<Wim Wallekers>, <kost in time> Examinig some results as those presented by <SBC> here, i maintain my usual view that, until 1870, major events where too scarce to provide a sure comparison, as we are used, in the form of Rating lists, so about Paulsen, i'll retain:

-He proved at least equal or superior to Kolisch, Anderssen, Neumann, Max Lange etc, in matches during the sixties

-His record in Tournaments was also impressive, and his, perhaps, greatest victory was in Leipzig 1877

About a claim for some planetary title, i remain circumspect

Just to make the case for Paulsen, it was only after losing the match to Morphy that he began studying with more commitment (studying "with such zeal, that I don't like to lose 5 minutes of time") I think Morphy under-rated Paulsen's marked improvement and tended to think of him as the same player he had encountered. As you know part of the reason he gave for not playing Kolisch in 1867 was that he had not scored well enough against Paulsen in their 1861 unfinished match (+7=18-6 in favor of Paulsen)

<I think Morphy under-rated Paulsen's marked improvement and tended to think of him as the same player he had encountered.>

That's always possible, though Morphy did keep up-to-date with chess. But even so, I think it was customary then for a player who had been beaten so decisively to receive odds in any rematch and if he could prove too strong at such odds, then he earned the right to play even. So I don't think it was so much a question of how strong Paulsen (or anyone else) thought he might be, but rather a matter protocol.

<As you know part of the reason he gave for not playing Kolisch in 1867 > Morphy was in Paris in 1867 during the time of the tournament there, but I don't know that Kolisch approached him at that time. My understanding is that Morphy wouldn't have anything to do with public chess, staying away from La Regeance and the tournament hall even though his old friend de Riviere was playing. (Morphy did go to de Riviere's home where he met Gustave Neuman, but, although he did examine some games with them, he wouldn't play) Between March and May of 1861 Kolisch had tried to secure a match with Morphy. Morphy replied that he would gladly play a private, casual match on the strict condition that there would be no stakes if and when he (Morphy) ever returned to Europe. It was after Morphy's reply to Kolisch that Kolisch's luck turned bad against both Anderssen and Paulsen. I don't know of any correspondence between them after that, but it's likely that Kolisch's losses might have put things in a different light.

His family’s business, stablished in Nassengrund, was a ‘station for culture and test of new potato varieties’ – so he was an inovator not only in the field of Chess Openings… He considered the duties toward the potatoes branch above his Chess career, and never let the passion for the game interfere in the normal course of his civilian life … when he passed in the way between Nassengrund and Blomberg – a daily walk of going and return, always in the same hour and the very same minute – the people of the villages could set their watches and clocks… (same anedoct is told about Immanuel Kant )

The matches, as played in Central Europe in the 1860’s and 1870’s, were not the severe and regulated enterprise that it arrived to be later: but just series of “free games” arranged as a “dessert” for delectation of the amateurs participating in a Chess Congress, usually organizated in holidays (like Easter week) , whith often two games in the same session ,this ocurred , for instance, in the Leipzig 1876 match between Anderssen and Paulsen: ten games were played in six days. This same encounter was presented, in some contemporary register, as being “um der Vorherrschaft als weltbester Spieler” (‘for the hegemony as world’s best player’) Maybe it was somewhat to late for this, but Anderssen being the winner of such an impressive series of major international tournaments – from London 1851 to Baden-Baden 1870 (to mention just a few – passing by London 1862 in which Paulsen was 2th etc) – hence, Anderssen being in position to claim for himself a title of World Champion - why not accept a challenge from a worthy adversary like Paulsen, to close festively a regional Chess Congress in which both took part, ( en passant - whith Anderssen winning the first prize, Göring and Pitschel sharing the remaining 2th and 3th, and Paulsen in fourth place…)

Paulsen won the match +5-4=1, and also the great Congress in same city in the following Year ( The so called “Anderssenfeier”, Leipzig 1877) , and also another match against Anderssen, +5-3=1, and finally, Louis Paulsen won first Prize in Frankfurt am Main 1878, ahead of Adolf Schwarz (from Vienna) 2th, Anderssen 3th etc . For Chess History, those were Anderssen last acts – he was apparently grewing old accelerately – some disease (“Herzbeutelwassersucht”) is to be presumed – actually, Frankfurt was his last tournament, he died 1879.

Why such a digressive speech about Anderssen: well, in a sense, Paulsen's whole Chess career can be understood studying and comparing their encounters: Paulsen, fifteen Years younger, attained a much better overall score, but ironically, he failed in some crucial moments (like London 1862 or Baden-Baden 1870) and it was only when Anderssen was already in frank decadence that he scored better than his old friend in Tournaments that both participated.

<"I could have believed at the time when hearing of your successes that you are superior to other players I had encountered in Europe, but since, as you are well aware, the result of your matches with Messrs. Anderssen and Paulsen had not been favorable to you, there is now no reason why I should make an exception in your case, having decided not again to engage in such matches, an infringement of my rules which I should be obliged to extend to others, &C, &C. Paul Morphy>

Durn. You're right. I was looking by dates. I remembered the Kolisch challenge in 1861 and then you mentioned 1867, so I looked there. I forgot about 1863. But that would explain why Kolisch didn't bother in 1867 (though Gustav Neumann tried)

I think I need a vacation.

Another description of Paulsen can be found at http://www.astercity.net/~vistula/l... "Louis Paulsen looked, and I believe was, a very fine fellow. Tall and with a massive head, he was the picture of thought and amiability. He was very gentle in all his actions, and, though he seldom opened his lips, yet he was never wanting in kindliness or courtesy. In short, no foreign chess player was ever in this country more respected for his character or admired for his skill."

<vonKrolock>

I like the idea that in order to understand Paulsen more fully, one must look also to Anderssen. I think it's true in a lot of cases that careers or lives are so intertwined that one must compare and examine these relationships.

The Master Tournament extended till Aug 12th, and ended in a triple tie: Anderssen, Minckwitz and Paulsen, and,as a direct decision about the two money prizes (from 100 and 50 Taler) was necessary, so a quick single-rounded tie-break was played: Firstly Paulsen beat Anderssen, then Anderssen beat Minckwitz and, finally, Paulsen and Minckwitz drew their game. Well, it was not enough: Drawn games dont counted - so a new game will start: Anderssen could not wait for the decision: the formal leave from his work - as a High School Math's teacher in Breslau - was ending, and he leaved Krefeld right away. As - if Minckwitz arrived to win the second game whith Paulsen - a third, and then perchance a fourth etc game would have to occur, so an agreement had place: Paulsen was declared winner, to Anderssen the second place was atributed, and Minckwitz - having renounced to his chance to become the sole winner over the board – received a half of the main monetary prize and the 3th place… In spite of the anti-climactic dénouement, Paulsen's victory, concerning his confrontation whith Anderssen, was perfectly merited, because he won their both games: in the Tourney and in the decisive triple match. In any case, Minckwitz showed at least equal to Paulsen there, this must to be registered too.

* Krefeld was the first Tournament in which both Louis and Wilfried played (before, one or another of the brethren participated - as in Aix-la-Chapelle / Aachen 1868, where Louis was present, but limited himself to kibiting and giving a blind simul) while his brother acted in the main Tournament

** The Prizes in the "rheinischen Haupturnier" (secondary Ty for regional players - lit. 'head-tourney') consisted of : For the Winner - "a splendorous table clock in black marmor" (won by C. Leffmann); Second "a very beautifull 'Bowle in Römerform' <NOTE: a type of jug> in biseauté glass whith a garniture of silver, whith an appropriated set of twelve cups", (went to Carl Kockelkorn, the famous Problemist); Further a de-luxe illustrated edition of Goethe’s “Reinecke Fuchs” and a splendid Chess set for respectively Wemmers and Hammacher

This seems the wrong page to dicussion about Paulsen, but so be it.> Dear SBC: So now we are in the right place

<8-2B5-8-1n2Rp2-8-3bpkpB-4N3-4K3>

<I have no idea how to set up a problem from that notation. Do you happen to have a fen that can be pasted into winboard?> leider not, SBC - but the Forsyth is very cute when You get some practice whith it, i ensure...

<SBC: That the problem in "New York Musical World" was Paulsen's only known problem, I got from David Lawson, Morphy's biographer. Other than that, I can't guarantee it. <Curiously, Paulsen's #2 features also a Rook sacrifice, like Morphy's one>

The first problem tournament in the Us took place in 1855. It was organized by Charles Stanley, then the American champion. He was also a problemist. I'll have to hunt and see if I can find the results.

What many people don't realize, however, is the the 1st American Chess Congress of 1857 was a 3 part tournament. It consisted of 1. the Grand Tournament, 2. the Minor Tournament, and 3. the Problem Tournament.

Morphy, of course, won the Grand Tournament.

The results of The Minor Tournament were:
1st - William Horner of Brooklyn, N.Y.
2nd - Moses Solomons, New York City
3rd - William Seebach, New York City
4th - Martin Mantin, New York City.

http://www.schachgemeinschaft-detmo...

http://batgirl.atspace.com/Paulsen_...

(: ♗ Bishop Berkeley ♗ :)

P.S. I note that Paulsen has a positive score against Adolf Anderssen based on games in our database:

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Overall record: Louis Paulsen beat Adolf Anderssen 24 to 18, with 7 draws.

He also has a positive score against Joseph Henry Blackburne :

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

and he tied overall with Johannes Zukertort :

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Significant accomplishments!