Max Euwe vs Paul Morphy
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
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The record, side by side
| Max Euwe | Paul Morphy | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1901 | 1837 |
| Died | 1981 | 1884 |
| Country of birth | Netherlands | United States |
| Star sign | Aries | Cancer |
Who they are
Max Euwe
In December 1935, in a match played across fifteen Dutch cities, a mild-mannered Amsterdam schoolteacher and mathematician accomplished one of the most stunning upsets in chess history. Machgielis "Max" Euwe defeated Alexander Alekhine — the dazzling, terrifying, seemingly invincible World Champion — by a score of 15.5 to 14.5, claiming the title of 5th World Chess Champion. The chess world was stunned. Alekhine was widely considered the strongest player alive; Euwe was a respected amateur — gifted, studious, but surely not in Alekhine's category. The match proved otherwise. For two years, the most powerful chess…
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: Netherlands and United States.
- 64 years separate their births (1901 and 1837).
- Their lifetimes never overlapped.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Max Euwe or Paul Morphy?
- Paul Morphy. Max Euwe was born in 1901, Paul Morphy in 1837.
- What field is each of them in?
- Max Euwe is filed under Sports (Chess). Paul Morphy is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- No - their lifetimes do not overlap.