their game most thoroughly during the
long intervals that necessarily fell to each
board. And yet Morphy, who was out of
sight of these eight boards, saw the game
palmer on each than those who surrounded
them ! l could scarcely have believed the
thing possible if l had not seen it. At the
end OF the game there was a shout from the
three hundred Threats present, which made
one believe ne was back again in old Tamma-
ny Hall! The fact is, there was a considera-
bic number of Englishmen and Americans
present (among the latter was Prof. Morse.
who took deep interest in this extraordinary
game) but much the larger number we're
French. Morphy did not seem o: all fatieued
and appeared so modest that the frenzy and
admiration of the French knew no bounds
He was shaken by the hand and compliment.
ed til! he hung down his head in confusion.
One grey-haired old man, an octogenarian
chess player, stroked his hair with his hands
as he would child of his own, and shower
ed him With terms of endearment. Morphv
has no beard yet, and looks more like school
boy that worlds champion. He escaped
from the excited crowd as soon as possible,
and left, with some friends, to get something
to eat. 1t is not necessary to point out to
chess players the immensely of the intellec-
tual feat; every one will admit that it bor-
ders upon the miraculous, and as was re-
marked by one Of his antagonists, NJ. Lee
quesne such mind never did exist before
and perhaps never will again.