Chess Rivals of the 19th Century

With 300 Annotated Games

$49.95

In stock

SKU: 9781476680729 Categories: , Tags: ,

About the Book

Many historical chess books focus on individual 19th century masters and tournaments yet little is written covering the full scope of competitive chess through the era. This volume provides a comprehensive overview, with more than a third of the 300 annotated games analyzed by past masters and checked by powerful engines. Players such as Max Lange and Cochrane, known to the chess public only by the name given to a fierce attack or gambit, are brought to life. Fifty masters are each given their own chapter, with brief biographies, results and anecdotes and an endgame section for most chapters.

About the Author(s)

Tony Cullen played chess for the strong London Central YMCA Chess Club and organized tours playing team matches against strong opposition in various European cities. He lives in London.

Bibliographic Details

Tony Cullen

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 477
Bibliographic Info: 54 photos, diagrams, games, bibliography, indexes
Copyright Date: 2021
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8072-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3924-6
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi

Introduction 1

1—The Chess Scene Before 1834 3

2—Louis-Charles Mahé de la Bourdonnais 9

3—Alexander McDonnell 18

4—Ludwig Erdmann Bledow 25

5—Paul Rudolf von Bilguer 30

6—Bernhard Horwitz 36

7—Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa 42

8—John Cochrane 49

9—Howard Staunton 57

10—Lionel Adelberto Bagration Felix Kieseritzky 67

11—Serafino Dubois 74

12—Johann Jacob Löwenthal 81

13—Adolf Anderssen 91

14—Max Lange 104

15—Ernst Karl Falkbeer 109

16—Daniel Harrwitz 115

17—George Henry Mackenzie 127

18—Paul Charles Morphy 136

19—Louis Paulsen 148

20—Ignaz Kolisch 159

21—William Steinitz 167

22—Gustav Richard Ludwig Neumann 185

23—Joseph Henry Blackburne 194

24—Emil Schallopp 206

25—Henry Edward Bird 213

26—Cecil Valentine De Vere 223

27—Samuel Rosenthal 230

28—Johannes Hermann Zukertort 236

29—Amos Burn 246

30—James Mason 255

31—Szymon Abramowicz Winawer 264

32—Berthold Englisch 273

33—Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin 280

34—Semyon (Simon) Alapin 291

35—Johann Berger 297

36—William Henry Krause Pollock 304

37—Isidor Arthur Gunsberg 314

38—Siegbert Tarrasch 322

39—Max Weiss 332

40—Emanuel Stepanovich Schiffers 340

41—Curt von Bardeleben 348

42—Jacques Mieses 356

43—Harry Nelson Pillsbury 365

44—Emanuel Lasker 377

45—Jackson Whipps Showalter 393

46—Adolf Albin 399

47—Rudolf Charousek 407

48—Carl August Walbrodt 413

49—Georg Marco 420

50—Dawid Markelowicz Janowski 429

51—Géza Maróczy 438

The 19th Century’s Top Ten Tournament Players 449

The 19th Century’s Top Four Match Players 450

Bibliography 451

Opponents Index (to game numbers) 455

Annotators Index (to game numbers) 458

Openings Index—Traditional Names (to game numbers) 459

Openings Index—ECO Classification (to game numbers) 460

Index of Endgames (to page numbers) 461

General Index (to page numbers) 462

Book Reviews & Awards

• “This deeply important, useful book provides a comprehensive overview of competitive chess throughout the 19th century….The scope of this volume makes it immensely valuable, providing key insights on the century’s strongest players… This is a splendid, meticulously researched work….essential”—Choice

• “A real treasure trove…Anyone looking to escape the present day, if only for a little while, would do well to purchase a copy”—Chess

• “The book does a good job of demonstrating some fascinating games…recommended”—The Chess Journalist

• “This book is culturally enriching…a lovely resource…I thoroughly enjoyed it…I believe that it deserves a place on any chess players’ bookshelf.”—Chess Book Reviews

• “A good read…carefully researched, thoroughly illustrated, indexed, etc.—everything that makes for a great book.”—American Chess Magazine

• “When I picked up the book the first thing I liked was the superb cover illustration of a host of 19th century rivals. Then on opening up the generous-sized pages I couldn’t help but notice that the typography and page make-up are amongst the very best McFarland has offered over the years. The new use of larger diagrams and chess figurine fonts, together with an attractive layout and portraits of the players, makes for a pleasurable and easy read of both the biographical text and analysis of games, in which both original and computer-checked annotations are skillfully harnessed. … Because the author has displayed excellent judgment in his choice of material, every page has impact and well and truly transports the reader back in time to the Victorian era, when the smoke-filled salon of Simpsons-in-the-Strand was the chess citadel of the world. The extent of the author’s research is very much in evidence”—British Chess Magazine