Paul Morphy vs Reuben Fine
Two chess prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Paul Morphy | Reuben Fine | |
| Field | Sports | Sports |
| Sub-field | Chess | Chess |
| Born | 1837 | 1914 |
| Died | 1884 | 1993 |
| Country of birth | United States | United States |
| Star sign | Cancer | Libra |
Who they are
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 →
Reuben Fine
In 1948, FIDE organized a round-robin tournament in The Hague and Moscow to determine who would succeed Alexander Alekhine as World Chess Champion. Five players were invited. The sixth invitation — by many accounts the most interesting one — went to Reuben Fine of New York, ranked by most contemporary observers among the top two or three players in the world. Fine declined. He was in the middle of his psychoanalytic training and felt that his professional obligations took priority over competing for the world title. He was thirty-three years old. He never played serious…
Full biography of Reuben Fine →
What they share
- Both are held here under Sports.
- Same sub-field: Chess.
- Both born in United States.
Where they part
- 77 years separate their births (1837 and 1914).
- Their lifetimes never overlapped.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Paul Morphy or Reuben Fine?
- Paul Morphy. Paul Morphy was born in 1837, Reuben Fine in 1914.
- What field is each of them in?
- Paul Morphy is filed under Sports (Chess). Reuben Fine is filed under Sports (Chess).
- Were they contemporaries?
- No - their lifetimes do not overlap.