Overview

The 19th century in the United States saw the evolution of a leisure society. Enjoying numerous technological advances, people had free time to indulge in a variety of pursuits. An assortment of board games flooded American homes. By mid-century, chess had surpassed all others in popularity. The author of three important chess texts, Thomas Frere was instrumental in the growth of chess in America. This work reveals the 19th century development of chess through the writings of Thomas Frere: books, letters, chess columns and scrapbooks, illuminating important players of the time and their games. The main text is divided into four sections covering 1827-1900. The first looks at the early years as chess moved from private to public venues, and formal chess clubs were established such as Frere's Brooklyn Chess Club in 1856. The second section deals with the First American Chess Congress and the advent of Paul Morphy and the third is on Frere's role in the first formal world chess championship, thoroughly documented in his letters. The fourth section examines the last decade of the 1800s as chess moved into the 1900s.

Full Product Details

Author:   Martin Frère Hillyer
Publisher:   McFarland & Co Inc
Imprint:   McFarland & Co Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 17.80cm , Height: 1.10cm , Length: 25.40cm
Weight:   0.399kg
ISBN:  

9780786475087

ISBN 10:   0786475080
Pages:   223
Publication Date:   08 February 2013
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Table of Contents List of Illustrations      Acknowledgments      Introduction      Part I: 1827–1856 1. The Early Years      2. Manhattan, 1854–1856      Selected Games from Frère’s Chess Hand-Book      Challenging Problems from the Chess Hand-Book      Chess Hand-Book Problem Solutions      Part II: 1857–1865 3. Manhattan, 1857      Morphy’s Games in America      Frère’s Problem Tournament      Frère’s Problem Solutions      4. “It smells like a Fiske”      5. 1861–1865: Conflict and Tragedy      Morphy’s Games in Europe      Part III: 1877–1886 6. 1877: The Manhattan Chess Club      7. 1879: Living Chess      8. 1880: The Fifth American Chess Congress      9. 1883–1884: Welcome Steinitz! Farewell Morphy!      10. 1885–1886: The First World Championship      Part IV: Through 1900 11. The Final Years      Appendix A: A Chess Collector’s Tale      Appendix B: Morphy and Steinitz      Chapter Notes      Selected Bibliography      Index of Games and Openings      General Index     

Reviews

a leading organizer and writer of the day and is given credit for codifying competition rules at the time...also left behind a great deal of chess notes and memorabilia...impressively detailed picture of the era...delightful, well-researched...has obviously been produced with loving care --<i>British Chess Magazine</i>; another brick in the McFarland wall of American chess history. I commend this publication to anyone interested in chess history --David Geoffrey Mills, <i>Yorkshire Chess Association</i>; the book offers a unique look at chess life in this country in the 19th century --<i>The Washington Post</i>; well researched and well written book...strongly recommended --IM John Donaldson (<i>JeremySilman.com</i>); a must buy --<i>Chess Horizons</i>; strongly recommended --<i>Chess Today.</i>

“a leading organizer and writer of the day and is given credit for codifying competition rules at the time...also left behind a great deal of chess notes and memorabilia...impressively detailed picture of the era...delightful, well-researched...has obviously been produced with loving care”—British Chess Magazine; “another brick in the McFarland wall of American chess history. I commend this publication to anyone interested in chess history”—David Geoffrey Mills, Yorkshire Chess Association; “the book offers a unique look at chess life in this country in the 19th century”—The Washington Post; “well researched and well written book...strongly recommended”—IM John Donaldson (JeremySilman.com); “a must buy”—Chess Horizons; “strongly recommended”—Chess Today.

Author Information

Martin Frère Hillyer, a descendant of Thomas Frère, lives in Ohio.

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