Staunton vs Bristol, 1841

The games of his match with St. Amant in 1843 are also worth a look. I like this one:

Staunton vs Saint Amant, 1843

See this game and <sneaky pete>'s comment:

Staunton vs Owen / Barnes, 1858

You should also bear in mind that the closed game hardly existed before Staunton, so he was helping create things we take for granted now -- Fischer credited him with the positional use of the fianchetto, although I am not sure Fischer was right. I suspect the Horwitz game was a real revelation to chessplayers in 1851 (though Horwitz really did play badly).

You might also want to pose your question on the Ray Keene page.

"The deceased often acted, not only with signal lack of generosity, but also with gross unfairness towards those whom he disliked, or from whom he had suffered defeat, or whom he imagined likely to stand between him and the sun.

His attacks upon Anderssen, Williams, Harrwitz, Lowenthal and Steinitz must ever be considered as a sad misuse of his vigorous intellect, especially as they were often conducted in a manner not at all consistent with a truthful spirit; nor were his innuendos concerning Morphy otherwise than an utterly unworthy means of getting out of an engagement, which he could have either declined with a good grace at first, or afterwards have honorably asked to be released from.

Nevertheless, all said and done, Staunton was, as we have often heard a distinguished enemy of his say, emphatically a MAN. There was nothing weak about him, and he had a backbone that never curved with fear of any one.

Of him may be averred, what was said of the renowned Duke of Bedford by Louis the Eleventh, when the courtiers of the latter were venting their deprecatory scoffs over the tomb of the great Englishman, "There lies one, before whom, if he were still alive, the boldest amongst us would tremble."

– William Norwood Potter

– Baron Tassilo von Heyderbrand und der Lasa (on Staunton)

– William Norwood Potter

"The experience, however, of some weeks, during which I have labored unceasingly, to the serious injury of my health, shows that not only is it impracticable for me to save time (to play a match), but that by no means short of giving up a great work on which I am engaged, subjecting the publishers to the loss of thousands, and myself to an action for breach of contract, could I obtain time even for the match itself. Such a sacrifice is, of course, out of all question."

"Staunton was the most profound opening analyst of all time. He was more theorist than player, but nonetheless he was the strongest player of his day.

Playing over his games, I discover that they are completely modern; where Morphy and Steinitz rejected the fianchetto, Staunton embraced it. In addition, he understood all of the positional concepts which modern players hold so dear, and thus - with Steinitz - must be considered the first modern player."

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/....

Born: 1810-Jan

Died: 1874-Jun

Best World Rank: #1 (76 different months between the May 1843 rating list and the August 1849 rating list )

Highest Rating: 2706 on the November 1846 rating list, #1 in world, age 36y10m

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

Excerpts:

<How he, with the commonest perception of what is decent or becoming in society, or with the smallest possible grain of modesty in his composition, can suffer things to be printed in his own magazine that he does, has long been the astonishment of the sober-minded portion of the chess world.’> From: "A Review of “The Chess Tournament,” by H. Staunton, Esq." by ‘A member of the London Chess Club’ (London, 1852), page 19

Howard Staunton in "Illustrated London News":

<

“‘Margaret J.’, Kensington. – The establishment of a Ladies’ Chess Club, is, indeed, an event in the history of the game, and one of the most pleasing evidences of the progress this fine intellectual discipline is making in society. Let us hope the example set by the ladies in Kensington will be followed by our countrywomen in other directions. The game played between Miss E. and Miss M. is excellent in style, and calculated to afford a very high notion of the capabilities of the fair combatants. Can it be possible they have attained such knowledge of the game in three months’ practice only?” (27 November 1847, page 346.)

“‘R.T.C.’–‘V.’–‘Amazon’. – The Ladies’ Chess Club, to which we alluded in our last, is established at Kennington, not Kensington; and is to be called ‘The Penelope Club’. We presume it will be composed exclusively of female members; but, possibly, as an incentive to excellence, an exception to this rule will be admitted in the case of the leading player of the time, who might without impropriety be entitled to the privileges of an ‘Honorary Member’.” (4 December 1847, page 371.)>

Apparently, the game he refers to in the first part was given on pages 63-64 of "A Chess Omnibus" (C.N. 2447) - it's a game between "Miss C." and "Miss M.".

Source: http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...