Chess Player's Chronicle
Encyclopedia
The Chess Player's Chronicle, founded by Howard Staunton
and extant from 1841–56 and 1859–62, was the world's first successful English-language
magazine
devoted exclusively to chess
. Various unrelated but identically or similarly named publications were published until 1902.
The earliest chess magazine in any language was the French Le Palamède
, published in 1836-39 and 1842-47. In 1837 George Walker
introduced an English-language magazine, the Philidorian, that was devoted to "chess and other scientific games". Only six issues of it were published, and it "expired in May, 1838".
The Chess Player's Chronicle became the first successful English-language chess magazine. In 1840 or 1841 Staunton bought the fortnightly magazine The British Miscellany and Chess Player's Chronicle. In 1841 it became the Chess Player's Chronicle. In 1843, the Chess Player's Chronicle became a shilling
monthly magazine.
Staunton "made the inclusion of a large number of games by himself and other leading players of the day a special feature" of the magazine. He also used the magazine as a forum for attacking others. For example, in an early issue, he included the following in "Notices to Correspondents":
Staunton was the owner and editor of the magazine until the early 1850s, when he sold it to R.B. Brien. O'Brien became editor of the magazine, but was unable to continue its success and discontinued it in 1856 because of financial losses and his own illness. It reappeared in 1859 under the editorship of Ignatz Kolisch, Zytogorski, and Josef Kling
, but survived only until July 1862.
Thereafter, a number of magazines appeared with the same or similar name (such as Chess Players' Chronicle) appeared.
Arthur Skipworth, assisted by William Wayte
and Charles Ranken
, wrote The Chess Players' Quarterly Chronicle, which was published in York from February 1868 to December 1871. Skipworth, who had left Bilsdale for Tetford Rectory, Horncastle
, and John Wisker
became the editors of the new The Chess Players' Chronicle in February 1872. Johann Löwenthal
began writing for it in 1873. The magazine ran until 1875.
In January 1876, it was succeeded by The Chess Player's Chronicle, whose editor-in-chief was J. Jenkin of Helensburgh
. Its editorial staff consisted of Jenkin, Skipworth, Ranken, Wayte, and Andrew Hunter of Glasgow
. Billed as a "monthly record of provincial chess", it was published at Glasgow, costing sixpence
. Its short run under Jenkin's editorship was marked by xenophobia
. The February issue stated that the West End Club had "cleared away the disturbing foreign element which whilom infected the Divan" and referring to Wilhelm Steinitz
as "the hot-headed little Austrian". Its third and last issue was published in March.
The magazine reappeared in January 1877. It was now under Ranken's editorship, assisted by J. Crum, G. B. Fraser, Skipworth, and Wayte. The first issue apologized for "certain offensive statements and insinuations, seriously affecting the honour of some eminent players", and explained that some members of the present editorial staff had only contributed games and other inoffensive material to it in 1875. Ranken continued to edit the magazine until September 1880. In 1881, the title was enlarged to The Chess Player's Chronicle, and Journal of Indoor and Outdoor Sports, and "the magazine's importance in the chess world was no longer the same".
None of these magazines compared in quality with what Staunton had achieved, and the success of the British Chess Magazine
, by the turn of the century a superb magazine, put an end to the title in 1902.
Howard Staunton
Howard Staunton was an English chess master who is generally regarded as having been the world's strongest player from 1843 to 1851, largely as a result of his 1843 victory over Saint-Amant. He promoted a chess set of clearly distinguishable pieces of standardised shape—the Staunton pattern—that...
and extant from 1841–56 and 1859–62, was the world's first successful English-language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
devoted exclusively to chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
. Various unrelated but identically or similarly named publications were published until 1902.
Le Palamède
Le Palamède was the world's first periodical devoted to the game of chess. It was founded in France in 1836 by Louis-Charles Mahé de la Bourdonnais, who is often considered to have been an unofficial world chess champion. It ceased publication in 1839, but was revived in December 1841 by Pierre...
, published in 1836-39 and 1842-47. In 1837 George Walker
George Walker (chess player)
George Walker was an English chess player and author of The Celebrated Analysis of A D Philidor , The Art of Chess-Play: A New Treatise on the Game of Chess , A Selection of Games at Chess played by Philidor , Chess Made Easy , and Chess Studies .In 1839 visited...
introduced an English-language magazine, the Philidorian, that was devoted to "chess and other scientific games". Only six issues of it were published, and it "expired in May, 1838".
The Chess Player's Chronicle became the first successful English-language chess magazine. In 1840 or 1841 Staunton bought the fortnightly magazine The British Miscellany and Chess Player's Chronicle. In 1841 it became the Chess Player's Chronicle. In 1843, the Chess Player's Chronicle became a shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
monthly magazine.
Staunton "made the inclusion of a large number of games by himself and other leading players of the day a special feature" of the magazine. He also used the magazine as a forum for attacking others. For example, in an early issue, he included the following in "Notices to Correspondents":
A Barrister, Temple.—Calls our attention to the ridiculous alteration of the Laws of ChessRules of chessThe rules of chess are rules governing the play of the game of chess. While the exact origins of chess are unclear, modern rules first took form during the Middle Ages. The rules continued to be slightly modified until the early 19th century, when they reached essentially their current form. The...
, by G. WalkerGeorge Walker (chess player)George Walker was an English chess player and author of The Celebrated Analysis of A D Philidor , The Art of Chess-Play: A New Treatise on the Game of Chess , A Selection of Games at Chess played by Philidor , Chess Made Easy , and Chess Studies .In 1839 visited...
, in his New Treatise on Chess, and asks, "Is it possible such absurdities are sanctioned by the London Chess Club?" The only sanction give to Walker's puerilities by the Committee is to laugh at them. His books on Chess are no authority except among the lowest class of players.
Staunton was the owner and editor of the magazine until the early 1850s, when he sold it to R.B. Brien. O'Brien became editor of the magazine, but was unable to continue its success and discontinued it in 1856 because of financial losses and his own illness. It reappeared in 1859 under the editorship of Ignatz Kolisch, Zytogorski, and Josef Kling
Josef Kling
Josef Kling was a German chess master and chess composer. In 1851 he wrote Chess Studies with Bernhard Horwitz.-External links:* at Chessgames.com...
, but survived only until July 1862.
Thereafter, a number of magazines appeared with the same or similar name (such as Chess Players' Chronicle) appeared.
Arthur Skipworth, assisted by William Wayte
William Wayte
William Wayte was a Church of England clergyman and a British chess master. He was one of a group of ministers who played a prominent role in English chess in the late nineteenth century...
and Charles Ranken
Charles Ranken
Charles Edward Ranken was a Church of England clergyman and a minor British chess master. He co-founded and was the first president of the Oxford University Chess Club. He was also the editor of the Chess Player's Chronicle and a writer for the British Chess Magazine...
, wrote The Chess Players' Quarterly Chronicle, which was published in York from February 1868 to December 1871. Skipworth, who had left Bilsdale for Tetford Rectory, Horncastle
Horncastle
Horncastle is a market town of some 6,090 residents in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, 22 miles east of Lincoln.-Geography:...
, and John Wisker
John Wisker
John Wisker was an English chess player and journalist. By 1870, he was one of the world's ten best chess players, and the second-best English-born player, behind only Joseph Henry Blackburne.Wisker moved to London in 1866 to become a reporter for the City Press and befriended Howard Staunton...
became the editors of the new The Chess Players' Chronicle in February 1872. Johann Löwenthal
Johann Löwenthal
Johann Jacob Löwenthal was a professional chess master.Löwenthal was born in Budapest, the son of a Jewish merchant. He was educated at the gymnasium of his native city. In 1846, he won a match against Carl Hamppe in Vienna...
began writing for it in 1873. The magazine ran until 1875.
In January 1876, it was succeeded by The Chess Player's Chronicle, whose editor-in-chief was J. Jenkin of Helensburgh
Helensburgh
Helensburgh is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch....
. Its editorial staff consisted of Jenkin, Skipworth, Ranken, Wayte, and Andrew Hunter of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Billed as a "monthly record of provincial chess", it was published at Glasgow, costing sixpence
Sixpence
Sixpence may refer to:*Sixpence *Sixpence *Sixpence *Flat cap, also called a sixpence*Sixpence None the Richer, an American pop/rock band...
. Its short run under Jenkin's editorship was marked by xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
. The February issue stated that the West End Club had "cleared away the disturbing foreign element which whilom infected the Divan" and referring to Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz was an Austrian and then American chess player and the first undisputed world chess champion from 1886 to 1894. From the 1870s onwards, commentators have debated whether Steinitz was effectively the champion earlier...
as "the hot-headed little Austrian". Its third and last issue was published in March.
The magazine reappeared in January 1877. It was now under Ranken's editorship, assisted by J. Crum, G. B. Fraser, Skipworth, and Wayte. The first issue apologized for "certain offensive statements and insinuations, seriously affecting the honour of some eminent players", and explained that some members of the present editorial staff had only contributed games and other inoffensive material to it in 1875. Ranken continued to edit the magazine until September 1880. In 1881, the title was enlarged to The Chess Player's Chronicle, and Journal of Indoor and Outdoor Sports, and "the magazine's importance in the chess world was no longer the same".
None of these magazines compared in quality with what Staunton had achieved, and the success of the British Chess Magazine
British Chess Magazine
British Chess Magazine is the world's oldest chess magazine in continuous publication. First published in January 1881, it has appeared at monthly intervals ever since. It is frequently known in the chess world as BCM....
, by the turn of the century a superb magazine, put an end to the title in 1902.