Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The Exploits and Triumphs, In Europe, of Paul Morphy, The Chess Champion.” It was published in 1859 and written by Frederick Milnes Edge, who was Morphy’s secretary.

Paul Morphy, born in New Orleans in 1837, was considered the greatest chess player of his era. He was a child prodigy who learned playing chess simply by watching family members play. When he was only 9 years old, he was hailed as the best chess player in his city.

This book describes Morphy's trip to Europe in 1858. After his triumphs in Europe, he was considered the unofficial World Chess Champion, as official championship tournaments were only held starting in 1886, almost thirty years later.