In 1847 he entered a parallel career as a Shakespearean scholar. Ill health and his two writing careers led him to give up competitive chess after 1851. In 1858 attempts were made to organise a match between Staunton and Morphy, but they failed. Morphy's biographer alleged that Staunton misled Morphy to avoid the match, but Staunton said he had retired from serious play.