Artikelnummer
LXBEIPMAMP
Autor
Paul Morphy - A Modern Perspective
164 Seiten, kartoniert, Russell Enterprises, 1. Auflage 2005
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In 1857, a soft-spoken genius from New Orleans burst upon the chess scene. Paul Morphy dazzled the chess world with breathtaking combinations seemingly arising out of thin air. During his brief chess career, he was universally recognized as the best in the world.
In Paul Morphy: A Modern Perspective, international grandmaster Valeri Beim takes a close look at the play of the mid-19th century champion, putting his games under a modern, 21st-century analytical microscope. The result is a fresh and instructive look at the strategy and tactics of the American legend, and their relevance to the modern approach to the royal game.
Valeri Beim is an international grandmaster now residing in Vienna. He is a respected instructor and author. His previous books have been widely acclaimed and well received by the chess community. This is his fifth chess book.
Introduction
When I set about collecting material for my first book I wanted to ensure that the material would be as varied as possible. Looking for variety, I dove into examples from the 19th century, knowing that I would undoubtedly find them to be clear and convincing. The first source I "delved into" was Paul Morphy. All that I knew of him was that he had been a very young and colossally talented American chessplayer, that he traveled to Europe, where in a relatively short span of time he convincingly overcame the world's best players; including the one who was unquestionably the strongest - that great master of attack, Adolf Anderssen.
Upon his return home Morphy refused to play on even terms against anyone. He underwent a psychological withdrawal that progressed to the point where he reto play chess, except for odds games against a childhood friend, or an occasional simultaneous exhibition.
Morphy had an amazing eye for combinations and played a very aggressive style of chess, bravely sacrificing material for the attack. His contemporaries fell one after another, unprepared to withstand such an assault. Still, he played at a relalow level compared to those who followed him, since the rules of positional play were as yet unknown, pending the arrival of Steinitz. Positional blunders appeared ubiquitously, in great quantities; and in this sense, Paul Morphy was no exception, outclassing the others only on the strength of his talent for combinations.
That is how I imagined the chess life of that era.
Understandably, I was only aware of a few examples of Morphy's outstanding play, all of them the same - crushing defeats of trusting opposition.
Such was my knowledge of Morphy when I began my research. This was gleaned from a few books that often parroted one another, sometimes to the point of using the same exact words! In beginning my search for appropriate examples, I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary. I thought only to come across something as yet undiscovered, a selection of lesser-known spectacular combinations and lightning attacks; I could not have hoped for more.
What I actually found was, as you may have guessed, something different.
I tried to uncover examples that were not too one-sided, and mainly chose to study those games versus more or less serious opposition - very few of my selections were odds games.
Thus I found myself reviewing Morphy's most significant games and found, somewhat surprisingly, that they were hard fought battles with chances for both sides.
His opponents were not always lambs for the slaughter - not by a long shot!
For it is only in such struggles that we uncover the player's true character. The games especially chosen for books, articles, or other publications too often give a completely one-sided view of the real chessplayer.
Take one example: the brilliant game Rotlewi - Rubinstein (Lodz, 1907), which is commonly considered Rubinstein's "signature game." It is, in fact, a genuine treasure, but the percentage of such games played by Rubinstein (and I'm talking about the style of play, not the level!) was astonishingly small. What was really typical of his play in this example was only his masterful handling of a symmetrical pawn structure.
Many of the games I examined in this review of Morphy's work did fit my preconceived opinion of his play, but they were also considerably more interesting and deeply planned. I saw much that I had never read or heard described before, which forced me to seriously examine and deeply reflect on Morphy's play. A most interesting picture developed, which so overwhelmed and attracted me that I decided to save the majority of my examples from Morphy's games for a more suitable time; to keep my conclusions, for the time being, to myself and preserve them for wider circulation and more ambitious goals.
So it happened that the book, with which I intend to acquaint you with my discoveries, is now written and lies before you. Everything I wanted to say on this subject has been said - and, to the extent possible, shown - in this book. I consider it very important that, when I express some idea, I also present exact proof insofar as I am able. One must not merely present a hypothesis - one must also show that it really can stand on its own, and explain how it works out on the checkered board.
For such proof, I send the reader to the text of my book; but one conclusion I should like to present now and I hope you will agree with it after you finish the book. Alekhine, upon the death of Capablanca, expressed the highest praise for his great opponent, saying that such a genius had never existed before and apparently never would again. This characterization could also apply to Paul Morphy. I present this conclusion, not as a tribute to the memory of a notable chessplayer, but also as something far more practical. Those who are blessed from birth with a great talent, and who succeed in properly appraising and developing that talent, will outstrip their colleagues, even when they are very talented people themselves. In other words, between talent and genius there is a canyon which cannot be crossed, not even by the most grueling toil.
Alas, this is how it is for most. It's a fact that must simply be accepted, just as we accept the laws of nature. And since such a gift is given to someone for a reason, then it is up to us to try to extract whatever good that talent may do us, by devoting serious study to the legacy of that genius.
To such study I dedicate this book; and I hope that I have succeeded in my presentation. I ask the reader to be my judge.
I am interested in your opinion about any of my books and stand ready to answer any questions you may have.
Valeri Beim
Vienna
June 2005
In Paul Morphy: A Modern Perspective, international grandmaster Valeri Beim takes a close look at the play of the mid-19th century champion, putting his games under a modern, 21st-century analytical microscope. The result is a fresh and instructive look at the strategy and tactics of the American legend, and their relevance to the modern approach to the royal game.
Valeri Beim is an international grandmaster now residing in Vienna. He is a respected instructor and author. His previous books have been widely acclaimed and well received by the chess community. This is his fifth chess book.
Introduction
When I set about collecting material for my first book I wanted to ensure that the material would be as varied as possible. Looking for variety, I dove into examples from the 19th century, knowing that I would undoubtedly find them to be clear and convincing. The first source I "delved into" was Paul Morphy. All that I knew of him was that he had been a very young and colossally talented American chessplayer, that he traveled to Europe, where in a relatively short span of time he convincingly overcame the world's best players; including the one who was unquestionably the strongest - that great master of attack, Adolf Anderssen.
Upon his return home Morphy refused to play on even terms against anyone. He underwent a psychological withdrawal that progressed to the point where he reto play chess, except for odds games against a childhood friend, or an occasional simultaneous exhibition.
Morphy had an amazing eye for combinations and played a very aggressive style of chess, bravely sacrificing material for the attack. His contemporaries fell one after another, unprepared to withstand such an assault. Still, he played at a relalow level compared to those who followed him, since the rules of positional play were as yet unknown, pending the arrival of Steinitz. Positional blunders appeared ubiquitously, in great quantities; and in this sense, Paul Morphy was no exception, outclassing the others only on the strength of his talent for combinations.
That is how I imagined the chess life of that era.
Understandably, I was only aware of a few examples of Morphy's outstanding play, all of them the same - crushing defeats of trusting opposition.
Such was my knowledge of Morphy when I began my research. This was gleaned from a few books that often parroted one another, sometimes to the point of using the same exact words! In beginning my search for appropriate examples, I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary. I thought only to come across something as yet undiscovered, a selection of lesser-known spectacular combinations and lightning attacks; I could not have hoped for more.
What I actually found was, as you may have guessed, something different.
I tried to uncover examples that were not too one-sided, and mainly chose to study those games versus more or less serious opposition - very few of my selections were odds games.
Thus I found myself reviewing Morphy's most significant games and found, somewhat surprisingly, that they were hard fought battles with chances for both sides.
His opponents were not always lambs for the slaughter - not by a long shot!
For it is only in such struggles that we uncover the player's true character. The games especially chosen for books, articles, or other publications too often give a completely one-sided view of the real chessplayer.
Take one example: the brilliant game Rotlewi - Rubinstein (Lodz, 1907), which is commonly considered Rubinstein's "signature game." It is, in fact, a genuine treasure, but the percentage of such games played by Rubinstein (and I'm talking about the style of play, not the level!) was astonishingly small. What was really typical of his play in this example was only his masterful handling of a symmetrical pawn structure.
Many of the games I examined in this review of Morphy's work did fit my preconceived opinion of his play, but they were also considerably more interesting and deeply planned. I saw much that I had never read or heard described before, which forced me to seriously examine and deeply reflect on Morphy's play. A most interesting picture developed, which so overwhelmed and attracted me that I decided to save the majority of my examples from Morphy's games for a more suitable time; to keep my conclusions, for the time being, to myself and preserve them for wider circulation and more ambitious goals.
So it happened that the book, with which I intend to acquaint you with my discoveries, is now written and lies before you. Everything I wanted to say on this subject has been said - and, to the extent possible, shown - in this book. I consider it very important that, when I express some idea, I also present exact proof insofar as I am able. One must not merely present a hypothesis - one must also show that it really can stand on its own, and explain how it works out on the checkered board.
For such proof, I send the reader to the text of my book; but one conclusion I should like to present now and I hope you will agree with it after you finish the book. Alekhine, upon the death of Capablanca, expressed the highest praise for his great opponent, saying that such a genius had never existed before and apparently never would again. This characterization could also apply to Paul Morphy. I present this conclusion, not as a tribute to the memory of a notable chessplayer, but also as something far more practical. Those who are blessed from birth with a great talent, and who succeed in properly appraising and developing that talent, will outstrip their colleagues, even when they are very talented people themselves. In other words, between talent and genius there is a canyon which cannot be crossed, not even by the most grueling toil.
Alas, this is how it is for most. It's a fact that must simply be accepted, just as we accept the laws of nature. And since such a gift is given to someone for a reason, then it is up to us to try to extract whatever good that talent may do us, by devoting serious study to the legacy of that genius.
To such study I dedicate this book; and I hope that I have succeeded in my presentation. I ask the reader to be my judge.
I am interested in your opinion about any of my books and stand ready to answer any questions you may have.
Valeri Beim
Vienna
June 2005
| EAN | 9781888690262 |
|---|---|
| Gewicht | 230 g |
| Hersteller | Russell Enterprises |
| Breite | 15,2 cm |
| Höhe | 22,8 cm |
| Medium | Buch |
| Erscheinungsjahr | 2005 |
| Autor | Valeri Beim |
| Sprache | Englisch |
| Auflage | 1 |
| ISBN-10 | 1888690267 |
| ISBN-13 | 9781888690262 |
| Seiten | 164 |
| Einband | kartoniert |
004 Ackowledgements, Signs and Symbols
005 Introduction
008 Paul Morphy: Researching a Phenomenon
010 Part One: America
051 Part Two: Europe
152 Conclusion
155 Table of Results
160 Bibliography
161 Index of Openings
162 Index of Players
163 General Index
005 Introduction
008 Paul Morphy: Researching a Phenomenon
010 Part One: America
051 Part Two: Europe
152 Conclusion
155 Table of Results
160 Bibliography
161 Index of Openings
162 Index of Players
163 General Index