Chess history trivia

[John Townsend]

"The last illness of De La Bourdonnais was said to have been occasioned by the great mental strain of a blindfold game with Boncourt."

(from Charles Tomlinson's article, "Simpson's", B.C.M., February 1891, page 53).

See also Tomlinson's article, "On blindfold play and a post-mortem", B.C.M., August 1891, pages 380-388, which gives further information, including the score of the game against Boncourt.

I haven't checked what, if anything, Le Palamède had to say on the matter.

[Gerard Killoran]

From the Chess Player's Chronicle, Volume 4, p.293, 1843

Notes by George Walker

Chess Player's Chronicle - Google Books.png

[John Townsend]

Thank you for that, Gerard, and well spotted!

Both the Tomlinson articles referred to above mention that he said he felt as if something had given way in his brain (or head).

[MJMcCready]

I must say I thought that question was fiendishly difficult.

[John Townsend]

In this form of quiz, forumites have time to research, so the questions need to be robust enough to allow for that. It has been remarked in the past that questions have been too easy.

I didn't feel that the present question was unreasonable. Labourdonnais was the world's best at the time, and you might expect that a blindfold game which was thought to have led to his early death would be a matter of some interest.

[MJMcCready]

Fair point yes. I say fiendishly difficult because I had no chance of answering it but like you say Labourdonnais is a noted figure, and as you also said, time is granted for research.

When I have posted questions, I usually got an answer quite quickly, so perhaps the harder the better.

[Gerard Killoran]

Fair point yes. I say fiendishly difficult because I had no chance of answering it but like you say Labourdonnais is a noted figure, and as you also said, time is granted for research.

When I have posted questions, I usually got an answer quite quickly, so perhaps the harder the better.

I found the answer in less than five minutes. It's merely knowing how to use a search engine.

[MJMcCready]

Who was the first Pope to compose and publish chess problems?

[John Upham]

Who was the first Pope to compose and publish chess problems?

Alexander Pope?

[John Clarke]

I suspect John Paul II might be likely to provoke a sounding of the QI klaxons.

So - still donning my ear-muffs! - I'll venture the second-most obvious choice of Cardinal Gioacchino Pecci, who became Pope as Leo XIII (reigned 1878-1903). Known to have been a keen chess player, but there seems to be some doubt now about the authenticity of the 19-move brilliancy supposed to have been won by him in 1875.

[Roger de Coverly]

I suspect John Paul II might be likely to provoke a sounding of the QI klaxons.

Wasn't that established to be a hoax?

https://en.chessbase.com/post/karol-jze ... -1920-2005

[MJMcCready]

I suspect John Paul II might be likely to provoke a sounding of the QI klaxons.

So - still donning my ear-muffs! - I'll venture the second-most obvious choice of Cardinal Gioacchino Pecci, who became Pope as Leo XIII (reigned 1878-1903). Known to have been a keen chess player, but there seems to be some doubt now about the authenticity of the 19-move brilliancy supposed to have been won by him in 1875.

It was him yes. He was quite a player apparently.

[John Upham]

In which feature film does Dr. Charles (S?) Hunter make an appearance alive and then dead without moving a non-autonomic muscle?

No search "engineing" now!

[Geoff Chandler]

What railway station was I in when I bought this book

[John Upham]

What railway station was I in when I bought this book

Hobbs End?