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The King's Men 05 Jan 1969, Sun The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) Newspapers.com
Morphy Against Fischer? It Would Be Quite a Game
You can always get an argument going in chess circles if the issue is one of comparing the old masters with contemporary players. No matter which side you take, there's sure to be someone to take the opposite view.
Comparisons may be odious, but they also can be interesting. The two names most frequently mentioned when the greats of yesteryear are compared with today's grandmasters are those of the immortal Paul Morphy, the amazing human computer who reached his peak more than a century ago, and the wizard considered by many to be the strongest living player, Robert J. Fischer.
In this connection, the views expressed by American Grandmaster Larry Evans seem relevant. Asked how he would rate Fischer in historical terms, Evans was quoted:
“It's been my opinion for a few years now that he's the best player in the world. I would say that he's in the same category as Morphy of Capablanca. Of course it's hard to make a comparison since they didn't have the competition that he has now.”
But what does Fischer think? In Chessworld, Fischer was quoted: “In a set match, Morphy would beat anybody alive today.”
