The Times Shreveport, Louisiana Sunday, October 31, 1971 - Page 9
Another Checkmate
Writes Dr. John C. Crenshaw of 521 Dunmoreland, Shreveport …
“Dear Mr. McIntyre,
“I enjoyed the reports on the chess win by Bobby Fischer over Tigran Petrosian, former Russian world's champion. In the last writeup, I would like to call attention to a stalemate which, while technically correct in one sense, does not do justice to American or Louisiana.
“The writeup states, ‘No American has ever held the world title.’ The Encyclopedia Britannica in the 1959 edition page 428 of volume 5, lists as World Champion 1858-1859 Paul Morphy — United States (born in New Orleans, La.) By many, Paul Morphy is considered the most brilliant player of all time.
“Enclosed is a copy of the writeup on Paul Morphy in the book ‘The World's Great Chess Game,’ edited by Reuben Fine. He considers him the world champion of that time but states that many consider him the ‘Champion of Champions’ and ‘most brilliant master of all times.’ Let's give Louisiana and the U.S. full credit.
“For non chess player there is an excellent historical novel by Francis Parkinson Keyes titled ‘The Chess Players’ which is a fairly accurate account of Paul Morphy's life and his spectacular rise to recognition as the best player in the world.
“Let us hope that Bobby Fischer can eclipse or equal the record of Paul Morphy.”
