He won the Manchester 1882 tournament (http://www.thechesslibrary.com/file...), sharing 1st place with Bernard Fisher. By profession a schoolmaster, he was a strong amateur player prominent in English provincial chess (Yorkshire and SW England) in the second half of the nineteenth century.
He merited a lengthy obituary in the British Chess Magazine of August 1899 along with a photograph: "The death of Mr. Edmund Thorold was briefly announced in our last issue, chess has suffered a severe loss by the death of Mr. Edmund Thorold, who died very suddenly at his residence, New King Street, Bath, on Monday, June 26th. Edmund Thorold was born at Barnby Moor, Notts, in 1843 (sic), of a well-known Lincolnshire family. He was entered at the Collegiate School, Sheffield, and it was during his school days that he became interested in chess. From Sheffield he went to Worcester College, Oxford, to continue his studies. When Mr. Thorold first saw Oxford, the Inter-Universities' matches had not started, nevertheless he found at Oxford some good chess players. Mr. Ranken left just before Mr. Thorold entered, but he had left a chess influence and some enthusiastic players.
Mr. Thorold's attention, however, was fully taken up with his studies; he had therefore little time to devote to chess, still he found time for an occasional game, the late Mr. Wormald and Mr. Green being amongst his opponents. During the vacations he visited London, and embraced the opportunity of playing with the Masters. One of his opponents was the late Mr. S. S. Boden, and from this talented exponent of the game he derived much knowledge of scientific play. On the completion of his University studies (being at one time Fellow of Magdalen College), Mr. Thorold returned to Sheffield, and was for some time Master of the Collegiate School. He soon identified himself with local chess; was elected president of the Sheffield Chess Club, and also took a very prominent part in various annual meetings of the West Yorkshire Chess Association.
He removed from Sheffield to Bath about thirty years ago, and since then his name is found closely identified with every effort to advance the interests of chess in the West of England. He was for some time president of the Bristol Chess Club, succeeding the late Capt. Kennedy. Mr. Thorold was a frequent competitor in the various tournaments of the Counties' Chess Association. In 1885 he took part in the Hereford Tournament, but not with signal success, though he defeated Emil Schallopp he never did seem to do himself justice in tournament play, though he often defeated strong opponents. In 1888 he was a competitor in the International Master Tournament, at Bradford, and defeated Isidor Gunsberg (winner of the first prize), his final score, however, was only 6.5 out of a possible 16.
In 1890 he was one of the competitors in the International Master tournament of the Manchester Congress, and he won some fine games, including one from Joseph Henry Blackburne. Mr. Thorold played several important matches, defeating such players as Mr. Feddon, of Bristol; Mr. Fisher, of Cheltenham; and Mr. Joseph Henry Blackburne, of the St. George's Chess Club, London. In 1861 he played a match with Mr. John Watkinson, of Huddersfield, which was won by the latter by 7 to 4. In 1884 he played a match with the late Rev. V. Wayte. The final score was Wayte 7, Thorold 5, drawn 4.
The name of Edmund Thorold will always be linked with those of Allgaier and Kieseritzki, in connection with that form of the King's Gambit which is known as the Thorold-Allgaier-Kieseritzki. Had Mr. Thorold done no more for chess than given to its literature the result of his analytical research in the King's Gambit variations, his name would live long in chess annals. But Mr. Thorold rendered other important services to English chess. He was one of a band of enthusiastic amateur players who have laboured unceasingly to raise the standard of English provincial play to the level of the best Metropolitan play and the efforts put forth have not been altogether unsuccessful.
Mr. Thorold was peculiarly a provincial player of the first rank, as Blake, John Owen, Ranken, Skipworth, and Watkinson; but whilst the names of Messrs. Blake, Ranken, and Skipworth are honourably connected with provincial chess, yet they also have a connection - more or less close - with the Metropolis. In Mr. Thorold's case this was not so. Unfortunately Mr. Thorold kept no regular record of the score or results of his games, yet meagre as the account is it is sufficient to show that he was for years amongst the very foremost of English amateur chess players. He has passed away very soon after his old friends the Rev. W. Whyte and the Rev. A. B. Skipworth, and by his death another link is snapped between us and the band of players whose services to chess will cause the Victorian Age to be renowned in chess history. Mr. Thorold was for some years a Master at the Somersetshire College. Bath, and was engaged more or less in tuition till the time of his death." (1)
"The death is announced of Mr. Edmund Thorold, of Bath, the age of sixty-six. Of late Mr. Thorold having withdrawn from serious public cbees, bis name-will be remembered by the younger generation the inventor of the lively variation known in the theory of the game as the Augaier-Thorold Gambit. Mr. Thorold was busily engaged with scholastic work, and could not cultivate the game otherwise than as a recreation; but, in spite of the limited attention he has been able to bestow upon bis favourite pastime, be was equal in strength to each distinguished amateurs as the late Rev. W. Wayte, the late Rev. A. B. Skipworth, the Rev. C. E. Rankin and the Rev. John Owen, with whom he frequently competed in the meetings of the Counties Chess Association. (2)
"The death of Edmund Thorold removes another name from the band of famous amateurs who a generation ago enriched by their genius alike the theory and the practice of chess. His variation the Allgaier Gambit is one that has steadily risen in popular favour, and stood every test of time, while there can be little doubt that with more leisure for play would have been a formidable opponent to the first-class professional masters. He was a brother of the late Bishop of Winchester and had resided many years at Bath, where he died at the age of sixty-seven. (sic)" (3)
"CHESS. At 5, New Street, Bath, Monday, the death occurred suddenly Mr. Edmund Thorold, the well known amateur chess player. He passed away sitting in his chair. Deceased, who was 66 years old, was cousin of the late Bishop of Rochester. He had lived Bath for nearly 30 years, and was the oldest member of Bath Chess Club, having been member when this club held its meetings in the old Commercial Rooms on an upper floor at the Post Office. He had won the County Championship on more than one occasion, was known the inventor of variations of openings throughout chess circles, and frequently - as late as the season recently ended - gave exhibitions simultaneous play at Bristol and Clifton, as well as Bath." (4)
(1) British Chess Magazine, August 1899, pp. 336-337.
(2) Barnsley Chronicle, Saturday 15th July 1899, p. 2.
(3) Illustrated London News, Saturday 8th July 1899, p. 27.
(4) Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday 24th June 1899, p. 8.
http://www.edochess.ca/players/p217....
Kibitzing
