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James Hanham
J M Hanham 
 

Number of games in database: 165
Years covered: 1884 to 1914
Overall record: +52 -79 =29 (41.6%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 5 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Giuoco Piano (19) 
    C53 C50
 King's Pawn Game (16) 
    C20
 Queen's Pawn Game (9) 
    D00 D05
 Uncommon Opening (6) 
    A00 B00
 Bishop's Opening (4) 
    C24 C23
 Two Knights (4) 
    C55
With the Black pieces:
 Philidor's Defense (33) 
    C41
 French Defense (10) 
    C11 C14 C01 C00 C13
 King's Gambit Declined (8) 
    C30
 Queen's Pawn Game (6) 
    D00 D05 D02
 French (5) 
    C11 C13 C00
 Vienna Opening (4) 
    C25
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Lasker vs J M Hanham, 1901 0-1
   Showalter vs J M Hanham, 1889 1/2-1/2
   J M Hanham vs Showalter, 1889 1-0
   J M Hanham vs F Lord, 1895 1/2-1/2
   J M Hanham vs Taubenhaus, 1889 1/2-1/2
   J M Hanham vs E Delmar, 1893 1-0
   Blackburne vs J M Hanham, 1889 0-1
   J M Hanham vs Taubenhaus, 1889 1-0
   N MacLeod vs J M Hanham, 1889 0-1
   D G Baird vs J M Hanham, 1889 0-1

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Hanham - Kemeny (1891)
   Manhattan CC Championship 1902/03 (1902)
   New York vs Pennsylvania (1897)
   Manhattan CC Rice Gambit (1903)
   Manhattan CC Championship 1900/01 (1900)
   Impromptu International Congress, New York (1893)
   2nd City Chess Club Tournament (1894)
   1st City Chess Club Tournament (1893)
   6th American Chess Congress, New York (1889)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   New York 1893, The Impromtu Tournament by Calli
   "New York 1893, The Impromtu Tournament" by Littlejohn


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JAMES HANHAM
(born Jan-04-1840, died Dec-30-1923, 83 years old) United States of America

[what is this?]

Major James Moore Hanham, born Woodville, MS, USA; died New York, NY, USA.

Despite his Southern origins, he fought on the side of the Union during the Civil War and was promoted to major in the U.S. Army. Hanham saw action at Fort Pickens and Baton Rouge. After the Civil War, he moved to Manhattan. In 1885, Hanham took second place in the 7th Manhattan Chess Club championship. Also in 1885, he finished second in the 8th Manhattan Chess Club championship. In 1888, Hanham tied for second and third places in the first United States Chess Association tournament, in Cincinnati, won by Jackson Showalter. He reintroduced at the New York tournament 1889 the "Lord Variation" with the idea of maintaining a strong defensive center. This variation reached by 1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 d6 3.d4 ♘bd7, and known today as the "Hanham Variation" after him, has become one of the main lines of the Philidor Defense (C41). In 1891, Hanham won the New York State Chess Association championship. He died in Manhattan, at age 83 the oldest player of master rank in the United States.

Wikipedia article: James Hanham

Last updated: 2024-06-25 14:18:10

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 7; games 1-25 of 166  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. J M Hanham vs P Richardson  0-1311884Manhattan CC Championship 1884C53 Giuoco Piano
2. J M Hanham vs D G Baird  1-0341884Manhattan CC Championship 1884A84 Dutch
3. J M Hanham vs G Simonson  1-02218847th Manhattan CC Handicap 1884/85B45 Sicilian, Taimanov
4. M Judd vs J M Hanham  1-0261886New YorkC11 French
5. J M Hanham vs J S Ryan  1-0411886Manhattan CC Championship 1886B06 Robatsch
6. F Lewis vs J M Hanham  1-0221886Casual gameC67 Ruy Lopez
7. Mason vs J M Hanham  1-012218862nd BCA Congress, LondonA13 English
8. J M Hanham vs Mackenzie  0-13318862nd BCA Congress, LondonA00 Uncommon Opening
9. Zukertort vs J M Hanham  ½-½6318862nd BCA Congress, LondonA53 Old Indian
10. Gunsberg vs J M Hanham 1-031188621st CCA Congress, NottinghamC00 French Defense
11. J M Hanham vs W Pollock  1-024188621st CCA Congress, NottinghamC50 Giuoco Piano
12. E Schallopp vs J M Hanham  1-047188621st CCA Congress, NottinghamC68 Ruy Lopez, Exchange
13. Burn vs J M Hanham  1-067188621st CCA Congress, NottinghamC01 French, Exchange
14. F K Young vs J M Hanham  ½-½591887Hanham - YoungC01 French, Exchange
15. J M Hanham vs F K Young  0-1311887Hanham - YoungC68 Ruy Lopez, Exchange
16. F K Young vs J M Hanham  1-0601887Hanham - YoungC41 Philidor Defense
17. J M Hanham vs F K Young  1-0501887Hanham - YoungC77 Ruy Lopez
18. F K Young vs J M Hanham ½-½461887Hanham - YoungC14 French, Classical
19. Blackburne vs J M Hanham 1-02218896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC25 Vienna
20. J M Hanham vs Gunsberg 0-13418896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC20 King's Pawn Game
21. Chigorin vs J M Hanham 1-05018896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC51 Evans Gambit
22. J M Hanham vs Bird 0-14118896th American Chess Congress, New YorkB30 Sicilian
23. N MacLeod vs J M Hanham 0-14318896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC20 King's Pawn Game
24. J W Baird vs J M Hanham 1-01918896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC41 Philidor Defense
25. J M Hanham vs E Delmar  0-13518896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC24 Bishop's Opening
 page 1 of 7; games 1-25 of 166  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Hanham wins | Hanham loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
Dec-22-05  Knight13: No comment on this player? <At his death at age 84, he was the oldest chessplayer of master rank in the United States.> I didn't know that. So it's James Moore Hanham. I'm gonna remember that.
Jan-06-06  Rama: Somewhere in his writings, Nimzovich referenced the "Hanham Defense" in the Philidor. It is noted in the write-up above as the "Lord Variation." Now I know where it came from!
Sep-11-08  whiteshark: <Knight13: <... I'm gonna remember that.>> Really? :D
Sep-11-08  whiteshark: <Rama: <Somewhere in his writings, Nimzovich referenced the "Hanham Defense" in the Philidor.>>

Nimzowitsch annotated Teichmann vs Nimzowitsch, 1911 in 'My System' (game#2)

You may wonder why he didn't do it here: Teichmann vs Nimzowitsch, 1911

:D

Jan-04-09  WhiteRook48: is he part of the Muslim Moores?
Jan-04-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  sleepyirv: Born in Mississippi but fought for the Union? That shows principle- or he moved to the North young.
Jul-18-09  Knight13: Or maybe he was one of the few in the south who hated the institution of slavery.
Jan-04-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Happy 171st birthday!
Jan-04-12  whiteshark: Player of the Day

Wiki-bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_...

Jan-04-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Morphy didn't fight for either side (he was hardly the type), but absented himself from the country for much of the Civil War. While in school, I believe a few years before the war began, he wrote a paper on the limited circumstances in which he thought it was proper for a state to secede from the Union. Judging from the paper, he did not consider that the South had a legitimate basis for secession.
Jan-04-14  waustad: His Philidor line with different move order has been played often of late. I've seen it a lot from some Austrian players and occasionally elsewhere. When e5 is delayed it seems to be called the "Improved Hanham" variation. I'd say "happy b'day" but he isn't likely to read it.
Jan-04-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: R.I.P. James Moore Hanham.
Jan-04-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <waustad> Right. Often people play move orders like 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7. The problem with the straight Hanham move order <1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7> is <4.Bc4!> almost forcing <4...c6> [4...Nf6? 5.Ng5; 4...Be7? 5.dxe5 Nxe5 (5...dxe5?? 6.Qd5!) 6.Nxe5 dxe5 7.Qh5! winning a pawn; 4...h6? 5.dxe5 dxe5 (5...Nxe5 6.Nxe5 dxe5 7.Bxf7+!) 6.Bxf7+! Kxf7 7.Nxe5+! Kf6 and now 8.Nc3! is supposed to be a forced win for White] <5.Nc3 Be7> (5...Ngf6 6.Ng5) <6.dxe5! dxe5> (6...Nxe5? 7.Nxe5 dxe5 8.Qh5!) <7.Ng5! Bxg5> (7...Nh6 8.Ne6! fxe6 9.Bxh6 gxh6 10.Qh5+ Kf8 11.Bxe6 ) <8.Qh5!> winning the bishop pair. White scores very heavily from that position. Opening Explorer
Dec-30-15  TheFocus: Rest in peace, sir.
Feb-04-16  zanzibar: In connection with his performance at <2nd BCA Congress - London (1886)>

<"Of Major Hanham's play it is not necessary to say much as during most of the Tournament he was indisposed and played more from a sense of duty than anything else. At times, how ever, he showed what he could do, and under more favourable circumstances he will doubtless show a better score."

- BCM v7 p355>

Jan-04-19  Nosnibor: It looks like he made a major contribution to the Philidor`s Defence.
Jan-04-19  Milesdei: This guy has wins against Showalter, Pillsbury, and Steinitz. Not bad!
Jan-04-22  Nosnibor: <Milesdei> He also beat Blackburne at the 6th American Congress.

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