Amenities and Background of Chess-play

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Amenities and Background of Chess-play
Compiled by docjan

Note: Originally, this work consisted of three booklets written and published by William Ewart Napier in 1934 and 1935. They were later edited by I. A. Horowitz and republished in 1957 under the title "Paul Morphy and the Golden Age of Chess", with additional material on Morphy and his games by Fred Reinfeld. Though thanks must be given to Horowitz for making the original work more widely available, I hope you'll forgive me for ignoring the Reinfeld portions. With all due respect, Napier deserves to stand alone. The introduction which follows gives some idea of his unique writing style.

GREETING

Gracious Reader: The main object of this work is the organized preservation of excellence in chess play. Worthy and significant games, long hidden away in old and previous journals, and memoranda, are to be dusted off and brought to life, if they have spark and courage--and withal, that charm and zest which, in the Middle Ages, the Chronicles relate, lifted chess to a respected place among the eight accounplishments of a gentleman.

Zealously, then war is to be waged upon oblivion.

In a playful mood the scholarly Reti observed quaintly that chess was the game of the unappreciated man! Mischief enough! Surely. But what then shall be done about the unappreciated chess player? He seems to be twice afflicted--like those Puritan women who endured the same hardshps as the men, and, intepidly, had also to endure the men.

Perhaps Master Reti discovered a truth and a need while he jested.

The remedy, however, is not obscure. Some spirited hope is now held that future chapters hereof will make full, though belated, amends to the inveterately unsung.

And what a happy theme it is, that, in loftier moments the minor player is indispensable to a treasury of elegant chess, as aptly as the minor poet to the to the broad anthologies of verse.

Current games and happenings do not come within the design; for, the pasture of a century to browse in is ample, embracing an even hundred years since Master Labourdonnais put forth his treatise.

To the studious player, who lloks to a book for lessons before amusement, the alert inspection of showers of pithy games will supply a colorful background.

Both meek and rash need more background; for, it brings less intimidation and fewer collapses. The richly carpeted chess-mind receives obstreperous ideas with more composure than would bare floors. Pillsbury told me that he had only once been outrageously surprised abroad! And even that one he begrudged. He had due pride of background.

To have been once upon a time in the field myself, with moderate success and a lot of fun, perhaps bestows a clear title to the privileges of reminiscence; but you shall not on that account be unduly occupied with my own encounters.

1. The Value of Background
Mackenzie vs J Mason, 1878
(C11) French, 22 moves, 1-0
2.Chess Caviar. A Parisian Tragedy of 1802 [colors reversed]
Napoleon Bonaparte vs Madame De Remusat, 1804
(C41) Philidor Defense, 14 moves, 1-0
Development vs. Material [given as Mac - Labour, Match 1834]
McDonnell vs NN, 1830
(000) Chess variants, 18 moves, 1-0
A Morphy WIn
N Marache vs Morphy, 1857
(C52) Evans Gambit, 20 moves, 0-1
A Memorable Freak
Morphy vs Maurian, 1855
(000) Chess variants, 12 moves, 0-1
The Allies Needed Morphy
Loewenthal vs Brien / Wormald, 1854
(C80) Ruy Lopez, Open, 23 moves, 1-0
Caissa Sports a Jewel [Napier regards as actual game]
Anderssen vs M Lange, 1859
(C61) Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defense, 19 moves, 0-1
Duplication
M Weiss vs E Schallopp, 1883
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 20 moves, 0-1
Casus Belli
Dr. Michaelsen vs Mrs. Michaelsen, 1884
(000) Chess variants, 10 moves, 1-0
Elegant and Pat
Owen vs Burn, 1887
(D02) Queen's Pawn Game, 19 moves, 1-0
Hermann Neustadtl vs O Valenta, 1889
(C25) Vienna, 19 moves, 0-1
Youth!
Marshall / Souweine vs Napier / Elwell, 1896
(C55) Two Knights Defense, 24 moves, 0-1
From 'Salvioli"
L Goldsmith vs F K Esling, 1880
(C41) Philidor Defense, 17 moves, 1-0
Lest We Forget
S P Johnston vs Marshall, 1899
(D31) Queen's Gambit Declined, 18 moves, 1-0
Won by Napier
W Napier vs NN, 1904
(C39) King's Gambit Accepted, 17 moves, 1-0
W Von Holzhausen vs Tarrasch, 1912
(C55) Two Knights Defense, 14 moves, 1-0
Simultaneous Win by Tarrasch
NN vs Tarrasch, 1932
(C78) Ruy Lopez, 17 moves, 0-1
Great resourcefulness outwits a great emergency
Nimzowitsch vs G Fluss, 1907
(C01) French, Exchange, 19 moves, 1-0
The Moeller Attack
C S Howell vs R P Michell, 1907
(C54) Giuoco Piano, 21 moves, 1-0
A Cameo
W Fried vs Schlechter, 1897
(A02) Bird's Opening, 14 moves, 0-1
M Lowcki vs G Nyholm, 1912
(C34) King's Gambit Accepted, 20 moves, 0-1
Smothering the castled king
H E Atkins vs H Jacobs, 1915
(C21) Center Game, 21 moves, 1-0
In Tarnopol Hospital
Alekhine vs Von Feldt, 1916
(C11) French, 18 moves, 1-0
Spilemann shows how to hunt a king.
Spielmann vs M Walter, 1928
(B10) Caro-Kann, 20 moves, 1-0
The Rare Pure Mate
W Winter vs M Romi, 1926
(E16) Queen's Indian, 16 moves, 1-0
H Hesse vs NN, 1930
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 19 moves, 1-0
3. Gambit Dessert. London chess more than a century ago.
J Brand vs J F Mouret, 1820
(C44) King's Pawn Game, 29 moves, 0-1
Here is Max Lange again
M Lange vs J von Schierstedt, 1855
(C44) King's Pawn Game, 33 moves, 1-0
Odd courses! Odd ports!
J Schulten vs E Rousseau, 1841
(C33) King's Gambit Accepted, 33 moves, 0-1
Morphy Contemporaries
P Bilguer vs von der Lasa, 1839
(C44) King's Pawn Game, 24 moves, 1-0
Taubenhaus vs W Pollock, 1886
(C39) King's Gambit Accepted, 36 moves, 1-0
D M Martinez vs W Pollock, 1889
(C40) King's Knight Opening, 27 moves, 1-0
Charousek vs Lasker, 1896
(C33) King's Gambit Accepted, 36 moves, 1-0
A Consultation Sparkler
V Soldatenkov vs S Durnovo, 1898
(C21) Center Game, 24 moves, 1-0
Flamberg vs Rubinstein, 1910
(C30) King's Gambit Declined, 40 moves, 1-0
Bardonvich vs Maljutim, 1915
(C33) King's Gambit Accepted, 24 moves, 1-0
4. Labourdonnais and MacDonnell
La Bourdonnais vs McDonnell, 1834
(D20) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 36 moves, 0-1
McDonnell vs La Bourdonnais, 1834
(B21) Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4, 46 moves, 1-0
La Bourdonnais vs McDonnell, 1834
(C53) Giuoco Piano, 31 moves, 1-0
5. A shirt-sleeve victory. Hard-boiled versus soft.
Saint-Amant vs Staunton, 1843
(D32) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 34 moves, 1-0
6. A Preachment on Foraging
Michelet vs Kieseritzky, 1843
(C37) King's Gambit Accepted, 31 moves, 1-0
7. Anderssen and Immortality. the Immortal Game
Anderssen vs Kieseritzky, 1851
(C33) King's Gambit Accepted, 23 moves, 1-0
The Evergreen Game
Anderssen vs Dufresne, 1852
(C52) Evans Gambit, 24 moves, 1-0
Anderssen vs de Riviere, 1858
(C55) Two Knights Defense, 32 moves, 1-0
8. Paul Morphy and Free Enterprise. The Morphy Immortal
Paulsen vs Morphy, 1857
(C48) Four Knights, 28 moves, 0-1
Thumbscrew Chess
Morphy vs Maurian, 1869
(000) Chess variants, 27 moves, 1-0
The Most Celebrated Game
Morphy vs Duke Karl / Count Isouard, 1858
(C41) Philidor Defense, 17 moves, 1-0
Morphy's Tranquil Style
Morphy vs de Riviere, 1863
(C51) Evans Gambit, 40 moves, 1-0
More Old Wine
T Barnes vs Morphy, 1858
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 30 moves, 0-1
9. The Melodramatic Period. Devil-may-care Derrickson
J Smith vs G H Derrickson, 1860
(C55) Two Knights Defense, 17 moves, 0-1
From the First Clock Tournament
Blackburne vs J Robey, 1862
(C44) King's Pawn Game, 36 moves, 0-1
Master Hirschfeld
Hirschfeld vs Kolisch, 1864
(C59) Two Knights, 43 moves, 1-0
[Attributed to James A Leonard v. Frederick Perrin]
J A Leonard vs F Perrin, 1861
(C42) Petrov Defense, 25 moves, 1-0
Master De Vere
De Vere vs J Minchin, 1871
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 18 moves, 1-0
De Vere vs Steinitz, 1867
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 27 moves, 1-0
Sam Loyd vs S Rosenthal, 1867
(C50) Giuoco Piano, 36 moves, 1-0
S Rosenthal vs Meitner, 1873
(C33) King's Gambit Accepted, 44 moves, 1-0
Paulsen vs S Rosenthal, 1873
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 31 moves, 1-0
S Rosenthal vs Anderssen, 1873
(B23) Sicilian, Closed, 50 moves, 1-0
A Note on Mason
J Mason vs Winawer, 1882
(C50) Giuoco Piano, 56 moves, 1-0
Soldier Mackenzie
Blackburne vs Mackenzie, 1882
(C45) Scotch Game, 32 moves, 0-1
The Cyrano of Chess
Lipschutz vs Mackenzie, 1886
(C25) Vienna, 36 moves, 1-0
Showalter vs Gossip, 1889
(C45) Scotch Game, 29 moves, 0-1
M Weiss vs W Pollock, 1889
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 29 moves, 0-1
10. Master H. E. Bird
Bird vs de Riviere, 1859
(C51) Evans Gambit, 32 moves, 1-0
Bird vs Englisch, 1883
(C53) Giuoco Piano, 44 moves, 1/2-1/2
Bird vs Zukertort, 1886
(A02) Bird's Opening, 37 moves, 1-0
11. Of Steinitz and Trigger Chess [opponent given as "Hiber"]
Steinitz vs G MacDonnell, 1872
(C31) King's Gambit Declined, Falkbeer Counter Gambit, 33 moves, 1-0
Anderssen vs Steinitz, 1873
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 45 moves, 0-1
A World's Championshp Game
Steinitz vs Zukertort, 1886
(C25) Vienna, 19 moves, 1-0
The First Steinitz Gambit
Steinitz vs G Neumann, 1867
(C25) Vienna, 34 moves, 1-0
The Steinitz Immortal
Steinitz vs Von Bardeleben, 1895
(C54) Giuoco Piano, 25 moves, 1-0
12. Blackburne and the Spirit of Morphy
Blackburne vs Anderssen, 1873
(C30) King's Gambit Declined, 42 moves, 1-0
G Neumann vs Blackburne, 1867
(C38) King's Gambit Accepted, 33 moves, 0-1
The Spirit of Morphy
Blackburne vs J M Hanham, 1889
(C25) Vienna, 26 moves, 1-0
J Mieses vs Blackburne, 1892
(C26) Vienna, 34 moves, 0-1
Blackburne vs Schlechter, 1898
(C33) King's Gambit Accepted, 55 moves, 1-0
77 games

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