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Retro-Rating
February 06, 2005

 
There have been many attempts to define historical players in comparative terms. In order to better understand the playing strength of these historical players, the main thrust has been to try to assign them ratings similar to those of modern players with whom we have a clearer idea of their relative strength. Arpad Elo tried to do this many years ago. Other attempts have been made in recent years including Jeff Sonas' Chessmetrics. Three more have popped up recently: Ron Edward's EDO, Mark Glickman' s Glicko and Jeremy Spinrad's Spino.

I've been looking them over and comparing them during the years just prior, though, and just after the Morphy period. Basically, I started with 1856-1862. Noticing the Morphy was still rated #1 by 3 out of 4 systems, in 1862, I decided to go further ahead another year - and Morphy was still #1 in 3 out of 4, but not the same ones. I then decided to go backwards from 1856 to the point where Morphy falls off the #1 ranking - I had totally expected him to be off in 1856. But I had to go all the way back to 1848 to get rid of Morphy. I'm not a statistician and I haven't a clue how these things are determined, but something seems askew. I took all this information and put it all together into the primitive chart below for everyone to see. To be honest, when we get to 1856, arcane players I've never heard of start appearing in the top 10 list - oh, so many surprises!

 

 

EDO

Glicko

Spino

Chessmetrics
(active players)

1848

1 von der Lasa 2611
2 Staunton 2534
3 Dubois 2528
4 Buckle 2519
5 Petroff 2515
1 Staunton 2501
2 von der Lasa 2482
3 Dubois 2452
4 Buckle 2451
5 Kieseritzky 2441
1 von der Lasa 2402
2 Staunton 2385
3 Dubois 2365
4 Cochrane 2363
5 Buckle 2331
 

1849

1 Morphy, P. 2624
2 von der Lasa 2613
3 Dubois 2522
4 Petroff 2517
5 Staunton 2513
1 Dufresne 2510
2 Staunton 2490
3 Morphy, P. 2489
4 von der Lasa 2488
5 Kieseritzky 2471
1 von der Lasa 2401
2 Dubois 2364
3 Cochrane 2362
4 Staunton 2355
5 Buckle 2343
 

1850

1 Morphy, P. 2643
2 von der Lasa 2615
3 Petroff 2520
4 Anderssen 2519
5 Dubois 2517
1 Morphy, P. 2506
2 Kieseritzky 2497
3 von der Lasa 2496
4 Dufresne 2493
5 Williams 2483
1 Morphy, P. 2543
2 von der Lasa 2401
3 Dubois 2364
4 Cochrane 2362
5 Anderssen 2359
 

1851

1 Morphy, P. 2656
2 von der Lasa 2612
3 Anderssen 2547
4 Petroff 2522
5 Boden 2518
1 Morphy, P. 2522
2 Anderssen 2482
3 Blijdenstein 2477
4 von der Lasa 2474
5 Dufresne 2470
1 Morphy, P. 2545
2 Anderssen 2388
3 von der Lasa 2388
4 Dubois 2364
5 Cochrane 2361
1 Staunton  2768
2 Kieseritzky  2701
3 Anderssen  2653
4 Horwitz  2593
5 Williams  2550

1852

1 Morphy, P. 2670
2 von der Lasa 2583
3 Anderssen 2551
4 Harrwitz 2540
5 Petroff 2524
1 Morphy, P. 2543
2 Harrwitz 2491
3 Anderssen 2482
4 Blijdenstein 2477
5 von der Lasa 2476
1 Morphy, P. 2546
2 Harrwitz 2392
3 Anderssen 2386
4 Dubois 2364
5 von der Lasa 2363
1 Staunton 2770
2 Kieseritzky 2709
3 Harrwitz 2684
4 Saint-Amant 2674
5 Anderssen 2658

1853

1 Morphy, P. 2683
2 von der Lasa 2555
3 Anderssen 2555
4 Harrwitz 2539
5 Petroff 2527
1 Morphy, P. 2568
2 Harrwitz 2485
3 Anderssen 2483
4 von der Lasa 2480
5 Blijdenstein 2477
1 Morphy, P. 2548
2 Petroff 2386
3 Anderssen 2383
4 Dubois 2363
5 Harrwitz 2357
1 Kieseritzky 2738
2 Staunton 2728
3 von der Lasa 2699
4 Saint-Amant 2693
5 Anderssen 2670

1854

1 Morphy, P. 2697
2 Anderssen 2558
3 Harrwitz 2542
4 Petroff 2524
5 Lowenthal, J.J. 2501
1 Morphy, P. 2596
2 Anderssen 2484
3 Harrwitz 2483
4 Blijdenstein 2477
5 Dubois 2470
1 Morphy, P. 2550
2 Petroff 2384
3 Anderssen 2381
4 Dubois 2363
5 Harrwitz 2350
1 Staunton 2716
2 von der Lasa 2680
3 Harrwitz 2625
4 von Jaenisch 2580
5 Horwitz 2577

1855

1 Morphy 2711
2 Anderssen 2562
3 Harrwitz 2546
4 Lecrivain 2533
5 Petroff 2520
6 Lowenthal 2519
7 Boden 2495
1 Morphy 2623
2 Lecrivain 2569
3 Anderssen 2486
4 Harrwitz 2479
5 Blijdenstein 2477
6 Dubois 2474
7 Staunton 2456
1 Morphy 2553
2 Petroff 2383
3 Anderssen 2379
4 Dubois 2363
5 Harrwitz 23436
Lecrivain 2323
7 Staunton 2308
1 Staunton 2676
2 Anderssen 2661
3 Harrwitz 2608
4 Löwenthal 2569
5 Horwitz 2562
6 Mayet 2424
7 Dufresne 2299

1856

1 Morphy, P. 2724
2 Anderssen 2566
3 Harrwitz 2550
4 Lowenthal, J.J. 2535
5 Petroff 2517
6 Dubois 2510
7 Boden 2490
8 Blijdenstein 2456
9 Wormald 2443
10 Campbell 2439
11 Staunton 2432
12 Wolff 2426
13 Macgregor 2413 
14 Eliason 2410
15 Falkbeer 2406
16 Deacon 2401 
17 Riviere 2395
18 Ranken 2393
19 Urusov, S. 2390
20 Stewart 2385
1 Morphy, P. 2647
2 Dubois 2505
3 Anderssen 2488
4 Blijdenstein 2478 
5 Harrwitz 2475
6 Lowenthal, J.J. 2462
7 Staunton 2448
8 Wolff 2422
9 Boden 2415
10 Watkinson 2402 
11 Dufresne 2401
12 Macgregor 2394
13 Petroff 2392
14 Deacon 2378
15 Discart 2362
16 Eliason 2361
17 Ranken 2361
18 Anderssen  2356
19 Wiegelmann 2351
20 Hannah 2349
1 Morphy, P. 2555 
2 Petroff 2382 
3 Anderssen 2376
4 Dubois 2351
5 Harrwitz 2336
6 Lecrivain 2310
7 Staunton 2304
8 Lowenthal, J.J. 2302
9 Wayte 2274
10 Urusov, S. 2264
11 Riviere 2262
12 Macgregor 2259 
13 St. Amant 2257
14 Bonetti 2247 
15 Boden 2238
16 Schumoff 2226
17 Wolff 2222
18 Dufresne 2220
19 Discart 2213
20 Hamppe 2205
1 Anderssen 2695 74
2 Staunton 2668 58
3 Löwenthal 2627 58
4 Mayet 2455 66
5 Falkbeer 2434 68
6 Barnes 2416 71
7 Wiegelmann 2400

1857

1 Morphy, P. 2738
2 Anderssen 2569
3 Paulsen, L. 2569
4 Harrwitz 2553
5 Lowenthal, J.J. 2552
6 Dubois 2522
7 Petroff 2514
8 Boden 2505
9 Lichtenhein 2503
10 Blijdenstein 2454
11 Campbell 2447
12 Wormald 2438
13 Staunton 2412
14 Riviere 2409
15 Pindar 2407
16 Falkbeer 2407
17 Urusov, S. 2400
18 Deacon 2399
19 Barnes, T.W. 2393
20 Ranken 2387
 
1 Morphy, P. 2663
2 Dubois 2506
3 Anderssen 2490
4 Lowenthal, J.J. 2488
5 Harrwitz 2483
6 Blijdenstein 2478
7 Staunton 2435
8 Boden 2427
9 Lichtenhein 2425
10 Watkinson 2409
11 Dufresne 2394
12 Horner 2389
13 Discart 2388
14 Seebach 2381
15 Petroff 2374
16 Deacon 2372
17 Paulsen, L. 2364
18 Roberts 2361
19 Ranken 2361
20 Pindar 2353
1 Morphy, P. 2558
2 Paulsen, L. 2381
3 Petroff 2380
4 Anderssen 2374
5 Dubois 2355
6 Harrwitz 2329
7 Lowenthal, J.J. 2321
8 Staunton 2299
9 Lecrivain 2297
10 Lichtenhein 2291
11 Wayte 2270
12 Urusov, S. 2263
13 St. Amant 2258
14 Riviere 2256
15 Pindar 2251
16 Bonetti 2244
17 Boden 2236
18 Schumoff 2224
19 Dufresne 2221
20 Discart 2215
 
1 Morphy 2665
2 Staunton 2645
3 Löwenthal 2618
4 Harrwitz 2601
5 Kipping 2575
6 Anderssen 2563
7 Barnes 2453
8 Mayet 2412
9 Lichtenhein 2371

1858

1 Morphy, P. 2704
2 Paulsen, L. 2582
3 Anderssen 2574
4 Lowenthal, J.J. 2554
5 Harrwitz 2549
6 Dubois 2535
7 Petroff 2510
8 Boden 2506
9 Lange 2503
10 Lichtenhein 2488
11 Campbell 2454
12 Blijdenstein 2452
13 Wormald 2434
14 Barnes, T.W. 2429
15 Riviere 2423
16 Pindar 2415
17 Urusov, S. 2410
18 Falkbeer 2409
19 Owen 2403
20 Deacon 2398
1 Morphy, P. 2634
2 Dubois 2506
3 Lowenthal, J.J. 2502
4 Anderssen 2495
5 Blijdenstein 2479
6 Harrwitz 2476
7 Boden 2426
8 Lange 2423
9 Lichtenhein 2421
10 Watkinson 2416
11 Franklin 2412
12 Staunton 2401
13 Discart 2395
14 Paulsen, L. 2392
15 Dufresne 2385
16 Horner 2382
17 Urusov, S. 2365
18 Deacon 2365
19 Pindar 2364
20 Ranken 2361
1 Morphy, P. 2511
2 Paulsen, L. 2386
3 Petroff 2378
4 Anderssen 2378
5 Dubois 2360
6 Lowenthal, J.J. 2354
7 Harrwitz 2345
8 Boden 2302
9 Staunton 2295
10 Lichtenhein 2290
11 Lecrivain 2284
12 Wayte 2266
13 Urusov, S. 2262
14 St. Amant 2260
15 Pindar 2252
16 Riviere 2250
17 Discart 2248
18 Barnes, T.W. 2227
19 Schumoff 2222
20 Dufresne 2222
1 Morphy 2799
2 Staunton 2641
3 Löwenthal 2622
4 Harrwitz 2605
5 Kipping 2594
6 Anderssen 2541
7 Falkbeer 2524
8 Boden 2512
9 Bird 2512
10 Barnes 2498
11 Medley 2468
12 Owen 2456
13 de Rivière 2450
14 Brien 2301

1859

1 Morphy, P. 2706
2 Paulsen, L. 2595
3 Kolisch 2587
4 Anderssen 2572
5 Harrwitz 2550
6 Dubois 2548
7 Lowenthal, J.J. 2541
8 Lange 2513
9 Petroff 2507
10 Boden 2498
11 Suhle 2481
12 Lichtenhein 2473
13 Campbell 2461
14 Bellotti 2451
15 Blijdenstein 2450
16 Owen 2434
17 Wormald 2429
18 Riviere 2425
19 Pindar 2423
20 Urusov, S. 2420
1 Morphy, P. 2657
2 Dubois 2506
3 Lowenthal, J.J. 2497
4 Blijdenstein 2479
5 Anderssen 2475
6 Harrwitz 2470
7 Kolisch 2464
8 Bellotti 2454
9 Lange 2435
10 Suhle 2433
11 Paulsen, L. 2433
12 Boden 2426
13 Watkinson 2423
14 Lichtenhein 2413
15 Urusov, S. 2405
16 Discart 2403
17 Pindar 2376
18 Dufresne 2371
19 Carstanjen 2370
20 Horner 2367
1 Morphy, P. 2468
2 Kolisch 2460
3 Paulsen, L. 2392
4 Petroff 2377
5 Harrwitz 2375
6 Dubois 2364
7 Lange 2363
8 Anderssen 2359
9 Lowenthal, J.J. 2356
10 Boden 2297
11 Lichtenhein 2290
12 Discart 2281
13 Wayte 2263
14 Urusov, S. 2261
15 Bellotti 2254
16 Pindar 2254
17 Riviere 2239
18 Owen 2230
19 Dufresne 2222
20 Schumoff 2220

 
1 Morphy 2766
2 Staunton 2662
3 Löwenthal 2648
4 Harrwitz 2617
5 Anderssen 2573
6 Thompson 2551
7 Barnes 2532
8 Falkbeer 2531
9 Boden 2529
10 de Rivière 2525
11 Lichtenhein 2503
12 Mongrédien 2500
13 Lange 2472
14 Journoud 2472
15 Owen 2460
16 Suhle 2319

1860

1 Morphy, P. 2701
2 Paulsen, L. 2608
3 Kolisch 2565
4 Dubois 2561
5 Anderssen 2558
6 Harrwitz 2557
7 Lowenthal, J.J. 2528
8 Lange 2523
9 Suhle 2500
10 Hirschfeld 2499
11 Petroff 2494
12 Boden 2491
13 Owen 2465
14 Riviere 2458
15 Lichtenhein 2458
16 Campbell 2456
17 Blijdenstein 2448
18 Wormald 2436
19 Pindar 2430
20 Urusov, S. 2430
1 Morphy, P. 2660
2 Dubois 2507
3 Harrwitz 2501
4 Lowenthal, J.J. 2488
5 Paulsen, L. 2482
6 Blijdenstein 2480
7 Suhle 2452
8 Anderssen 2451
9 Lange 2446
10 Kolisch 2446
11 Hirschfeld 2439
12 Watkinson 2430
13 Boden 2426
14 Urusov, S. 2404
15 Lichtenhein 2401
16 Ware 2391
17 Pindar 2389
18 Michaelis 2381
19 Gocher 2373
20 Owen 2373
 
1 Morphy, P. 2469
2 Harrwitz 2411
3 Paulsen, L. 2397
4 Kolisch 2377
5 Petroff 2376
6 Dubois 2368 0
7 Anderssen 2367
8 Lange 2366
9 Lowenthal, J.J. 2359
10 Hirschfeld 2300
11 Boden 2293
12 Lichtenhein 2289
13 Riviere 2275
14 Owen 2273
15 Wayte 2259
16 Pindar 2255
17 Dufresne 2222
18 Schumoff 2218
19 Horwitz 2202
20 Hamppe 2201
 
1 Morphy 2754
2 Harrwitz 2674
3 Kolisch 2649
4 Löwenthal 2635
5 Anderssen 2553
6 de Rivière 2547
7 Thompson 2536
8 Mongrédien 2466
9 Journoud 2462
10 Hamppe 2366
11 Suhle 2304

1861

1 Morphy, P. 2685
2 Paulsen, L. 2622
3 Anderssen 2601
4 Dubois 2574
5 Kolisch 2571
6 Lange 2532
7 Suhle 2522
8 Lowenthal, J.J. 2515
9 Hirschfeld 2489
10 Boden 2484
11 Petroff 2481
12 Owen 2470
13 Riviere 2456
14 Lichtenhein 2453
15 Blijdenstein 2446
16 Wormald 2443
17 Urusov, S. 2441
18 Pindar 2438
19 Bird 2426
20 Schmorl 2425
1 Morphy, P. 2653
2 Paulsen, L. 2528
3 Dubois 2507
4 Anderssen 2506
5 Blijdenstein 2481
6 Lowenthal, J.J. 2476
7 Suhle 2461
8 Lange 2457
9 Hirschfeld 2429
10 Watkinson 2428
11 Boden 2426
12 Lichtenhein 2407
13 Pindar 2403
14 Urusov, S. 2401
15 Ware 2390
16 Kolisch 2381
17 Michaelis 2381
18 Owen 2374
19 Ranken 2363
20 Riviere 2357
 
1 Morphy, P. 2470
2 Anderssen 2411
3 Paulsen, L. 2402
4 Petroff 2375
5 Dubois 2373
6 Lange 2370
7 Kolisch 2369
8 Lowenthal, J.J. 2362
9 Lichtenhein 2288
10 Boden 2288
11 Riviere 2272
12 Owen 2268
13 Pindar 2256
14 Wayte 2255
15 Dufresne 2223
16 Schumoff 2215
17 Barnes, T.W. 2199
18 Horwitz 2199
19 Falkbeer 2186
20 Medley, G. 2177
1 Morphy 2750
2 Paulsen 2698
3 Harrwitz 2671
4 Kolisch 2657
5 Löwenthal 2632
6 Anderssen 2573
7 de Rivière 2543
8 Pindar 2508
9 Mongrédien 2456
10 Journoud 2452
11 van 't Kruys  2335
12 Montgomery 2318
13 Dufresne 2301

1862

1 Morphy, P. 2670
2 Paulsen, L. 2647
3 Anderssen 2628
4 Dubois 2586
5 Kolisch 2563
6 Steinitz 2556
7 Lange 2552
8 Suhle 2543
9 Mackenzie 2539
10 MacDonnell, G.A. 2534
11 Lowenthal, J.J. 2505
12 Hirschfeld 2478
13 Owen 2476
14 Petroff 2469
15 Riviere 2454
16 Urusov, S. 2451
17 Wormald 2451
18 Blijdenstein 2444
19 Bird 2440
20 Barnes, T.W. 2411
1 Morphy, P. 2641
2 Paulsen, L. 2534
3 Anderssen 2528
4 Dubois 2508
5 Lange 2491
6 Lowenthal, J.J. 2484
7 Blijdenstein 2482
8 Suhle 2476
9 Steinitz 2457
10 Paulsen, W. 2415
11 Hirschfeld 2414
12 Urusov, S. 2398
13 Kolisch 2397
14 Ware 2388
15 Michaelis 2382
16 Mackenzie 2379
17 Owen 2377
18 Riviere 2371
19 Ranken 2363
20 Roberts 2353
1 Morphy, P. 2470
2 Anderssen 2423
3 Paulsen, L. 2419
4 Dubois 2377
5 Petroff 2374
6 Lange 2373
7 Lowenthal, J.J. 2364
8 Kolisch 2359
9 Steinitz 2316
10 Mackenzie 2315
11 MacDonnell, G.A. 2303
12 Riviere 2268
13 Owen 2263
14 Paulsen, W. 2244
15 Barnes, T.W. 2216
16 Schumoff 2213
17 Falkbeer 2179
18 Medley, G. 2177
19 Hannah 2169
20 Deacon 2152
1 Paulsen 2720
2 Kolisch 2682
3 Anderssen 2628
4 de Rivière 2570
5 Owen 2533
6 Barnes 2533
7 Pindar 2523
8 MacDonnell 2522
9 Dubois 2464
10 Mongrédien 2455
11 Rosanes 2436
12 Blackburne 2389
13 Steinitz 2374
14 Shumov 2360
15 Montgomery 2333
16 Hannah 2300
17 Green 2278
18 Roby, James 2217

1863

1 Paulsen, L. 2656
2 Morphy, P. 2655
3 Anderssen 2615
4 Steinitz 2596
5 Kolisch 2575
6 Suhle 2564
7 Lange 2557
8 Mackenzie 2551
9 MacDonnell, G.A. 2526
10 Lowenthal, J.J. 2478
11 Owen 2470
12 Hirschfeld 2468
13 Wormald 2458
14 Bird 2454
15 Riviere 2452
16 Urusov, S. 2447
17 Blijdenstein 2442
18 Paulsen, W. 2403
19 Blackburne 2401
20 Michaelis 2387
1 Morphy, P. 2614
2 Paulsen, L. 2537
3 Anderssen 2517
4 Suhle 2498
5 Lange 2496
6 Steinitz 2493
7 Blijdenstein 2484
8 Lowenthal, J.J. 2479
9 Paulsen, W. 2426
10 Kolisch 2423
11 Urusov, S. 2398
12 Hirschfeld 2392
13 Riviere 2391
14 Mackenzie 2390
15 Ware 2386
16 Michaelis 2382
17 Owen 2375
18 Ranken 2364
19 MacDonnell, G.A. 2355
20 Roberts 2353
 
1 Morphy, P. 2471
2 Lange 2366
3 Steinitz 2355
4 Riviere 2265
5 Paulsen, W. 2252
6 Blackburne 2145
7 Deacon 2142
8 Hoeing 2045
9 Mongredien 2037
10 Hengstenberg 2030
11 Schwengers 2019
12 Green,V. 2010
13 Schultz,G. 2003
14 Rossy 1998
15 Schultz,C. 1982
16 von dem Busch 1963
17 Moehringer 1962
18 Knorre 1961
19 Lichtenscheidt 1935
 
1 Morphy 2806
2 Paulsen 2724
3 Kolisch 2686
4 Anderssen 2633
5 de Rivière 2548
6 Neumann 2479
7 Dubois 2460
8 Mongrédien 2454
9 Blackburne 2397
10 Steinitz 2395
11 Deacon 2361
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