Editing Paul Morphy (section)

===Europe===
[[File:Morphy Löwenthal 1858.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|Morphy vs. Löwenthal, 1858]]
[[File:Winslow Homer - Paul Morphy, the Chess Champion - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|Engraving of Paul Morphy by [[Winslow Homer]] appearing in ''[[Gleason's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion|Ballou's Pictorial]]'' (1859)]]

Up to this time, Morphy was not well known or highly regarded in Europe. Despite his dominance of the American chess scene, the quality of his opponents was relatively low compared to Europe, where most of the best chess players lived. European opinion was that they should not have to make the journey to the United States to play a young and relatively unknown player, especially as the United States had few other quality players to make such a trip worthwhile.{{sfn|Edge|1859|pp=12-16}}

{{blockquote
|The American Chess Association, it is reported, are about to challenge any player in Europe to contest a match with the young victor in the late passage at arms, for from $2,000 to $5,000 a side, the place of meeting being New York. If the battle-ground were to be London or Paris, there can be little doubt, we apprehend, that a European champion would be found; but the best players in Europe are not chess professionals, but have other and more serious avocations, the interests of which forbid such an expenditure of time as is required for a voyage to the United States and back again.
|''[[The Illustrated London News]]''|December 26, 1857{{sfn|Edge|1859|p=16}}
}}

Morphy returned to his home city with no further action. The New Orleans Chess Club determined that a direct challenge should be made to European champion [[Howard Staunton]].

{{blockquote
|Sir,—On behalf of the New Orleans Chess Club, and in compliance with the instructions of that body, we the undersigned committee, have the honor to invite you to visit our city, and there meet Mr. Paul Morphy in a chess match ... {{pb}}... it was suggested that Mr. Morphy, the winner at the late Congress and the present American champion, should cross the ocean, and boldly encounter the distinguished magnates of the transatlantic chess circles; but it unfortunately happens that serious family reasons forbid Mr. Morphy, for the present, to entertain the thought of visiting Europe. It, therefore, becomes necessary to arrange, if possible, a meeting between the latter and the acknowledged European champion, in regard to whom there can be no scope for choice or hesitation—the common voice of the chess world pronounces your name ...
|''New Orleans Chess Club to Howard Staunton''|February 4, 1858{{sfn|Edge|1859|pp=17-18}}
}}

Staunton made an official reply through ''The Illustrated London News'', stating that it was not possible for him to travel to the United States and that Morphy must come to Europe if he wished to challenge him and other European chess players.

{{blockquote
|... The terms of this cartel are distinguished by extreme courtesy, and with one notable exception, by extreme liberality also. The exception in question, however (we refer to the clause which stipulates that the combat shall take place in New Orleans!) appears to us utterly fatal to the match ... {{pb}}... If Mr. Morphy—for whose skill we entertain the liveliest admiration—be desirous to win his spurs among the chess chivalry of Europe, he must take advantage of his purposed visit next year; he will then meet in this country, in France, in Germany, and in Russia, many champions whose names must be as household words to him, ready to test and do honor to his prowess.
|''The Illustrated London News''|April 3, 1858{{sfn|Edge|1859|pp=21-22}}
}}

[[File:PaulMorphySittingLookingChessboard.jpg|thumb|upright=0.80|right|Morphy in 1859<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LjYWAAAAYAAJ |title=Chess in Philadelphia |publisher=Billstein & Son |year=1898 |editor-last=Reichhelm |editor-first=Gustavus C. |at=Frontispiece |editor-last2=Shipley |editor-first2=Walter Penn |editor-link2=Walter Penn Shipley}}</ref>]]
Eventually, Morphy went to Europe to play Staunton and other chess greats. Morphy made numerous attempts at setting up a match with Staunton, but none ever came through. Staunton was later criticized for avoiding a match with Morphy, although his peak as a player had been in the 1840s and he was considered past his prime by the late 1850s. Staunton is known to have been working on his edition of the complete works of Shakespeare at the time, but he also competed in a chess tournament during Morphy's visit. Staunton later blamed Morphy for the failure to have a match, suggesting among other things that Morphy lacked the funds required for match stakes—a most unlikely charge given Morphy's popularity. Morphy also remained resolutely opposed to playing chess for money, reportedly due to family pressure.{{sfn|Lawson|2010|pp=120-122|loc=quoting [[Charles Maurian]]}}

Seeking new opponents, Morphy crossed the [[English Channel]] to France. At Paris's [[Café de la Régence]], the center of French chess, Morphy soundly defeated resident chess professional [[Daniel Harrwitz]]. While there, he also defeated eight opponents in blindfolded simultaneous exhibitions.{{sfn|Lawson|2010|pp=125-134}}

In Paris, Morphy suffered from a bout of [[gastroenteritis]]. In accordance with the medical wisdom of the time, he was [[leech|treated with leeches]], resulting in his losing a significant amount of blood. Although too weak to stand up unaided, Morphy insisted on going ahead with a match against the visiting German master [[Adolf Anderssen]], considered by many to be Europe's leading player. The match between Morphy and Anderssen took place between December 20, 1858, and December 28, 1858, when Morphy was still only 21 years of age.<ref name="Paul Morphy Timeline">{{Cite web |title=Paul Morphy Timeline |url=http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/Timeline.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806031450/http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/Timeline.html |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |access-date=July 9, 2020 |website=edochess.ca}}</ref> Despite his illness Morphy triumphed easily, winning seven while losing two, with two [[draw (chess)|draws]].{{sfn|Lawson|2010|pp=170-172}} When asked about his defeat, Anderssen claimed to be out of practice, but also admitted that Morphy was in any event the stronger player and that he was fairly beaten. Anderssen also attested that in his opinion, Morphy was the strongest player ever to play the game, even stronger than the famous French champion [[Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais|La Bourdonnais]].{{sfn|Lawson|2010|pp=177-179|loc=quoting a letter from Anderssen to [[Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa|von der Lasa]]}}

Morphy gave numerous simultaneous exhibitions in both England and France, sometimes [[blindfold chess|while blindfolded]], in which he regularly played and defeated eight opponents at a time.{{sfn|Lawson|2010|pp=113–116,128–134,199}}