Editing Paul Morphy (section)

===Hailed as champion===
[[File:Paul Morphy.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|left|1859 engraving of Morphy, by Daniel Pound<ref name="cb_operagame" />]]
Still only 21 years old, Morphy was now quite famous. While in Paris, he was sitting in his hotel room one evening, chatting with his companion Frederick Edge, when they had an unexpected visitor. "I am [[Nikolai Borisovich Galitzin|Prince Galitzin]]; I wish to see Mr. Morphy", the visitor said, according to Edge. Morphy identified himself to the visitor. "No, it is not possible!" the prince exclaimed, "You are too young!" Prince Galitzin then explained that he was in the frontiers of [[Siberia]] when he had first heard of Morphy's "wonderful deeds". He explained, "One of my suite had a copy of the chess paper published in Berlin, the ''Schachzeitung'', and ever since that time I have been wanting to see you." He then told Morphy that he must go to [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia, because the chess club in the [[Winter Palace|Imperial Palace]] would receive him with enthusiasm.{{sfn|Edge|1859|p=195}}

Morphy offered to play a match with Harrwitz, giving [[Chess handicap|odds of pawn and move]], and even offered to find stakes to back his opponent, but the offer was declined.{{sfn|Lawson|2010|p=182}} Morphy then declared that he would play no more formal matches, with anyone, without giving at least those odds.{{sfn|Lawson|2010|p=183}}

In Europe, Morphy was generally hailed as world chess champion. In Paris, at a banquet held in his honor on April 4, 1859, a laurel wreath was placed over the head of a bust of Morphy, carved by the sculptor [[Eugène-Louis Lequesne]]. Morphy was declared by St. Amant "the first Chess player in the whole world".{{sfn|Lawson|2010|pp=201-203, quoting St. Amant in ''Le Sport''}} At a similar gathering in London, where he returned in the spring of 1859, Morphy was again proclaimed "the Champion of the Chess World".{{sfn|Lawson|2010|p=208}} He may also have been invited to a private audience with [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]].{{sfn|Lawson|2010|pp=214-215}} At a simultaneous match against five masters, Morphy won two games against [[Jules Arnous de Rivière]] and [[Henry Bird (chess player)|Henry Edward Bird]], drew two games with [[Samuel Boden]] and [[Johann Löwenthal|Johann Jacob Löwenthal]], and lost one to [[Thomas Wilson Barnes]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Maróczy |first=Géza |title=Paul Morphy. Sammlung der von ihm gespielten Partien mit ausführlichen Erläuterungen |publisher=Olms-Verlag |year=1979 |isbn=9783112335703 |edition=reprint |location=Zürich |pages=303–310 |language=de |author-link=Géza Maróczy |orig-date=1909}}</ref>
{{Wikisource|The Boston Banquet to Paul Morphy}}
Upon his return to America, the accolades continued as Morphy toured the major cities on his way home. At the [[New York University|University of the City of New York]], on May 29, 1859, [[John Van Buren]], son of [[Martin Van Buren|President Martin Van Buren]], ended a testimonial presentation by proclaiming, "Paul Morphy, Chess Champion of the World".{{sfn|Lawson|2010|pp=221-225}} In Boston, at a banquet attended by [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]], [[Louis Agassiz]], Boston mayor [[Frederic W. Lincoln Jr.]], and [[Harvard University|Harvard]] president [[James Walker (Harvard)|James Walker]], [[Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.|Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes]] toasted "Paul Morphy, the world's Chess Champion".{{sfn|Lawson|2010|pp=232-233}} Consumer products including the "Morphy Hat" and the "Morphy Cigar" were named for him, as was the Morphy Baseball Club in Brooklyn.{{sfn|Lawson|2010|p=237}}

At the New York testimonial dinner, Morphy made an assessment of chess that has been widely paraphrased:
{{blockquote|Chess never has been and never can be aught but a recreation. It should not be indulged in to the detriment of other and more serious avocations&mdash;should not absorb the mind or engross the thoughts of those who worship at its shrine; but should be kept in the background and restrained within its proper province.{{sfn|Lawson|2010|pp=223-224}}}}
Nowadays this may seem ironic or even paradoxical in light of Morphy's dedication to chess. But at the time, Morphy's remarks did not cause surprise.

Morphy was engaged to write a series of chess columns for the ''[[New York Ledger]]'', which started in August of 1859. They consisted primarily of annotating games of the [[La Bourdonnais – McDonnell chess matches]] of 25 years before, plus a few of Morphy's own games. The column ended in August of 1860.{{sfn|Lawson|2010|pp=242-244}}