The Opera game - an aspect of it that is never discussed
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Apr 11, 2018
0
#2
Morphy was more interested in the opera itself, possibly Norma, than the conversation between his opponents. His skill was enough greater than theirs that nothing they could have said would have affected his play.
I'm also curious as to who actually recorded this game. It's hard to imagine the players studiously taking a note of the moves in such an impromptu game.
Apr 11, 2018
0
#4
Evidently in the recorded moves, Morphy was so confident. I don't think it mattered to him whether he was hearing his adversaries' analyses or not. The early development of the opponents' Bishop I think made Morphy realized he could never lose.
Apr 11, 2018
0
#5
Richardinho wrote:
I think it's his assistant Fredrick Milner Edge aka Englishman. He dictated the other games to him the next day. That's how sharp Morphy's memory was.
I'm also curious as to who actually recorded this game. It's hard to imagine the players studiously taking a note of the moves in such an impromptu game.
Apr 11, 2018
0
#6
Richardinho wrote:
I'm also curious as to who actually recorded this game. It's hard to imagine the players studiously taking a note of the moves in such an impromptu game.
It's possible Morphy recorded it in his head as he played. I certainly don't have a great chess memory, but I can remember the moves of some of my most interesting games.
Richardinho wrote:
... One thing that bothers me about [the Opera game], that I never hear talked about, is the fact that Morphy's opponents were two people. Given that the three of them were all sitting in the same box around the board, wouldn't Morphy have been able to hear all the discussion between his two opponents -
Indeed, it is said that they were so loud that this got them all thrown out of the theatre!
It seems to me that if your opponent makes known to you all their internal thoughts, you almost can't lose.
Any thoughts?
I have never seen any authority say that they were thrown out of the theatre. Anyway, is there some specific point in the game where you think that Morphy showed signs of possibly benefiting from hearing his opponents?
Apr 12, 2018
0
#8
JessieMillano2015 wrote:
Richardinho wrote:
I'm also curious as to who actually recorded this game. It's hard to imagine the players studiously taking a note of the moves in such an impromptu game.
I think it's his assistant Fredrick Milner Edge aka Englishman. He dictated the other games to him the next day. That's how sharp Morphy's memory was.
Yep. Edge recorded the game and most of the details that we know about the event itself.
It would be a dangerous game to trust in your opponent's calculations. Besides the possible factor of intentionally withheld or faulty data, your opponent could just be missing something completely at the end of a variation, but then when the moves are being played, they see it!
Apr 12, 2018
0
#10
JessieMillano2015 wrote:
Richardinho wrote:
I'm also curious as to who actually recorded this game. It's hard to imagine the players studiously taking a note of the moves in such an impromptu game.
I think it's his assistant Fredrick Milner Edge aka Englishman. He dictated the other games to him the next day. That's how sharp Morphy's memory was.
Actually, the correct spelling is Frederick Milne Edge.
Most everyone knows about the 'Opera game', the chess game between Paul Morphy and the duo of the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard that was played at the Paris opera house in 1858 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphy_versus_the_Duke_of_Brunswick_and_Count_Isouard.
One thing that bothers me about it, that I never hear talked about, is the fact that Morphy's opponents were two people. Given that the three of them were all sitting in the same box around the board, wouldn't Morphy have been able to hear all the discussion between his two opponents -
Indeed, it is said that they were so loud that this got them all thrown out of the theatre!
It seems to me that if your opponent makes known to you all their internal thoughts, you almost can't lose.
Any thoughts?