Mirotvor Schwartz CHESS HISTORY ON STAMPS (PRE-1890) This is a part of my “CHESS HISTORY ON STAMPS” thematic exhibit. It covers events that took place before the 1890s (from the beginning of time to 1889). 1497 Luis Ramirez de Lucena (Spain) published in Salamanca the oldest known chess book, Repetición de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez con 101 Juegos de Partido (Repetition of Love and the Art of Playing Chess). 1749 Francois Andre Danican Philidor (France) published the first edition of his famous book Analyse du jeu des Échecs (The Analysis of the Game of Chess). 1 1755 In 1755, Francois-Andre Danican Philidor (France) won a match against Francois Antoine de Legall de Kermeur (France) and became the unofficial world champion. Philidor’s reign lasted until his death in 1795. Simultaneous Blindfold Exhibition 1783 (London) Count John M Bruehl (England) - Francois Andre Danican Philidor (France) 0:1 Philidor’s opponents - Philidor ½ : 2½. (Philidor played three opponents simultaneously without looking at the board. His opponents all played with White pieces, and one of them also had a one-pawn advantage (Philidor had removed his “f” pawn before the game even started). It was a remarkable achievement by 18th-century standards) 2 1795-1802 Some chess historians (including the person who designed this stamp) consider Domenico Ercole del Rio (Modena) the unofficial world champion in 1795-1802. 1821-40 In 1821, Louis-Charles Mahe de La Bourdonnais (France) defeated his teacher Alexandre Deschapelles (France) and became the unofficial world champion. La Bourdonnais’ reign lasted until his death in 1840. Correspondence Team Match 1842-45 Pest - Paris 2:0 3 1843 After winning a match against Saint-Amant (France), Howard Staunton (England) became the unofficial world champion. The Immortal Game 1851 (London) Adolf Anderssen (Prussia) - Lionel Kieseritsky (France) 1:0 Played as a casual game during a break in London International Tournament 1851. The two players in fact faced each other in the First Round (Anderssen won 2½ : ½). 1.Adolf Anderssen (Prussia) 5.Jozsef Szen (Austrian Empire) 9-16.Lionel Kieseritsky (France) (2.Marmaduke Wyvill (England), 3.Elijah Williams (England)) 4 The Evergreen Game 1852 (Berlin(?)) Adolf Anderssen (Prussia) - Jean Dufresne (Prussia) 1:0 5 American Chess Congress 1857 (New York) 1.Paul Morphy (USA) 2.Louis Paulsen (German Confederation) 3.Theodore Lichtenhein (Prussia) 4.Benjamin Raphael (USA) 5-8.Alexander Beaufort Meek (USA), Frederick Perrin (England), Napoleon Marache (France), Hardman Philips Montgomery (USA) 9-16.James Thompson (England), William James Appleton Fuller (USA), Hubert Knott (USA), Charles Henry Stanley (England), Hiram Kennicott (USA), Daniel Fiske (USA), Samuel Robert Calthrop (England), William Allison (USA) Casual Game 1857 (New York) Lewis Elkin (USA) - Paul Morphy (USA) 0:1 (NOTE: The inscription on the stamp falsely states that Morphy’s opponent is “William Lewis Elkin”, who in fact was Lewis Elkin’s son). 6 Match 1858 (London) Paul Morphy (USA) - Johann Lowenthal (England) 10:4 Match 1858 (Paris) Game 3: Paul Morphy (USA) - Daniel Harrwitz (Prussia) 1:0 Morphy - Harrwitz 5½ : 2½ (Harrwitz withdrew) Simultaneous Blindfold Exhibition 1858 (Paris) Paul Morphy (USA) won six games and tied two. (NOTE: The inscription on the stamp falsely states that the event took place in London). 7 Casual Game 1858 (Paris) Jules Arnous de Riviere (France) - Paul Morphy (USA) 8 Match 1858 (Paris) Game 11: Paul Morphy (USA) - Adolf Anderssen (Prussia) 1:0 Morphy - Anderssen 8:3 Paul Morphy became the unofficial world champion. 9 Casual Game 1858 (Paris) Adolf Anderssen (Prussia) - Paul Morphy (USA) 1:0 Match 1861 (London) Game 1: Ignac Kolisch (Austria) - Adolf Anderssen (Prussia) 0:1 Anderssen - Kolisch 5:4 10 London International Tournament 1862 1.Adolf Anderssen (Prussia) 4-5.Serafino Dubois (Italy) (NOTE: It’s a bit unclear what Daniel Harrwitz (Prussia) is doing there. He did not participate in the tournament. Of course, he could have been just visiting…) (2.Louis Paulsen (German Confederation), 3.John Owen (England)) Match 1866 (London) Wilhelm Steinitz (Austria-Hungary) - Adolf Anderssen (Prussia) 8:6 11 Paris International Tournament 1867 1.Ignatz von Kolisch (Austria-Hungary) (2.Szymon Winawer (Russia), 3.Wilhelm Steinitz (Austria-Hungary)) Vienna International Tournament 1873 Adolf Anderssen (Germany) - Wilhelm Steinitz (Austria-Hungary) 0:1 1.Wilhelm Steinitz (Austria-Hungary) 3.Adolf Anderssen (Germany) (2.Joseph Henry Blackburne (England)) 12 Simultaneous Exhibition 1875 (London) Joseph Henry Blackburne (England) - Taylor 1:0 1879 On November 23, 1879, Dr Jozef Noa founded the first chess club in Serbia (in the city of Veliki Beckerek (now Zrenjanin), then part of Austro-Hungary). 13 1884-86 In some chess experts’ opinion, Johannes Zukertort (England) was the unofficial world champion in 1884-86. German Chess Congress 1885 (Hamburg) 2-6.Max Weiss (Austria-Hungary) (1.isidor Gunsberg (Austria-Hungary), 2-6.Joseph Henry Blackburne (England), James Mason (USA), Berthold Englisch (Austria-Hungary), Siegbert Tarrasch (Germany)) 14 World Championship 1886 (New York - St Louis - New Orleans) Game 9: Johannes Zukertort (England) - William Steinitz (Austria-Hungary) 0:1 (don’t mind Boris Spassky’s pic, it was supposed to be Steinitz’s) Steinitz - Zukertort 12½ : 7½ 15 William Steinitz became the first world champion. 16 German Chess Congress 1887 (Frankfurt) 2-3.Max Weiss (Austria-Hungary), (1.George Henry Mackenzie (USA), 2-3.Joseph Henry Blackburne (England)) 17 World Championship 1889 (Havana) William Steinitz (USA) - Mikhail Chigorin (Russia) 10½ : 6½ 18 American Chess Congress 1889 (New York) 1-2.Max Weiss (Austria-Hungary) (1-2.Mikhail Chigorin (Russia), 3.Isidor Gunsberg (Austria-Hungary)) 19 Amsterdam International Tournament 1889 Emanuel Lasker (Germany) - Johann Hermann Bauer (Austria-Hungary) 1:0 2.Emanuel Lasker (Germany) 6.Johann Hermann Bauer (Austria-Hungary) (1.Amos Burn (England), 3.James Mason (England)) 1890-1899 CHESS HISTORY ON STAMPS 20 .