Today is the 100th anniversary of the death of Curt von Bardeleben. A wealthy privateer, he was one of the best German chess players in the 1880s and 1890s. He lost his fortune during the First World War and fell seriously ill. On 31 January 1924 he fell to his death from a window.
Like Henry Ernest Atkins, whom Eugene Manlapao featured in September, William Ewart Napier was an exceptional master, but is now almost forgotten. In this article, Eugene explores the life of Napier, who burned brightly in his short career as a chess player.
If the title of British Champion is to go by, England’s most naturally talented player ever may happen to be an amateur. Henry Ernest Atkins was a school teacher by profession, yet won the British Championships in nine out of eleven participations. On the recent 151st anniversary of his birth, it is worth remembering this extremely gifted chess player. | Pictured: Rufus Stevenson and Henry Atkins at Malvern (The Sphere, 20 August 1921), <a href="https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/192108bcf-viewer.html">via BritBase</a>
In the recent 2023 World Championship Match, Ding Liren won Game 12 against Ian Nepomniachtchi using the Colle System to tie the score at six. The match remained tied after fourteen games, and Ding went on to beat Nepomniachti in the rapid tie-breaks to become the 17th World Champion. With the Colle System utilized in the World Championship Match, it is a fitting moment to remember the life and career Edgard Colle.
The Edinburgh Chess Club was founded in 1822 and is celebrating its 200th birthday on November 4. It is the world’s second oldest chess club in continued existence after Zurich (1809). Best wishes for the Bicentenary celebrations, and for the next 100 years!