Chess Texts printed before 1850. Part 2

Chess Texts in the English Language, printed before 1850 by Ken Whyld and Chris Ravilious, Olomouc, 2003.

Chris Ravilious wrote a long article "Working with Ken" detailing their collaboration on this project and this can be seen at the Ken Whyld Association website here.

Further to my previous article I list below the main chess publications in English from 1819 to 1835. The listing of these main works on chess does not imply that the other items recorded in Chess Texts lack importance. On the contrary, due to the scarcity of dedicated chess manuals at the time, many people relied on works such as the games compilations by Hoyle etc. and articles on chess in journals etc., for their chess knowledge. Furthermore this list only includes works in the English language and there are many works in several other languages.

I mentioned that chess articles in encyclopedias were surprisingly omitted in Chess Texts and one example of a long and interesting article excluded by this policy is the ten page entry on Chess in Pantalogia. A New Cyclopedia, published in 1813. This includes an essay on the History of Chess, followed by comprehensive Directions to be attended to in playing, General maxims and Laws of Chess. Some sample pages:

1819:7   Lewis, Gioachino Greco on the game of chess

1819:11 Montigny/Kenny, Analysis of the game of chess, by A.D Philidor

1819:12 Pohlman, Chess rendered familiar by tabular demonstrations

1820:2   Hunneman, Chess: A selection of fifty games played by the automaton

1820:4   An easy introduction to the game of Chess, C. Bingham, Boston, Mass.

1820:14 Bingham J.S., The Incomparable game of chess (Ponziani)

1821:4   Sarratt, A new treatise on the game of chess

1822:4   Lewis, A treatise on the game of chess (Carrera)

1822:6   Cochrane, A treatise on the game of chess

1822:7   Gardiner, Chess: being a series of games

1822:8   Lewis, Elements of the game of chess

1822:12 Short, Bob, A treatise on the game of chess  

1825:7   Lewis, The first and second games of the match, (London v Edinburgh)

1827:8   Lewis, Chess Problems, being a selection of original positions

1828:5   Lewis, The games of the match played by London and Edinburgh clubs

1828:6   Lewis, Solutions of chess problems

1829:2   Edinburgh Chess Club, The games of the match at chess

1829:6   Ghulam Kassim, Analysis of the Muzio Gambit

1830:2   The games of the match at chess played by London and Edinburgh 

1830:9   The whole art of chess and draughts

1831:2   Lewis, A series of progressive lessons on the game of chess

1831:3   Particulars of a match at chess played at Cambridge

1831:8   Walker, G., Chess: new variations on the Muzio Gambit

1832:4   Lewis, Fifty games at chess which have actually been played

1832:5   Lewis, A second series of lessons on the game of chess

1832:7   Madden, Historical remarks on the introduction of chess into Europe 

1832:10 Walker, G., The celebrated analysis of the game of chess (Philidor)

1832:11 Walker, G., A new treatise on chess

1834:4   Head, The new game of social chess

1834:7   Roy, The accomplished chess player

1834:11 Wood, A new guide to chess

1835:2   Lewis, Chess for beginners

1835:3   Lewis, A selection of games  (de la Bourdonnais v McDonnell)  

1835:4   Walker, G., A selection of games at chess actually played by Philidor etc

1819:11 Analysis of the Game of Chess by A.D.Philidor

1819:12 Pohlman, Chess Rendered Familiar

1820:14 The Incomparable Game of Chess, Ponziani/Bingham

1822:6 Cochrane, A Treatise on the Game of Chess

1832:4 Lewis, Fifty Games at Chess

1832:10 Walker on Philidor

1835:2 Lewis, Chess for Beginners

1835:3 Lewis, A Selection of Games at Chess

 © Michael Clapham 2016