Alexander McDonnell
Alexander McDonnell (born May 22, 1798 in Belfast , † September 14, 1835 in London ) was one of the strongest chess players in the world alongside Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais at the beginning of the 19th century .
Life
McDonnell came from Ireland, but played in the posh Westminster Chess Club in London, where he also shone as an excellent blind chess player. His courageous attacking game was just as feared as his slow play. Chess clocks did not yet exist, and games with it often lasted up to sixteen hours.
In 1823 he traveled to Paris to compete with La Bourdonnais. He lost most of the games. An official competition between the two took place in London in 1834. It was the first major match in modern chess history . McDonnell won 30 games but lost 44 and drew 14.
Before the rematch began, McDonnell died on September 14, 1835 of kidney disease. Like his opponent La Bourdonnais, he was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery .
The position after 1. e2 – e4 e7 – e5 2. f2 – f4 e5xf4 3. Ng1 – f3 g7 – g5 4. Bf1 – c4 g5 – g4 5. Nb1 – c3 g4xf3 6. Qd1xf3 is called the McDonnell gambit .
Well-known games
literature
- William Greenwood Walker: A Selection of Games at Chess, Actually Played in London by the Late Alexander McDonnell , London 1836.
- Carl Utterberg: De la Bourdonnais versus McDonnell. The Eighty-Five Games of Their Six Chess Matches . McFarland & Company. Jefferson, North Carolina 2005, ISBN 0-7864-2114-2 .
Web links
- Replayable chess games by Alexander McDonnell on chessgames.com (English)
- Alexander McDonnell at Chesshistory.com 2004
- Nick Pope: 1834 La Bourdonnais-Macdonnell Matches (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | McDonnell, Alexander |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Irish chess player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 22, 1798 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Belfast |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 14, 1835 |
| Place of death | London |