Deseret News Salt Lake City, Utah Friday, October 29, 1971 - Page 34
Will Fischer Add His Name? Fri, Oct 29, 1971 – 34 · Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah) · Newspapers.com
This shameful bit of mis-education about chess history did not slip past my notice. No, Steinitz was certainly NOT the first contestant to lay hold on the claim of being world champion as much as yankee zealots wish to erase the name and prestige of Paul Morphy from history, a son of the Southern states who is believed with good reason by many, to have possibly been a descendant of African slaves. THE FIRST world champion rightly was Paul Morphy, who made the effort to travel internationally, challenge the best of Europe, and WON them all. Following the Civil War (1861-1865) Morphy postponed further competition, then retired altogether, mainly due to the beginning of brutal persecution and harassment from northern partisan (Civil War) bias threatening (printed in newspaper) to 'cut [Morphy] so dead'. 1867, last ditch endeavor, Morphy was invited and visited the Paris tournament with his family from New Orleans, but does not play, and was subjected to further public harassment and defamation, which continued in papers, with no legal recourse. Morphy was driven into obscurity by vicious slander and vitriol. Up until his death Northern zealots printed libel in newspapers, charging Morphy was 'insane,' and hinted 'death' was a 'cure' to his 'malady'. [During the 1800's there was no legal recourse to put a stop to such crimes of defamation, even insinuated death threats in public newspapers!]
Meanwhile, Steinitz and Zukertort were fighting between themselves as to whom should lay claim to the title of world champion. Both had justified reasons to believe he was the new 'world champion' due to various tournaments in Europe. But contemporaries knew neither Steinitz nor Zukertort and their sordid victories, were comparable against the great Morphy. Articles were printed in the paper about their exhibition losses, mocking them, and ever praising Morphy. The still YOUNG Paul Morphy -- even in the 1870s and 1880s gave open invitation to anyone who wished to visit New Orleans to witness he was in good health and good mind. . . few comers took the offer. Those who did, brought back delightful reports that he was still (privately) playing with the local experts and often giving the odds of a knight, some had met and played chess with Morphy in private. Sporadic defamation circulated in papers by the Northern enemies of Morphy, as well as sporadic reports from Morphy's friends abroad, defending him and his great abilities in chess. Then, in 1884, Morphy died under inexplicable circumstances -- followed by the vile nationwide reports ever distorting and twisting stories about Morphy's life in the press. The detractors also falsely claimed a proper post-mortem/autopsy was ever performed... no, that's not true because a first hand New Orleans report timeline demonstrated Morphy was speedily diagnosed without proper examination, "death by stroke," "Apoplexy" (which can be caused by many things, including poison) and hurriedly buried. His strange, untimely death came just in time for the northern zealots to declare victory and bring the "World Fair" to New Orleans, displaying the pilfered treasures of Morphy obtained from his mother, as an attraction. It was reported in New Orleans, Morphy's mother was so horrified by the senseless 'death' of her son, the strain alone, killed her six months later. Following the strange death of Morphy -- Steinitz, who often muddied Morphy's name and reputation in press, spreading vile defamation and despised Morphy with a bitter, vindictive passion, challenges Zukertort for the "World Champion." Part of that tournament was played in New Orleans. Steinitz repeated the knowingly false allegations that Morphy was "insane," vilifying him even after Morphy lay in his grave . . . . to which most chess enthusiasts had enough sense... enough class, enough tasteful dignity, to abstain from such ... repellent attacks on the deceased. In the end, karma caught up with Steinitz. Steinitz died in an insane asylum, and the papers mocking him for his malevolent, envious designs on Paul Morphy's pedestal and the everlasting glory affixed to it. That, is the actual events that led up to the creation of the world championship title:
Century of Chess: 1886
“The happiness of “the Bohemian Caesar,” as Steinitz fondly called himself, was not unalloyed. Paul Morphy was his bête noire. He attempted to undermine the pedestal upon which Morphy's glory is everlastingly established. But he did not succeed. If Blackburne makes a brilliant combination, he calls it a “bit of Morphy.” But no one ever heard anybody call a brilliant finish a bit of Steinitz…”
— The Age Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Saturday, June 19, 1897 ★
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Thursday, October 22, 2020
