IRLchess

No, not that Morphy. These memories are of the Dublin chessplayer John Morphy.

In his Evening Herald chess column for Saturday 30 July 1932, the editor T.P. Donnegan shared a small reminiscence of chess in times past.

MORPHY’S DIVAN

We don’t suppose there are many now of our chess circle who remember Morphy’s Chess Divan in Grafton Street, Dublin, adjacent to St. Teresa’s Carmelite Church. In our fathers’ and grandfathers’ time it was a noted chess rendezvous. There the “creme de la creme” of Irish players were wont to fraternise; and many were the foreign masters of the game who were entertained and played, aye, and sometimes defeated too.

Our grand old man, Mr. Frank Hobson, remembers it well, and had many interesting stories to tell thereof from out the rich store of his reminiscences, during a call which he favoured us with the other day. He reminded us of the Phoenix Chess Club which used to meet there regularly; and we got this bit of colourful rhyme off him for our readers’ entertainment. We are not aware of the date of its publication, but, judging from the printed matter at back of the cutting, it was when the proceedings of the Parnell Commission on the Pigott forgeries were being reported.

We offer here only the first verse and refrain from MORPHY, MY BOY.

Of Pipes he can offer a charming variety,
His “mixture” is smoked by the height of society,
And I may tell ye, without impropriety,
If you want a good “weed”, then J. Morphy’s your man.

Here’s a health to you Morphy, my boy,
The smokers’ delight and the chess-players joy.
Poets and Preachers, and Doctors and Teachers,
You’ll find them hobnobbing in Morphy’s Divan.

Mention of the Parnell Commission dates the cutting to the late 1880s and we are able to provide an exact date for the opening of Morphy’s Divan from the advertisement (below) that appeared in the (Dublin) Sport newspaper on 30 June 1888.

Negotiations with “one of the greatest professional masters” were successful and James Mason could be found at the Divan daily for about a week at the end of July. His residency there included a match with J.A. Porterfield Rynd (or “a strong Dublin amateur”as the Dublin newspapers coyly put it).

Sometime later in 1888 Morphy and Hobson played respectively Boards 2 and 3 for the Phoenix Chess Club at Morphy’s Divan in the first-ever Armstrong Cup match.

Indeed, there were very few major events held in Dublin that escaped Morphy’s attention in a golden period for Irish chess between 1885 and 1892. He competed in the 1st Irish Chess Association Congress in 1885, finishing third behind W.H.K. Pollock and Porterfield Rynd.

Then at the 3rd ICA Congress in 1889 Morphy played in both the Masters tourney, won by Amos Burn, and a subsequent Handicap tourney for the Irish Championship (for which only players not receiving odds were eligible for the title), won by George Soffe. Morphy’s Divan (evening sessions) shared hosting duties for both events with the Dublin Chess Club (mornings).

Stephen Fitzpatrick -v- John Morphy
Irish Chess Association Masters (Round 2)
Morphy’s Divan, Dublin, 5th March 1889
[Source: Dublin Evening Mail, 14th March 1889]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Be7 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 d6 8.Bb2 Nf6 9.Nbd2 Nxe4 10.d5 Nxd2 11.Qxd2 Ne5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Bxe5 0-0 14.0-0 Bf6
14…Bd6 would have been better
15.f4! Qe7 16.Qe3 Re8 17.Rae1 a6 18.Qf2 Bf5
19.Bxf6
The start of a faulty plan, which hands a clear advantage to Morphy.
19…Qxf6 20.Rxe8+ Rxe8 21.Qa7 g6 22.Qf2
If 22.Qxb7 then 22…Qd4+ picks up White’s Bishop.
22…Qd6 23.Bb3 Rd8 24.Qf3 Qb4 25.Rd1 a5 26.g4 Be4 27.Qf1 a4 28.Bc4 Qc5+ 29.Qf2 Qxc4 30.f5 Bxd5 31.h3 Qe4 32.Qh2 Qe3+ 33.Qf2 Qxh3 0-1

[Click to play through the game]

By 1892 Morphy again competed when the title of Irish champion was on the line when a new body, the Hibernian Chess Association had appeared on the scene and organised a Championship Congress. One curiosity here was that the game between Porterfield Rynd and Morphy was postponed but when Rynd was guaranteed first place and the title, their game was left unplayed.

Two years later Morphy decided on a considerable life change, as announced by Thomas Rowland in his Dublin Evening Mail chess column for 19 April 1994.

THE MODERN MORPHY.

If there is one person in Dublin who has done more for the cause of chess than another that one is Mr J Morphy. His valuable services date from the earliest days of the Dawson street YMCA Chess Club (1874), and since then he has ever and always been foremost in every movement that promoted the welfare of our game. His quiet, unobtrusive and friendly way has endeared to him many friends, and although a player of the highest order, ranking next to the champion of Ireland, nothing ever gave him more pleasure than a tilt with a beginner or novice. Today very many strong players owe to his teaching the knowledge of chess they possess. It is with regret, therefore, that we announce that Mr Morphy, having decided to leave for a permanent residence in New York, will be lost to us. That loss will be a serious one to Dublin chess. In leaving for the New World, in placing thousands of miles between him and his old home and his many friends, Mr Morphy should carry with him some recognition of the friendship and esteem held for him. For this purpose we would be glad to receive suggestions as to the formation of a committee for the purpose of giving the matter practical form.

Rowland returned to the idea of presenting Morphy with a farewell gift in his 10 May column.

Mr J Morphy leaves Dublin for New York on June 1st. It is proposed to present him with some small token of the appreciation and esteem which is held for him by Dublin chess players, Those desirous of contributing to such will please communicate with the hon secretary of the City Chess Club, 6 Townsend street.

However it seems that other Dublin players were not quite so enthused by the idea. Perhaps there is a note of reproach to them in Rowland’s final farewell in his 24 May column.

Mr J Morphy leaves Dublin this week for Brooklyn, N.Y., where he intends to reside permanently. It is a matter for regret that he leaves without some recognition of his valuable services on behalf of chess, in the form of a testimonial, for, possibly, he may never again visit Ireland, the land of his birth. While taking leave for the New World we tender him our best wishes for success, and assure him that the many pleasant recollections of his quiet and gentle way, in conjunction with his great skill over the board, will never fade. Adieu.