CHESSFLASH WORLD NEWS/Nov 19, 2014


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New Orleans, Louisiana LEGENDARY WORLD CHESS CHAMPION PAUL MORPHY’S HOUSE GETS $20 MILLION DOLLAR FACELIFT … REOPENS WITH MORPHY MOMENTO MEMORIAL CHESS SET AND TABLE ROOM IN BRENNAN’S RESTAURANT NOVEMBER 25,2014 …

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Photo by Kathleen Flynn, NOLA.com l The Times-Picayune

Brennan’s is already serving people daily with construction merrily progressing non stop … Paul Morphy (1837-1884) …  the Rolling Stones, Beatles and U2 … During the American Civil War era it was well known to even Union soldiers invading the city … as numerous accounts verify … people everywhere stared in awe as Paul Morphy, dressed like a prince, traversed New Orleans streets on daily ritual at the Café Du Monde, French meat and vegetable market … Morphy rarely played chess after 1860 … died just above the entry door on the second floor at 417 ROYAL STREET, age 47 … as you enter, look directly up and nod … to meet Morphy one was to stand across the street, present one’s card … and never discuss chess at all .., he loved the opera … that was a good starter … Curiously, a later world chess champion, W. Steinitz, made a mysterious, amiable Morphy visit … the once in a century meeting of the towering chess giants … just one hour’s conversation devoid of chess followed … and even this was only recalled in 1899 for a New York chess official shortly before Steinitz died in terrible poverty. The book The Steinitz Papers revealed their electrifying meeting only a century later … 1972 world chess champion Robert ’Bobby’ Fischer called Morphy “the greatest player” for a thrilled New Orleans crowd (March, 1964 at the now long gone Gravier Street YWCA auditorium) … I should know .,. I was standing four feet from Fischer as he said it!

Jude Acers

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