Hi Dave,
I have never put much stock on the consultation games, Staunton was up for the match after they took place.
According to Lowenthal the consultation games took place before his match v Morphy.
This was all a light hearted theory of mine from years ago, but the more I looked into it the more I realised it could carry some weight.
I still think the Morphy - Lowenthal match and Lowenthal's 2-0 v Staunton played their part.
Staunton would have been very impressed with Morphy's play (everyone was) and after Birmingham,
dismayed at his own current form (He was well past his prime due to age and illness which is not his fault.)
Although I've said 'head for the hills' I do not think he was scared of losing, he was possibly
more worried about the scathing gloating attacks his enemies would give him after he lost.
That is
my opinion from a chess angle. Add in the Edge v Staunton slander match which would
not have helped at all in bringing Morphy and Staunton to the table.
Also of the opinion although a Morphy win it may not have been the slaughter many have predicted.
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Hi Olimpiu,
"Anyone can produce a superficial article on Staunton and Morphy by lifting chunks from The Oxford
Companion to Chess, but the book's coverage of both masters has proven particularly controversial."
How many times has Ray been pulled for not checking his facts. You yourself mentioned after yet more revelations on Ray's errors.
https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/horrors.html
"Even without primary sources, a quick glance at, for instance, The Oxford Companion to Chess
by D. Hooper and K. Whyld (Oxford, 1992) would have sufficed to avoid all these elementary blunders."
And now we are being told Ray is using the wrong book to check his facts!