, 1860-09-10
Secret OF Morphy's Au cess in Cheas
Playing.

secret OF HAorp0y'k Nu cess In Ch1t8
Plying.
The following criticism upon the American
Chess Champion, is from The pen of the famous
Russian player and writer, Msjor JRaisch, Who
contributes it to the CAess Monthly for Septem-
ber:
Let Us add, that it il necessary to possess,
also, mind 1t once logical and perfectly COL
ected, in order never to lose the threkd OF ones
reasoning in the labyrinth Of vasiati ,rs it is
necessary to examine. TWAS the want Of this
last quality which constituted the weakness Of
Chess master, when re know well, the late l..
kitseritzki. Excelling in the AiadfeL game,
and studying and playing Chess inces=antly. be
would, Ferhaps, hare eclipsed all his contenpo-
rarles II, ia HIN, the power of imagination lad
not been strongly developed at the expense of
the power Of logic. He thus took pleasure in
rejecting all minority in Chess alters, and in
ACCEPTING s'yle Of opening his gsmts ssd de.
p}oying bis pieces evidently bad, while a. the
same line he supplied the defect to cert ain
extent, ~ the resources Of his genius. 1t may
be added tat he was Of a very nervous dispo-
sition. 1t is in Mr. Morphy that We contem-
pia'e, on the contrary, the harmonious combi.
nation Of ell tue qualities which constitute 1
great master. Motto speak OF the extraordinary
prowess displayed By him in hlindfoid Chess,
and Of the correctness which be essentially de-.
rives from mia faculty ofthus playing, (see page
1881 ia correctness which il found IN him tyeu
when masking, apparently, the most hazardous
sacrifices, we may observe that he possesses q
thorough knowledge Of the whole theory of
Chess, both as regards the general principles
and the openings and epdings Of games. He is
never guilty Of those capriclousiy erra,ic moves
in which the late l.. kieseritzki sometimes in
dulged. Always calm, always nethodica], but
prottsng pitilessly by the slight error of his
adversary ue plays With equal ability both
bis pieces and his pawns, for. whatever may
have been said Of h's preference for mar Gusriug
his pieces. ne see him follow. fori stapcr, ipya.
riao!y, the precept Of Phiiidor, of playing the
Kings Bishops Pawn two squares as soon as
he hnds it supported BY the Rook, after cast
ling. But Mt. Mo7phy does not content him
self With aohering faithfully to the recognized
openings before him, he continues item By Few
moves winch disconcert his udveEaaries and
Prec!pitste them into errors. 1t is now time to
reply TO the observation, 50 frequently made
ant repeated, that the victories Of Mr. Morphy
40 not incontestibly establish his superiority
from the fact that his adverssries almost inva
riably played below their strength, and in a
manner which did not sustain their previous
reputation. Even though We admit this last
assertion, Nc muBt not forget the fact that the
errors Of Mr. Morphy's antagonists were, almost
Invariably, caused BY the moral ascepdancy he
bad obtained oyer them, by The peculiar modes
Of attack and defense he had adopted. But this
il precisely what always happens when 4 mas
ter is brought face to face with greater mas
Ter, WHOSE calculations embrace q greater num-
be1 Of variations and combinations than theira
The players opposed to Mr.. Morphy, who would
have been quiIe ut their ease With different
adversary, have not tAtn been abs to sustain their
reputation against the American champion. but
they hare strongly established Ais