But circumstances placed the twelve year old Napoleon in the midst of soldiers and in an era of war, while circumstances placed the twelve year old Morphy in the midst of Chess-players and in an era of Peace.
Napoleon was educated a General; Morphy was educated a lawyer.
To develop his self-evident and superlative Strategetic talent, Napoleon’s education was of the best; to develop his self-evident and superlative Strategetic talent, Morphy’s education was of the worst.
Napoleon succeeded as a General; Morphy failed as a lawyer.
The innate capability of Napoleon for Strategetics was developed in the direction of Warfare; the innate capability of Morphy for Strategetics was developed in the direction of Chess-play.
In War, Napoleon is superlative; in Chess, Morphy is superlative.
Educated in the law, Napoleon might have proved like Morphy a non-entity; educated in Chess, Napoleon might have proved like Morphy a phenomenon.
Educated in War, Morphy might have rivalled Napoleon.
For the Chess-play of Morphy displays that perfect comprehension of Strategetics, to which none but the great Captains in warfare have attained.
Perfection in Strategetics consists in exactly interpreting in battle and campaign, the System of Warfare invented by Epaminondas.
Those able to do this in War have achieved greatness, and the great at Chess-play are those who best have imitated that exactness with which Morphy employed this system on the Chess-board.
To those who imagine that Strategetic talent, as exemplified in Warfare, is different from Strategetic talent as exemplified in Chess-play, the following may afford matter for reflection.
_“Frederic the Great was one of the finest Chess-players that Germany ever produced.”--Wilhelm Steinitz._
In the consideration of every Strategetic Situation possible in Warfare, or in Chess-play, the initial process always is a Grand Reconnaissance.
Grand Reconnaissance is that exact scrutiny of existing conditions, whereby is determined the relative advantages and disadvantages possessed by the opposing armies in:
The _First Phase_ in the demonstration of every Prime Strategetic Proposition consists:
1. _In determining by comparison of the relative advantages and disadvantages in Time, which of the opposing armies has the ability to MOVE, while the other must remain stationary._