My Morphy Number. Departed Friends And Lines Across Chess History
Afternoon everyone. This was started as a Christmas blog, but I got distracted, so Happy New Year!
First things first, for those who are scratching their heads. Just what is a Morphy Number?. All explained here:-
https://chesscafe.com/the-skittles-room/morphy-numbers-revisited/
There you will find the main links in the chain. In England we are lucky - Owen, Bird and Mortimer had long careers in England. They also link to two other figures who spent time here, playing in many tournaments, Mieses and Znosko - Borovsky.
That's why we have two living legends with Morphy numbers of 3. Leonard Barden and Oliver Penrose ( yes, he was a fine player indeed, as mentioned in my small tribute to his late brother)
My Morphy number is 4 ( via two lines) - I am far too young to have had the chance to be a 3!!
So let's go back to the very beginning of one of the lines. It has long been known that Mortimer
https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/mortimer.html
was at the Morphy - Anderssen match. Batgirl has posted a nice picture of the event in a couple of places.
http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/morphybio10.html
https://www.chess.com/article/view/like-a-jewel
A little historical mystery. I don't recall seeing a key to the people in the picture - but Journoud is easily recognised. Comparing the picture of the 20 year old Mortimer in the Winter article with the picture above, my guess is that the figure on the left, obscured by Anderssen, may well be Mortimer. Help wanted!!
So let's get to some chess and start the line of my Morphy number. It was nice to dig out the original tournament books (T.B. in the notes) and look at the games.
Mieses played three of Morphy's opponents. Let's start with Paulsen.
More than one game against Mortimer -
- the last one was in a tournament I will get to later - but this one is enjoyable.
And Henry Bird. The game between the two at Hastings ( you think I just throw these things together!! Hours of planning guys!! - not!) was a fascinating one. I left it until last to annotate, together with von Bardeleben's note from the T.B., but rather ran out of time, and I am still unsure on a number of questions. It must have been an incredible game to be a part of. It was played in the last round with nothing at stake except pride and the love of the game. Love of the game is a theme in this blog! enjoy the game.
O.K. Where do I join this line? Via two of the great figures of British chess, who I am humbly grateful to be able to say were dear, and much missed, friends. ( Not friends of each other, but that's another story, sadly.)
Although I don't need it myself, the 'B' tournament of Ostende 1907 is probably the single biggest link in the Morphy number chain for most living players with a number of 4 or less.
Mortimer, almost half a century on from the Anderssen - Morphy match, took part.
Also there was a young Russian player who later left the country.
Leaving Russia he spent time in both Paris and in the English county across the channel, Kent, playing in a lot of small tournaments and so bringing many players into the Morphy number line.
Back into the Simaginfan time machine to jump 30 years into the future.
My dear friend Ritson organised some tournaments before the war in Birmingham. 1937:-
Sadly Barry Wood is missing from the picture.
No games between Znosko Borovsky and either Barry or Ritson have been found, a shame, but the link is there!
Moving on two years we get Birmingham 1939. John Saunders has a wonderful article on britbase.
https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/193701birmingham-viewer.html
It includes a game in my Morphy number chain, and what a fantastic game it is!
Well I no longer have the scores of my two games with Ritson. What battles they were!! We were great friends, and loved the game for itself.
I was Black in both. Both were drawn, although I missed a win in the endgame in one of them. I got more pleasure from the post mortem of that one than any post mortem analysis in history!!
''Ah, I learned this opening line from Sir George Thomas, back before the war!''
''Well, I managed to salvage a draw against Hugh Alexander back in 1948 with this same idea!!''.
There must have been 20 players around the board enjoying it - although I daresay they couldn't actually see the board through the smoke! Ritson with his 'Hamlet' cigars wrapped in liquorice papers, and me with my roll-ups ( also liquorice papers - A thing I learned from Ritson!).
Such wonderful memories. I miss you mate.
A game I still do have to finish with. The wonderful Barry Wood
(Barry in 1981 - possibly the year of the game below.)
and I played each other three times. You can find the story of our first meeting here:-
https://www.chess.com/blog/simaginfan/barry-wood-a-personal-memory
He absolutely smashed me in that game!!
As with Ritson, I am glad that we finished all square. Two friends who just loved chess.
Luckily I have one of our games saved on the computer from when I posted it many years ago in the comments to one of my blogs. I don't have the details, but it was certainly from my first 'comeback', so sometime over the end of 1981/early 1982.
My memory is not the best, but I remember that game like it was yesterday. I am very proud to be linked to Morphy through such people.
I hope all my friends have a great 2024. Take care guys. Love chess for the wonderful game it is, and value your friends. Cheers.
