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MATCH STANDINGS
Morphy - Loewenthal Match

Paul Morphy10/14(+9 -3 =2)[games]
Johann Jacob Loewenthal4/14(+3 -9 =2)[games]

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
Morphy - Loewenthal (1858)

London, England; 19 July 1858—21 August 1858

1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 Wins ————————————————————————————————————————————— Morphy ½ 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 ½ 1 9 Loewenthal ½ 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 ½ 0 3 ————————————————————————————————————————————— Format: The first to nine wins, draws not counting, to be the victor. Stakes: £200 (£100 each).(1)

Löwenthal previously had an opportunity to play Morphy in the United States eight years earlier. Morphy collected nine wins in this match by the time that Löwenthal had held him to two draws and collected three wins of his own.

Conditions(1)
1. The winner of the first nine games shall be entitled to the stakes.
2. The first move shall be decided by lot, in the first game, and shall subsequently belong to each player alternately, drawn games notwithstanding.
3. One-half of the games shall be played at the St. George's Chess Club, the other half at the London Chess Club.
4. The play shall take place on the following days in each week:—Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Mondays and Tuesdays at the London Chess Club, at two p.m.; Thursday and Friday at noon, at the St. George's Chess Club, unless otherwise agreed.
5. Either party failing to appear within half an hour of the appointed time shall incur a penalty of 1l. 1s.; within an hour 2l. 2s.; within an hour and a half 5l. 5s.; the fines in each case being payable to the opposite party.
6. No game shall be protracted beyond one sitting, unless adjourned by mutual consent.
7. After five hours' play, either party shall be at liberty to demand an adjournment for an hour.
8. The games shall be the joint property of the players.

Source
(1) London Field, 1858.07.17, p56

Credit
Original collection: Game Collection: WCC Index ( Morphy - Loewenthal 1858 ), by User: Benzol.

 page 1 of 1; 14 games  PGN Download 
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Loewenthal vs Morphy ½-½511858Morphy - LoewenthalC41 Philidor Defense
2. Morphy vs Loewenthal 1-0281858Morphy - LoewenthalC30 King's Gambit Declined
3. Loewenthal vs Morphy 0-1801858Morphy - LoewenthalC42 Petrov Defense
4. Morphy vs Loewenthal 1-0311858Morphy - LoewenthalC30 King's Gambit Declined
5. Loewenthal vs Morphy 1-0701858Morphy - LoewenthalC42 Petrov Defense
6. Morphy vs Loewenthal 1-0291858Morphy - LoewenthalB21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
7. Loewenthal vs Morphy 0-1281858Morphy - LoewenthalC41 Philidor Defense
8. Morphy vs Loewenthal 0-1591858Morphy - LoewenthalC41 Philidor Defense
9. Loewenthal vs Morphy 0-1671858Morphy - LoewenthalC64 Ruy Lopez, Classical
10. Morphy vs Loewenthal 1-0341858Morphy - LoewenthalC01 French, Exchange
11. Loewenthal vs Morphy 1-0451858Morphy - LoewenthalB44 Sicilian
12. Morphy vs Loewenthal 1-0251858Morphy - LoewenthalC01 French, Exchange
13. Loewenthal vs Morphy ½-½441858Morphy - LoewenthalC42 Petrov Defense
14. Morphy vs Loewenthal 1-0491858Morphy - LoewenthalC77 Ruy Lopez
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Sep-06-13  optimal play: <<<MATCH BETWEEN PAUL MORPHY (THE AMERICAN CHESS PHENOMENON) AND HERR LOWENTHAL (THE HUNGARIAN CHAMPION)>

This match draws its slow length along, but fortune still smiles on the bold and youthful American.

Is this merely the fickleness of the chequered goddess, or has Mr Morphy really the stronger grasp, wherewith to seize her favour?

The games played are hardly enough to decide the point for ever.

Mr Morphy has won six games, lost but two, and drawn one.

Nothing final could be adjudged as to relative skill until 20 or 30 games were played.

As it is, Mr Morphy has to win but three to gain the laurel, while Herr Lowenthal requires to score nine.

It must be said that the latter takes his defeat thus far admirably, indeed, he seems rather to like it than otherwise, for the philosophy of his smile while he drains the bitter cup, vies with the mien of the early martyrs at the stake.

A brave man struggling with misfortune is a sight, quoth the heathen, worthy of the Gods.

He must have foreseen Lowenthal in laying down this axiom.

Lowenthal battles like a lion at bay, and is no whit discomfitted.

He recollects that Napoleon was beaten at Marengo at three o'clock, and was victor of the field an hour later in the day.>

- Bell's Life in London! August 1st.>

Mar-14-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: <Missing information: Games 9 and 10 have month only.>

<The Era> (of which Loewenthal was chess editor) of August 8th, 1859, p.5, has the epic ninth game (Loewenthal vs Morphy, 1858) beginning on Monday, August 2nd, and continuing, via adjournments, on Tuesday and Thursday.

The date of Game 10, I can't find, but Monday, August 9th, seems the prime candidate. Game 11 was delayed to Thursday, after Loewenthal was indisposed.

May-07-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: "The stakes were £100, but the winner chivalrously presented Lowenthal with some furniture costing more than that amount for a new house he was taking."

Page 313, B.C.M. July 1976

Jul-01-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: Prompted by this post (Morphy vs Loewenthal, 1858 (kibitz #8)) I've had another look at the dates of this match. The original schedule stipulated play on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday of each week, a game per day unless adjourned by mutual consent. The programme seems to have been adhered to for the first couple of weeks, but then things get murkier....

Game 1, Monday July 19th:
Game 2, Tuesday July 20th:
Game 3, Thursday July 22nd
Game 4, Friday July 23rd
Game 5, Monday July 26th
Game 6, Tuesday July 27th
Game 7, Thursday 29th July
Game 8, Friday July 30th
Game 9, Monday August 2nd (3rd & 5th)
Game 10, Friday August 6th
Game 11 Thursday August 12th (& 13th)
Game 12 Thursday August 19th
Game 13 Friday August 20th
Game 14 Saturday August 21st

The reason for the last game taking place on Saturday has to be that the Birmingham congress was due to start the following Tuesday, where both Morphy and Loewenthal were expected. The extended ninth game and two delays, both apparently due to Loewenthal's indisposition, meant the contest had continued for five weeks.

Comparing it with <Calli's> schedule (Game Collection: 1858 Morphy in London), they're identical except for his claim that Game 5 was adjourned and completed on Tuesday (my Game 6), and that Game 6 was consequently played on Wednesday, a scheduled rest day. I'm not aware of any evidence for this.

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