When Paul Morphy Brought Chess Mania to New Orleans

Morphy was born in New Orleans in 1837 and raised in the French Quarter. He was a descendant of refugees escaping the Haitian Revolution. Among other things, these émigrés and their descendants were very influential in local printing, law, and music. Morphy’s mother, Louise Thérèse Félicité Thelcide le Carpentier, was widely known for her contributions to the local opera community. She would often host gatherings at the family home on Royal Street, now the location of Brennan’s Restaurant, where music and chess were among the main activities. While at first an observer, Morphy would eventually participate in the matches. His reputation as a worthy opponent grew, and at the age of 10 he began a three-year win streak that culminated with Morphy decisively beating the Hungarian master Janos J. Löwenthal when he visited New Orleans.

After the match against Löwenthal, Morphy curtailed his chess-playing as he focused on obtaining his undergraduate and law degrees. However, upon graduating law school in 1857, as chance would have it, there was a group of organizers putting together the first National Chess Congress to identify the best chess player in the United States. Morphy would enter the tournament and sweep away his opponents to take home the title. He would become an instant celebrity, and grew his fame with dazzling victories in Europe. However, just as chess was ascending in popularity around the country, the US descended into Civil War. Afterward, although New Orleans boasted of producing the world's greatest chess player, the game failed to advance to the magnitude that it had in other places around the world and many parts of the US. Morphy himself ceased playing chess competitively around 1870, and he died suddenly at age 47 in 1884.

A community of chess players has always remained in New Orleans, if in small numbers. All one has to do is pass by Russell’s tire shop in Mid-City, or find master Jude Acers on Decatur Street to witness a game. Clubs can be found in a number of schools throughout the city, and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORD) has recently established chess clubs in six recreation facilities. The Morphy Chess and Cultural Center opened on Earhart Boulevard in April, and serves as a hub for youth and adults to learn and play the game. Although the local chess mania brought on by Morphy in the mid-19th century faded, the game seems to be on the rise again.