Alexander Alekhine vs Paul Morphy
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Alexander Alekhine | Paul Morphy | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1892 | 1837 |
| Died | 1946 | 1884 |
| Country of birth | France | United States |
| Star sign | Scorpio | Cancer |
Who they are
Alexander Alekhine
When Alexander Alekhine arrived in Buenos Aires in September 1927 to challenge José Raúl Capablanca for the World Championship, the chess world expected a formality. Capablanca had not lost a competitive game in eight years. Grandmasters whispered that chess had reached its apex in the Cuban — that the game, played perfectly, would always draw, and that Capablanca was the player who played perfectly. Alekhine, a Russian émigré living in France, was a fine attacking player, perhaps the best combinational talent of his generation, but attacking chess against someone who never made errors was considered…
Full biography of Alexander Alekhine →
Paul Morphy
In the parlors of antebellum New Orleans, a child of eight sat across from his father and an uncle and began absorbing a game that would consume and ultimately destroy him. Paul Charles Morphy had not been formally taught chess. He had watched the adults play, absorbed the rules by observation, and by the time he asked to join a game, he was already capable of beating grown men. The year was 1845. Within a decade, there would not be a stronger player alive on earth.
Full biography of Paul Morphy →
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Same sub-field: Chess.
Where they part
- Born in different countries: France and United States.
- 55 years separate their births (1892 and 1837).
- Their lifetimes never overlapped.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Alexander Alekhine or Paul Morphy?
- Paul Morphy. Alexander Alekhine was born in 1892, Paul Morphy in 1837.
- What field is each of them in?
- Alexander Alekhine is filed under Sports (Chess). Paul Morphy is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- No - their lifetimes do not overlap.