Paul Charles Morphy (1837-84) was an extraordinary and precocious talent: a child prodigy who quickly rose to become the best player in America, and then the world, before he effectively retired from serious play at the age of 21. Morphy s prowess created masterpieces of attacking chess so beautiful that they endure to the present day. In textbooks all over the world, Morphy s name is synonymous with the romantic era, a time of dazzling sacrifices and spectacular king hunts. In this book Chris Ward critically examines Morphy s style, strengths and weaknesses- the first time that a contemporary Grandmaster has so systematically appraised Morphy s games in the context of the modern understanding of chess. Ward recounts many curiosities (such Blindfold Exhibitions, for which Morphy was famous), and there is a special chapter devoted to Morphy s most dramatic miniatures. Morphy s contributions to opening theory (in variations such as the Evans Gambit and the King s Gambit are also covered, and it is interesting that these swashbuckling gambit variations are currently seeing something of a resurgence. Chris Ward is one of Britain s leading professional players and trainers. He gained his Grandmaster title by winning the British Championship in 1996 in Nottingham, and was captain and coach to the English Women s team in Moscow 1994, Erevan 1996, and Pula 1997.

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