Domenico Ercole del Rio
Domenico Ercole del Rio (* 1723 or 1726 in Guiglia , † May 23, 1802 in Modena ) was an Italian chess player .
life and work
Rio was a councilor in Modena and is considered the founder of the Italian chess school, which emphasized the importance of the rapid development of the pieces in the opening . The so-called Italian game today was recommended . Rio published his only book Sopra il giuoco degli scacchi osservazioni pratiche (German: Practical considerations on the game of chess) in 1750 under the pseudonym Anonimo Modenese . It formed the basis of the more detailed work by Giambattista Lolli published thirteen years later .
In the last years of his life, Del Rio completed another work under the title La guerra degli scacchi , in which he summarized his analyzes of the King's and Queen's Gambit and a series of endgames . This manuscript was thought to be lost for a long time. However, more than twenty years ago it was rediscovered in the John White collection in the Cleveland Library , translated into English ( The war of chessmen ), and published in 1984 along with the original text.
Endgame study
1750
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1 |
a | b | c | d | e | f | G | H |
There are also some endgame studies in his book :
The position in the diagram seems lost for White, because he cannot prevent Black from giving a rook check on the next move and thus clearing the way for the conversion of the pawn a2. However, White can play on stalemate :
1. Kg4 – g5 Ra1 – g1 +
2. Kg5 – h6 a2 – a1D
3. Ra7 – a8 +! Da1xa8 patt.
Web links
- John Cochrane: A Treatise on the Game of Chess (London 1822) contains (from p. 125) an English translation of the “Anonymous Modenese” (after Lolli) with commentary
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Rio, Domenico Ercole del |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Anonimo Modenese; Rio, Ercole del |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Italian chess player |
DATE OF BIRTH | 1723 or 1726 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Guiglia |
DATE OF DEATH | May 23, 1802 |
Place of death | Modena |