Howard Staunton 1810 - 74

For sale is the book Howard Staunton 1810 – 1874. Staunton was an English chess master. He was the world's strongest player from 1843 to 1851. This is based on his 1843 match victory over the strongest French player,Saint-Amant. Staunton was the main organizer of the first international chess tournament in London 1851. It was organised to help celebrate the 1851 Exhibition at Hyde Park. These events helped to make London the world's leading chess centre. The winner of the tournament,Anderssen, then became recognised as the world's strongest player.Staunton ran a chess column in the Illustrated London News from 1845 to his death in 1874. He edited the Chess Player's Chronicle, the first important chess magazine in English, from 1841 to 1854. He won matches against all the top players of the 1840s."He wrote valuable books, particularly the Chess-player's handbook of 1847 which... became the standard reference book for English club players down to the end of the century". In 1847 he entered a parallel career as a Shakespearean scholar. Ill health and his two writing careers led him to give up competitive chess after 1851. In 1858 attempts were made to organise a match between Staunton and Morphy, but they failed. Morphy's biographer alleged that Staunton misled Morphy to avoid the match, but Staunton said he had retired from serious play. This first edition paperback is in very good condition.

Condition: Very Good.

One available.