#31. Charles Hertan About The Legendary Paul Morphy!

This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with American FIDE master and chess author Charles Hertan. Charles’s latest work “The Real Paul Morphy” focuses on the life and career of one of the most enigmatic figures in chess history. Paul Morphy (1837-1884) learned chess at a young age and quickly made a name for himself as a prodigious talent. Known for his brilliant, aggressive style and deep understanding of the game, Morphy quickly vanquished all opposition in the United States. At one point, he travelled from his native New Orleans to Europe to seek stronger opposition, but to no avail. When a match with Howard Staunton did not materialise, Morphy, age 22, returned to the United States and promptly retired from chess to start a legal career. He would repeatedly decline invitations to return to competitive chess, even as his law practice failed to pick up steam. In his later years, Morphy developed severe mental illness and died at the young age of 47. His short but brilliant career would earn him the nickname “The Pride and Sorrow of Chess”, which has stuck to this day. Charles Hertan is not only good at chess and writing, he has also worked as a psychotherapist, which informs much of his understanding of Morphy’s eccentric mind. Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Charles takes us deeper into his writing process and gives his assessment of Paul Morphy as a chess player and human.“The Real Paul Morphy” is now available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-real-paul-morphy Timestamps 0:00 – Intro 1:43 – How did the concept for “The Real Paul Morphy” come about? 2:55 – How good was Morphy in Charles’s estimation? 5:00 – Morphy’s incredible natural talent 10:25 – Morphy’s dominance in the US and first European tournaments 13:01 – AD BREAK 13:53 – Morphy’s gentle personality 17:19 – Why did the match with Howard Staunton fall through, according to Charles? 19:20 – The difficult character of Howard Staunton 24:11 – Frederick Milnes Edge 29:03 – AD BREAK 30:26 – Morphy’s mental illness, comparison with Fischer 35:40 – Morphy’s later years as a psychotic 38:15 – The women’s shoes myth 40:41 – Can we draw a connection between Morphy’s brilliance and madness? 44:00 – Morphy’s disdain for chess as a hobby worthy of pursuing as an occupation 49:40 – AD BREAK 50:12 – Charles’s desire to keep Morphy’s legacy alive 55:20 – The “romantic” label, Charles’s assessment of Morphy, Staunton and Anderssen 58:10 – Morphy’s influence on the game, Wilhelm Steinitz 1:00:10 – Will Charles write about Pillsbury next? 1:02:20 – Outro