Paul Charles Morphy

Paul Charles Morphy (June 22, 1837 – July 10, 1884), "The Pride and Sorrow of Chess," is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his time, an unofficial World Champion and, quite possibly, the greatest chess player who has ever lived. He was also the first American superstar, acknowledged by the entire world as the preeminent figure in a cultural or intellectual field. He was the first American to supersede the achievements of the Old World, whose culture, up until that point, was considered superior to anything produced by the New World. He is also considered the first, modern chess prodigy of Western Chess since the creation of the modern rules of chess in Italy in 1475.

"Morphy will not let me." – former unofficial world champion Adolf Andresen, when asked why he did not play as brilliantly as usual against Paul Morphy

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