Chess History And Reminiscences
Even in the pools at Paris in 1820, when Deschapelles essayed
to give the pawn and move to La Bourdonnais and Cochrane, and
in a boastful manner challenged the whole world on the same
terms the superiority of La Bourdonnais was already manifested,
and for succeeding years became unquestionable.
There are yet remaining old chess enthusiasts who recall with
pleasure the satisfaction of the British chess circle at the zeal
and prowess of Alexander McDonnell, of Belfast, on his appearance
in London in 1828, and his continued pluck, perseverance
and improvement, and gallant stand against the most formidable
of French or living chess players, and which first began to
establish English chess claims to equality with France and the
very learned German school which had sprung up of which Dr.
Bledow, Heydebrand Der Lasa, Hanstein and Bilguer soon became
like Anderssen so especially distinguished. Staunton, a household
word in chess, first came decisively to the front in 1840, the year
in which La Bourdonnais died. McDonnell had already departed
in 1837. They lie close together in the northwest corner of
Kensal Green Cemetery. Staunton became the recognised English
Champion, and by defeating St. Amant, the French representative,
and all other players he encountered, further enhanced British
chess reputation by upholding his title against all comers, until his
wane and defeat by Anderssen, of Breslau, in the First
International Tournament of 1851, a result quite unexpected at home
and abroad, but subsequent events confirmed what the character
of Staunton's play in this competition seemed to indicate that he
had passed his best, for two English amateurs, very young, but
rising into fame, not then considered by any means equal in force
to Staunton, yet fully held their own in 1852 against Anderssen,
the first great German conqueror in games which Germany has
ever held in very high estimation.
In British chess circles, H. T. Buckle, writer and historian
was now the most patient and scientific of the players. S. S.
Boden, the most learned and profound, H. E. Bird the most rapid,
ready and enthusiastic. The last-named, a favourite opponent of
the English leaders, also encountered one by one the phalanx of
great Foreign players assembled, such as Anderssen himself, Szen,
Lowenthal, Kieseritzky, Harrwitz and Horwitz, and sustained our
chess reputation, particularly in those dashing contests of short
duration, which exigencies of time and other pursuits alone
rendered practicable. The years 1853 to 1857 were not notable
for first-class chess contests. Boden and Bird had both retired.
The appearance of the invincible Paul Morphy from America in
1858, caused a revival of chess; he came to play a great match
with Staunton, but no individual contest ever took place between
them. Barnes a very strong amateur chess player encountered
Morphy but lost by a large majority. Boden next came forth
from his retirement and played some excellent games with him.
Bird, long out of chess happening to return from a long absence
abroad, also met him, but neither English player proved equal to
Morphy, and it was regretted that the more experienced Staunton
would not, and that Buckle could not test conclusions with
him, Lowenthal and Paulsen had both been defeated by Morphy
in America, and the young American proved decisively successful
in matches against Lowenthal and Anderssen in London [Paris], and
Harrwitz in Paris.
NOTE. Schallop, Dufresne and Alexis at the Berlin Chess Club
pointed out the great appreciation by Anderssen for these games
when Bird was in Berlin some years ago.
CHESS HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES
THE ORIGIN AND EARLY HISTORY OF CHESS
When it first entered my thoughts to say a few words about chess
and its principal exponents during the Nineteenth century, and
particularly of the forty years during which I have been in the
circle, any idea of inquiring or examining into, and much less
of attempting to reconcile the many conflicting theories so well
known to exist in regard to the early history and progress of the
game, had never once occurred to me. Like many others, I was
slightly acquainted with Professor Forbes' important work of 1860,
in which the age of chess was fixed at about 5,000 years, and
India assigned as its birthplace; and I was more or less familiar
with the theories advanced as to its supposed first introduction
into Europe and also into our own country. That the assumed great
starting point of chess on a board of sixty-four squares (as at
present used), with thirty-two figures, and played by two persons,
was Persia, and that the time was during the reign of Chosroes
Cosrues, or Khosrus (as it is variously written), about A.D.
540, was to the limited few who took any particular interest in the
matter, considered, if not altogether absolutely free from doubt,
certainly one of the best attested facts in early chess history;
whilst the opinions of Sir William Jones (1763), the Rev. R.
Lambe (1764), Hon. Daines Barrington (1787), F. Douce, Esq. (1793),
and Sir Frederick Madden (1832), to the effect that chess first
found its way into England from France after the first Crusade,
at about. A.D. 1100, were, I know--although unfounded and
erroneous--generally accepted as embodying the most probable
theory.
The circumstance which first induced me to take some additional
interest in this question of chess origin, was the perusal of the
lines attributed to Pope (quoted by Forbes at the foot of Chapter
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