(Lange, Max). Paul Morphy. Skizze aus der Schachwelt. 2 parts. Leipzig, Veit, 1859. One plate (illustration from the Morphy - Anderssen match in Paris 1858) VIII, 206 pages, 1 leaf, 102 pages, 1 leaf (content). In German. LN 3089.

The first part gives a picture of Paul Morphy's life and career and contains 118 annotated games. The 2nd part deals with chess matches in Paris, especially with German masters.

On the title page there is a nice and rare signature of Frantisek Moucka. Another signature of Moucka is on the first endpaper (dated 1874).

Frantisek Moucka (1854 - 1898) was a Czech chess player and problemist and is considered the first Czech chess journalist. He led many chess columns, founded the famous chess column in the magazine Zlata Praha (Golden Prague) and was one of the founders of the first proper Czech chess club, the “Cesky spolek sachovni” in 1884. He also owned a large chess library.

Condition - Fair: private half-leather binding with lettering on spine. Binding is worn. Stamps on the title page. More or less foxing on most pages. A few markings. Handwritten notes on pages 29, 31 and 33 of the first part. It is possible that the notes come from the pen of Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa, with whom Moucka corresponded. The handwriting is similar to that used by Lasa to write a dedication to Moucka in another book. But this is only my speculation.