Edward Winter
This list of analysis of the Evans Gambit (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 b4) published in old chess periodicals is by no means exhaustive, but it indicates the kind of material that we had in mind when commenting in Historical Havoc: ‘Historical ignorance of the openings is rampant, with writers regularly analysing from scratch positions already meticulously examined in the past.’
‘Gambit du Capitaine Evans’, Le Palamède, 1838, pages 181-186. A note on the aims of the opening and analysis of six lines. ‘Gambit du Capitaine Evans’, Le Palamède, 15 March 1843, pages 97-103. Analysis of ‘un des plus beaux débuts que l’on connaisse’. ‘Evans Gambit’ by ‘A. Tyro’, Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1844, pages 55-56. General discussion, with a proposal of 4...d5. Follow-up letters from George Walker (pages 77-78), ‘V-’ (page 116) and Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa (pages 317-319). ‘On a New Method of Avoiding the Evans Gambit’ by W. Kenrick, Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1844, page 142. An attempt to show the inferiority of 4...d5. ‘Evans’ Gambit, with New Variations’ by Ghulam Kassim, Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1845, pages 47-50. Analysis of 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O Bb6 7 d4. ‘Evans’s Gambit’ by George Waller, Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1846, pages 351-352. Comments on a game with the moves 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O Nf6 7 d4. ‘The Evans’ Gambit’ by ‘Philo-Chess’, Chess Player’s Magazine, 1847, pages 160-163. ‘The Evans’ Gambit Avoided’ with 4...d5. The item was also published on pages 297-299 of the Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1847, and a German translation appeared on pages 350-354 of the November 1847 Deutsche Schachzeitung. ‘The Evans Gambit’, Chess Player’s Magazine, 1847, pages 217-225. Analysis after 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O. ‘The Evans Gambit’, Chess Player’s Magazine, 1847, pages 241-245. Analysis after 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4. ‘Captain Evans’s Gambit’ by George Waller, Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1848, pages 280-285. 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O d6. ‘Captain Evans’ Gambit’ by George Waller, Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1848, pages 341-343. 5 c3 Bc5. ‘Eröffnung des Capitain Evans’, Deutsche Schachzeitung, April 1849, pages 123-133. 5 c3 Ba5. Analysis and discussion further to George Waller’s contributions to the 1848 Chess Player’s Chronicle. ‘Zur Theorie des Evans-Gambit’ by Adolf Anderssen, Deutsche Schachzeitung, February 1851, pages 54-64. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 exd4 7 O-O. ‘Zur Theorie des Evans-Gambit’ by Adolf Anderssen, Deutsche Schachzeitung, May 1851, pages 133-146. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 exd4 7 O-O Nf6. ‘Analysis of the Evans’ Gambit’ by John Hales Sweet, Chess Player, 3 January 1852, pages 2-3, 10 January 1852, pages 10-11 and 17 January 1852, pages 18-19. 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O Nf6 7 d4 and 6 d4 exd4 7 O-O. William Wayte contributed a comment on pages 79-80 of the 6 March 1852 issue. ‘Zur Theorie des Evans-Gambit’ by Adolf Anderssen, Deutsche Schachzeitung, January 1853, pages 16-19. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 exd4 7 O-O. ‘Thema’, Deutsche Schachzeitung, August 1854, pages 303-308. General article based on 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 exd4 7 O-O. ‘Mr Fraser and the Evans’ Gambit’, Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1855, pages 135-140. 5 c3 Bc5 6 d4 exd4 7 O-O. ‘The Evans Gambit’, Chess Monthly, June 1857, pages 163-184. A general introduction and analysis of 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O d6 and 5 c3 Bc5. A letter from Ernest Morphy on pages 268-270 of the September 1857 issue discussed one of the lines (Colonel Mead’s Defence; 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O Nge7). ‘Models of Defence in the Evans Gambit’, Chess Monthly, February 1859, pages 45-48. A selection of variations with 5...Ba5 and 5...Bc5. ‘Zur Theorie des Evansgambit’ by Berthold Suhle, Deutsche Schachzeitung, July-August 1859, pages 220-224, and October 1859, pages 314-319. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 exd4 7 O-O. ‘The Evans’ Gambit’, Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1860, pages 131-136, 161-163, 193-196, 225-227, 257-260, 321-324, 353-355. 5 c3 Bc5, and in particular the Fraser Attack. The analysis also appeared in the Chess Monthly, 1860, pages 202-208, 241-244, 296-300 and 325-328, and on pages 6-10 and 101-104 of the 1861 Chess Monthly. ‘Das abgelehnte Evansgambit’ by Berthold Suhle and Philipp Hirschfeld, Deutsche Schachzeitung, April 1861, pages 113-115, June 1861, pages 181-186, July 1861, pages 209-212. 4...Bb6. ‘Kritik des Evansgambit’ by Max Lange, Deutsche Schachzeitung, August 1861, pages 246-261. Lengthy prose introduction, followed by discussion of 4...Bb6, 4...Bxb4 and 4...d5. ‘Vertheidigungs-Spiele im Evansgambit’, Deutsche Schachzeitung, September 1861, pages 281-289, and October-November 1861, pages 326-328. 5 c3 Bc5 6 O-O d6. ‘Zum Evansgambit’ by Johannes Kohtz, Deutsche Schachzeitung, October-November 1863, pages 317-318. 5 c3 Bc5 6 d4 exd4 7 O-O. ‘Zur Theorie des Evansgambits’ by Emil Schallopp and Gustav Neumann, Neue Berliner Schachzeitung, February 1865, pages 313-316. 5 c3 Bc5 6 O-O d6. ‘The Evans Gambit Declined’, Chess Player’s Magazine, April 1865, pages 106-109. 4...Bb6. ‘Analysis of a New Variation of the Evans Gambit’ by James Mortimer, Chess World, 1865, pages 33-41. 14 e5. A follow-up article by Mortimer under the same title was published on pages 161-164 of Chess World, 1865. Letter from ‘Red Knight’, Chess World, 1865, page 64. An analytical proposal in a line beginning 5 c3 Bc5 6 O-O d6 7 d4. ‘The Mortimer Attack in the Evans’ Gambit’, Chess Player’s Magazine, August 1865, pages 227-230. 14 e5. Variations reproduced in abridged form from an article by James Mortimer in the June 1865 issue of Le Palamède Français. ‘On a Variation in the Evans-Gambit’ by M. Pflaum and G. Schnitzler, Chess World, 1865, page 306. A proposal in the 5 c3 Bc5 6 O-O d6 7 d4 line. ‘Zum Evans-Gambit’ by Eugen von Schmidt, Deutsche Schachzeitung, March 1865, pages 65-69. Article on the Normal Position. ‘Einige Bemerkungen zum abgelehnten Evans-Gambit’ by Hermann Beger, Deutsche Schachzeitung, May 1865, 129-134. 4...Bb6. ‘Zum abgelehnten Evans-Gambit’ by Eugen von Schmidt, Deutsche Schachzeitung, October 1865, pages 291-293. 4...Bb6. ‘Zum Mortimerschen Variante im Evans-Gambit’ by James Mortimer, Deutsche Schachzeitung, October 1865, pages 293-297. ‘Die Sissa zum abgelehnten Evans-Gambit’ by Eugen von Schmidt, Deutsche Schachzeitung, July 1866, pages 193-195. 4...Bb6. Letter from Edward J. Catlow on the Mortimer Attack, Chess World, 1867, pages 52-55. William S. Pavitt responded on pages 138-141, and there were further letters from Catlow (pages 361-365) and Pavitt (pages 421-422). ‘The Counter-Evans-Gambit’ by Robert Bownas Wormald, Chess World, 1867, pages 55-59, pages 141-144. 4...d5. Based on analysis by W.C. Spenser in Wilke’s Spirit of the Times. A correction was published on page 252. Howard Staunton contributed a letter on pages 103-104. ‘Defence to a New Variation of the Evans-Gambit’ by Joseph Cooke, Chess World, 1867, page 106. On the move 9 Re1 in a line beginning 5 c3 Bc5 6 O-O. ‘The “Mortimer Attack”’ by Thomas Long, Chess World, 1868, pages 25-31. ‘Nouvelle analyse du Gambit Evans refusé’ by Samuel Rosenthal, La Stratégie, 15 July 1868, pages 131-133. 4...Bb6. See too pages 289-290 of the August 1871 Chess Player’s Chronicle. ‘Abgelehntes Evans-Gambit’, Deutsche Schachzeitung, September 1868, pages 262-265. Discussion of Rosenthal’s article in La Stratégie. Letter from Ernest Morphy, La Stratégie, 15 April 1870, pages 94-98. On the 9 Re1 variation (5 c3 Bc5 6 d4 line), with comments by Gustav Richard Neumann. ‘The Evans’ Gambit (New Variations by Mr Löwenthal)’, Chess Player’s Chronicle, August 1870, pages 114-119, October 1870, pages 129-131, as well as June 1871, pages 280-281 (comments by W. Bolt). There were also observations by William Timbrell Pierce on pages 187-188 of the Huddersfield College Magazine, April 1878. 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O Nf6. ‘Die Vertheidigung des Evans-Gambits’ by Johannes Minckwitz, Deutsche Schachzeitung, October 1870, pages 289-296. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4. ‘Zum Evans-Gambit’ by Johannes Minckwitz, Deutsche Schachzeitung, February 1871, pages 33-38. A follow-up article. ‘Ueber die Fortsetzung des Angriffs gegen die compromittirte Vertheidigung des Evans-Gambits’ by Adolf Anderssen, Deutsche Schachzeitung, November 1871, pages 321-331. ‘Zur Behandlungsart des abgelehnten Evans-Gambits’ by Adolf Anderssen, Deutsche Schachzeitung, February 1872, pages 33-43. 4...Bb6. ‘Entwicklung des Evansgambits’ by Max Lange, Deutsche Schachzeitung, January 1873, pages 1-13. Historical overview with early games. ‘Nachträge zum Evans-Gambit’ by Adolf Anderssen, Deutsche Schachzeitung, March 1873, pages 65-77. The Compromised Defence. ‘Zum Evans-Gambit’, Deutsche Schachzeitung, December 1874, pages 370-371. The Compromised Defence. ‘The Compromised Defence and its Assailants’ by Johannes Hermann Zukertort, Westminster Papers, 1 June 1875, pages 27-29 and 1 July 1875, pages 48-50. ‘Eine neue Wendung im Evansgambit’ by Johann Berger, Deutsche Schachzeitung, February 1876, pages 33-41, and May 1876, pages 129-134. 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O Nf6 7 d4. ‘Der Normalangriff im Evansgambit’ by Johann Berger, Deutsche Schachzeitung, March 1876, pages 65-77. ‘Zum Evansgambit’ by Oskar Cordel, Deutsche Schachzeitung, March 1878, pages 65-67. 5 c3 Be7. ‘The Evans Gambit’, Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1 December 1877, pages 265-266. 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O d6 7 d4 Bd7. An analytical response from William Timbrell Pierce was published on pages 24-27 of the 1 February 1878 issue. Analysis by Wilhelm Steinitz, arising from the miniature Mackenzie v M’Kim, Yates, White and others, in The Field, 14 December 1878, 21 December 1878 and 1 February 1879. ‘Zum Evans-Gambit’, Deutsche Schachzeitung, June 1879, pages 167-168. The Compromised Defence. ‘Zum abgelehnten Evans-Gambit’, Deutsches Schachzeitung, October-November 1879, pages 296-298. 4...Bb6. ‘Mittel-Gambit gegen Evans-Gambit’, Deutsches Schachzeitung, January 1880, pages 1-3. 4...d5. ‘The Evans Gambit Declined’ by George Hatfeild/Hatfield Dingley Gossip, Chess Player’s Chronicle, 30 August 1881, pages 411-412, 6 September 1881, pages 423-424, 13 September 1881, pages 435-436, 20 September 1881, pages 447-449, 27 September 1881, pages 459-460, 8 November 1881, pages 531-532. Comments on the Normal Defence and Compromised Defence (London, 1883 tournament) by William Timbrell Pierce, BCM, May 1884, pages 158-162, and November 1884, pages 399-401. ‘Zum Evansgambit’ by Johann Berger, Deutsches Schachzeitung, February 1884, pages 38-39. 5 c3 Bc5 6 O-O and the Göring Variation (10 Bg5). ‘Zum Mittelgambit gegen Evans-Gambit’ by Franz Drobny, Deutsche Schachzeitung, November 1885, pages 336-337. 4...d5. ‘Zum Evans-Gambit’ by Carl Schmid, Deutsche Schachzeitung, March 1886, pages 65-66, and April 1886, pages 103-107, and November 1886, pages 326-329. 5 c3 Bc5 6 O-O and the Göring Variation (10 Bg5). ‘Goering’s Attack in the Evans’ Gambit’ by Johann Berger, Chess Monthly, June 1886, pages 308-312. ‘Zum Normalangriff im Evansgambit’ by Franz Drobny, Deutsche Schachzeitung, March 1887, pages 66-68. ‘Zum Normalangriff im Evansgambit’ by Albert Heyde, Brüderschaft, 7 May 1887, pages 150-151. Analytical notes by Edward Freeborough, BCM, June 1887, pages 234-240. A discussion of Henry Edward Bird’s treatment of the Evans Gambit in Modern Chess. ‘An Important Variation of the Evans Gambit’ by T.C. Sanders, International Chess Magazine, July 1888, pages 205-206. A variation in the 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O Nf6 7 d4 line. ‘Zum Evansgambit’ by Bernhard Hülsen, Brüderschaft, 27 October 1888, pages 347-348. An analytical comment on the International Chess Magazine article. ‘Zum Evansgambit’ by Curt von Bardeleben, Deutsche Schachzeitung, May 1889, pages 129-132. The Compromised Defence. ‘The Steinitz Defence to the Evans Gambit’ by Charles Edward Ranken, BCM, June 1889, pages 232-233. A variation in the 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O Qf6 line. ‘Mr Steinitz’s New Defence to the Evans Gambit’ by Edwyn Anthony, International Chess Magazine, April 1890, pages 101-103. Steinitz gave his comments on pages 109-110 of the same issue. He also published some remarks on the Evans Gambit on page 306 of the October 1890 International Chess Magazine. ‘Evans Gambit (Mr Steinitz’s New Defence’) by William Timbrell Price, BCM, November 1890, pages 442-443. ‘Ein Blick auf das Evans-Gambit’, Deutsche Schachzeitung, November 1890, pages 321-329, and December 1890, pages 353-356. The Normal Variation. ‘Evans Gambit. The Compromised Defence: Its Present Position’ by William Timbrell Pierce, BCM, March 1891, pages 117-121, April 1891, pages 157-161, June 1891, pages 273-276. A letter from W.H.S. Monck was published on page 184 of the April 1891 issue. Comments by William Wayte on coverage of the Evans Gambit in the Handbuch, BCM, April 1891, pages 175-182. ‘Remarque sur l’attaque 5 P.4TD dans le Gambit Evans refusé’ by Mikhail Chigorin, La Stratégie, 15 September 1891, pages 257-258. The analysis was also given on pages 329-330 of the November 1891 Deutsche Schachzeitung. Letter from G.E. Barbier on 4...Bb6 5 b5, La Stratégie, 15 November 1891, pages 331-332. A response by Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa was published on pages 367-368 of the 15 December 1891 issue. ‘Une nouvelle attaque du Gambit Evans accepté par M. Tschigorine’, La Stratégie, 15 December 1891, pages 353-354. 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O Nf6 7 d4 Nxe4 8 dxe5 O-O 9 Bd5. ‘De l’attaque Goring dans le Gambit Evans accepté’, La Stratégie, 15 December 1891, pages 355-356. ‘Zum Evansgambit’ by Simon Alapin, Deutsche Schachzeitung, January 1892, pages 1-6, February 1892, pages 33-40, March 1892, pages 65-69, April 1892, pages 97-102. 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O d6. Letter from Simon Alapin about 7...Bd7, BCM, April 1892, pages 165-166. ‘Remarques sur le Gambit Evans accepté’ by Johann Berger and Prince Dadian of Mingrelia, La Stratégie, 15 September 1892, pages 259-262. Including the Göring Attack. A further analytical comment by Prince Dadian of Mingrelia, on 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O, was published on page 340 of the 15 November 1892 issue. ‘Etude sur le Gambit Evans accepté’ by Simon Alapin, La Stratégie, 15 September 1893, pages 257-260. 3 c3 Ba5 6 O-O. ‘Zum Evansgambit’ by Curt von Bardeleben, Deutsche Schachzeitung, November 1893, pages 321-322. A variation in the 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 line. ‘The 6...P to Q3 Defence in the Evans Gambit’ by Simon Alapin, Chess Monthly, March 1894, pages 214-215, July 1894, pages 346-348, September 1894, pages 22-24, November 1894, pages 86-89, May 1896, pages 277-279. A letter from William Timbrell Pierce was published on pages 346-347 of the July 1895 issue. ‘Gambit Evans accepté’ by Simon Alapin, La Stratégie, 15 August 1894, pages 255-258. 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O d6 7 d4 Bd7. ‘Evans Gambit (Compromised Defence)’ by William Timbrell Price, BCM, December 1894, pages 489-490. ‘Etude sur le Gambit Evans accepté, joué par correspondance entre Saint-Pétersbourg et Paris’ by Simon Alapin, La Stratégie, 15 November 1895, pages 321-328. 12 Bb5 in a 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O line. A note on a line advocated by Emanuel Lasker, BCM, June 1895, pages 255-256. 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O Bb6. ‘The Evans Gambit’ by Edward Freeborough, BCM, July 1895, pages 285-288. 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O, with 10 Ng5. ‘Professor Goering’s Attack in the Evans’ Gambit’ by Carl Schmid, Chess Monthly, August 1895, pages 369-371. ‘The Evans Gambit’, BCM, June 1897, pages 204-205. A discussion of the 9 Bd5 line by Jan Kotrč, based on analysis by Mikhail Chigorin. ‘The Evans Declined’ by ‘Hobart’, BCM, July 1897, pages 251-253. 4...Bb6. ‘The Evans Gambit Declined’ by Jackson Whipps Showalter, American Chess Magazine, September 1897, page 251. 4...Bb6. ‘The Evans Gambit’ by ‘Hobart’, BCM, February 1898, pages 64-73. The Normal Position. ‘Date of the Evans Gambit’ by H.J.R. Murray, BCM, March 1898, page 129. Letter on the origins of the opening. Follow-up letter by Murray on page 175 of the April 1898 BCM. ‘The Evans Gambit’ by William Timbrell Pierce and Charles Edward Ranken, BCM, May 1898, pages 194-195. 5 c3 Ba5 6 Qb3. ‘Zur Theorie des Evansgambits’ by Simon Alapin, Der Schachfreund, April 1898, pages 2-4 and May 1898, pages 19-21. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4. ‘The Compromised Evans Gambit’, BCM, April 1901, page 258. ‘Gambit Evans accepté Attaque Goring’ by Prince Dadian of Mingrelia, La Stratégie, 15 September 1901, pages 277-278. ‘Evans Gambit (An Excursion)’ by William Timbrell Pierce, BCM, January 1902, pages 8-9. The Compromised Defence. Pierce added comments in a letter on page 54 of the February 1902 issue. In the March 1902 BCM there were remarks by Alapin (page 108) and Chigorin (page 110. ‘Evans Gambit’ by William Timbrell Pierce, BCM, June 1902, page 258. 5 c3 Ba5 d4 d6. Comments on an article by F.J. Wallis in the Town and Country Journal, 15 March 1902. Remarks by A.C. Neil were published on pages 206-207 of the May 1908 BCM. ‘The Theory of the Evans’ by Paul Saladin Leonhardt, BCM, February 1906, pages 59-60. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 b5. Analysis from Deutsches Wochenschach. Page 186 of the May 1906 BCM had a letter from Alex. Inkson M’Connochie. ‘The Evans Gambit Declined’, BCM, December 1906, page 496. A note by Harwood C. Moore on 4...Bb6. He gave further comments on page 13 of the January 1907 BCM. A proposal from a reader, BCM, June 1908, page 265. After 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 exd4 7 O-O exd4 8 Bg5 d6 W.G. Taunton suggested 9 Nh4. ‘The Evans Gambit’, Chess Weekly, 17 July 1909, page 57. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 d6 7 Qb3. ‘Quelques mots sur le “Gambit Evans”’, Schweizerische Schachzeitung, May 1911, pages 85-87. ‘Zur Theorie des Evansgambits’ by L. Sauer, Deutsche Schachzeitung, February 1912, pages 33-34. 5 c3 Ba5 6 O-O d6 7 d4 Bb6. ‘Ein Beitrag zum Evansgambit’ by Josef Krejcik, Wiener Schachzeitung, March-April 1913, pages 86-88. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 exd4 7 O-O d6 8 Ba3. ‘New Defense of the Evans Gambit’ by William Timbrell Pierce, American Chess Bulletin, September 1913, pages 202-203. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 Nxd4. ‘Evans Gambit’, BCM, November 1915, pages 373-374. Material from the Falkirk Herald on 5 c3 f5. ‘Evans Gambit’ by William Timbrell Pierce, BCM, April 1916, pages 121-122. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 Nxd4. ‘Random Suggestions’ by Stasch Mlotkowski, BCM, October 1916, pages 331-332. 4...Bb6 5 b5 Na5 6 Nxe5. Comments by T. Robinson were published on page 403 of the December 1916 BCM. ‘Random Suggestions’ by Stasch Mlotkowski, BCM, June 1920, pages 173-174. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4. A note by Edward Ernest Cunningham, BCM, November 1921, page 416. 5 c3 Bc5 6 d4 Bb6. Comments from R. Gaudin were published on pages 87-88 of the March 1922 BCM. ‘The Evans Gambit’ by C.H.O’D. Alexander, BCM, December 1932, page 529. A question in a line arising from 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 d6 7 Qb3. Albert Becker contributed a game on page 83 of the February 1933 BCM. ‘Evans Gambit 6 P-Q4’, BCM, July 1933, pages 308-309. Analysis by E.W. Axe. A note on the ‘Adams Variation’, American Chess Bulletin, July-August 1937, page 84. 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 d6 7 dxe5 dxe5 8 Qb3 Qf6 9 Bg5 Qg6 10 Bd5 (Edward B. Adams).
Two major articles seem to include most of what is known about William Davies Evans (1790-1872) and the invention of the Evans Gambit: ‘Entwicklung des Evansgambits’ by M. Lange in the Deutsche Schachzeitung, January 1873, pages 1-13, and ‘Captain Evans’ by W.R. Thomas in the BCM, January 1928, pages 6-18.
Max Lange’s article was accompanied by this picture of Evans:
A slightly different illustration was included in W.R. Thomas’s article (on page 7):
On page 18 Thomas wrote:
‘The article [by Max Lange] contains a good portrait of Evans. The only other one known to the writer is a faded photograph in the album of the Liverpool Chess Club. It represents an old man in a black skull cap, with a flowing white beard.’
In a follow-up letter on pages 84-85 of the February 1928 BCM Thomas wrote:
‘Mr [John] Keeble further informs me that he possesses another portrait of Evans. In 1871 H.F.L. Meyer issued a chess board picture, every square of which has a portrait. The players are in alphabetical order, Abbott at QR8, Wyvill at KR1. Evans is on QKt6, Lewis on QKt4: the Captain’s ghost must be restless.’
The full chess board picture was reproduced in C.N. 3467, and a detail of Evans is given below:
William Rowland Thomas was the father of A.R.B. Thomas (BCM, November 1919, page 370, and April 1936, page 159). His article referred to the exact burial place of Evans, in Ostend; see also page 258 of the June 1927 Chess Amateur, page 103 of the March 1990 BCM and page 25 of the booklet Schaakgraven (C.N. 4452). One other point in W.R. Thomas’s article requires further scrutiny, for on page 18 he stated:
‘Evans’ widow, Marie Thérèse Duncan Evans, survived him for three years, residing at Southborough. She was awarded a pension of £50 a year. Nothing is known of his son, nor are any descendants believed to be alive.’
However, Evans’ widow was still alive much longer after his
death. Pages 97-98 of the December 1879 Chess Monthly
carried an appeal on her behalf by Cyril Parkinson. Her age was
given as 78, and she was said to be struggling against poverty in
a cottage in Kent. Reference was also made to a ‘little grandson’.
Page 325 of the July 1880 Chess Monthly published a letter
from her (Mary Theresa Evans of 1 Oakfield Villas, Southborough,
Tunbridge Wells) to the treasurer of the fund in which she
expressed thanks for the aid received (over £50).
Finally, we add the following quote from an article entitled ‘Experiences of an Amateur’ on pages 163-164 of the May 1883 BCM:
‘On one occasion when I had just commenced a game at the Divan I observed an elderly gentleman suddenly raise his hat from his head and put it on again. He did this in a way to excite my curiosity, and on my venturing to ask him why he had done so he replied, “I am Capt. Evans, and whenever I see anyone playing my gambit I always acknowledge the compliment by taking off my hat”.’
The ‘Amateur’ did not identify himself but provided some pointers, stating, for example, that he had begun chess at school some 46 years previously, studied at Oxford (where he was a Blue) and belonged briefly to the St George’s Chess Club. He also referred to his chess activity in Leamington and Norwich and mentioned that he was well acquainted with the problem composer Horatio Bolton.
(4878)
Luc Winants (Boirs, Belgium) informs us of a video report about the grave of Captain William Davies Evans in Ostend. It shows a fourth photograph of Evans (in addition to those given in C.N. 4878).
(5811)
Wanted: more information in connection with this item on page 348 of the September 1915 Chess Amateur:
‘The Evans should be called the German Game
A correspondent in one of the leading German chess magazines suggests that the opening invented by the English captain, Evans, should in future be called the German Game. The Yorkshire Observer Budget comments:
“If the Germans choose to proclaim the whole of the chess openings a sort of military area and forbid anyone else to operate therein, there is no reason why they should not do so. It might please them, and would not make the least atom of difference to the rest of the world.’
(6941)
From page 195 of the Chess Amateur, April 1915:
(7093)
From Thomas Niessen (Aachen, Germany):
‘C.N.s 6941 and 7093 reported on suggestions that the Evans Gambit and Ruy López should be renamed the “German Game”, and I now note the following on page 423 of the eighth edition of von Bilguer’s Handbuch des Schachspiels (Berlin and Leipzig, 1922):
“v.d. Lasa spricht sich in der D. Schachz. 1873, S. 163 gegen die Bezeichnung ‘Spanische Partie’ aus und erklärt, die Eröffnung müsse ‘Deutsche Partie’ benannt werden, weil fast ihre gesamte Entwicklung das Werk deutscher Forscher sei. Cordel hat in seinem letzten Werk Theorie u. Praxis des Schachspiels (I, S. 4) die Umtaufe vollzogen. Deutschen Meistern gebührt das Verdienst, eine gute und zum Ausgleich genügende Verteidigung gefunden zu haben. Vor einem Jahrzehnt noch eine fürchterliche Waffe in der Hand von Großmeistern wie Tarrasch, Lasker u.a., hat die spanische Partie dank der Forschungen deutscher Meister heute ihre Schrecken verloren.”
To summarize, the Handbuch remarked that on page 163 of the 1873 Deutsche Schachzeitung von der Lasa had expressed opposition to the name “Ruy López”, believing that “German Game” would be correct for the opening because of the work of German researchers. Cordel used that name in his book Theorie und Praxis des Schachspiels. Only a decade ago, the Handbuch stated, the opening had been a terrible weapon in the hands of such masters as Tarrasch and Lasker, but it was now less feared, owing to the work of German researchers.’
Below is page 163 of the June 1873 Deutsche Schachzeitung (part of an obituary of Jaenisch written by von der Lasa):
(7258)
A grammar lesson on how to label 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 b4 was dispensed on page 5 of the Chess Player’s Magazine, January 1867 (in the article ‘Our Penmen and Pressmen’ by ‘N.R.W.’ which was mentioned in C.N. 8952):
(9002)
Some German-language websites ascribe to Tartakower, with no further particulars, this remark about the Evans Gambit: ‘Dieses blendende Angriffsspiel ist dafür erfunden worden, die Menschen zu dem Glauben zu veranlassen, dass die Schachkunst ein Geschenk der Götter ist.’
Readers are invited to add citations to the three shown below:
Die Hypermoderne Schachpartie by S. Tartakower (Vienna, 1924), page 173
La moderna partida de ajedrez by S. Tartakower, volume one (Buenos Aires, 1959), page 161
500 Master Games of Chess by S. Tartakower and J. du Mont (London, 1952), page 29.
Two additions in C.N. 11255:
The start of an entry, by W.R. Hartston, on page 111 of The Encyclopedia of Chess edited by Harry Golombek (London, 1977):
The description ‘a gift of the gods to a languishing chess world’ is often said to have been written ‘once’ by someone, but what are the particulars?
The question was raised by Leonard Reitstein on page 197 of the July 1965 BCM, in D.J. Morgan’s Quotes and Queries column, but the only source offered was page 6 of the ninth edition of Modern Chess Openings by Walter Korn and John W. Collins (London, 1957):
C.J.S. Purdy wrote the following at the start of an article about the Evans Gambit, ‘“Evans” in World Title Tourney’, on pages 90-91 of Chess World, 1 April 1950:
‘An Evans Gambit – even if declined and if the game itself is nothing wonderful – is always “news”. This is not only because of its romantic story but because it still stands as one of the few unrefuted genuine gambits.
The Evans Gambit never wore swaddling clothes. Like Minerva it was born in panoply. The very first known game in which it was played was between its inventor and a great master of those days, Alexander McDonnell, and the inventor won.’
The most detailed historical account of William Davies Evans and the gambit is on pages 9-34 of Eminent Victorian Chess Players by Tim Harding (Jefferson, 2012).
(9332)
Another article in Chess World was ‘New Light on an Old Gambit’ (1 June 1948 issue, pages 134-137).
Regarding games won with the Evans Gambit by Dufresne and Tarrasch, see C.N.s 10667, 10670 and 10671.
Also: Anderssen v Dufresne: The Evergreen Game.
Not 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 b4, but three variations on a theme:
1 e4 e5 2 Bc4 Nf6 3 Nc3 b5 (Schulten-Horwitz, London, 1846). See pages 190-191 of the Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1846 and page 234 of Staunton’s Handbook.
1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Bc4 b5 (Hamppe-Falkbeer, occasion?). See pages 182-183 of the Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1856.
1 d4 d5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Bf4 Bf5 4 g4 (Pillsbury-H., occasion?). See pages 121-122 of the American Chess Monthly, July 1892. In view of that reference, Jacques N. Pope’s valuable monograph on Pillsbury errs by stating (on page 266) that the game was played in 1895. The magazine mentioned that this game, in which White gave the odds of his king’s rook, ‘was played some time ago’ and added with regard to the opening: ‘Mr Pillsbury lays claim to the invention of it, but I think its similarity to a well-known opening detracts considerably from its originality.’
(2502)
White played 4 g4
As mentioned in C.N. 2502 (see page 180 of A Chess Omnibus), a game beginning 1 d4 d5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Bf4 Bf5 4 g4 (in which Pillsbury gave king’s rook odds to a player identified only by the initial H.) was published on pages 121-122 of the American Chess Monthly, July 1892. The game ‘was played some time ago’ and with regard to the opening the magazine said: ‘Mr Pillsbury lays claim to the invention of it, but I think its similarity to a well-known opening detracts considerably from its originality.’
The complete score as published in the American Chess Monthly:
1 d4 d5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Bf4 Bf5 4 g4 Bxg4 5 f3 Bh5 6 Qd2 Nbd7 7 O-O-O c5 8 e4 cxd4 9 Qxd4 dxe4 10 Bb5 exf3 11 Nd5 Nxd5 12 Qxd5 Bg4 13 Nxf3
13...Rc8 14 Ne5 Be6 15 Nxd7 Bxd5 16 Nf6 mate.
C.N. 2502 remarked that page 266 of Harry Nelson Pillsbury American Chess Champion by Jacques N. Pope (Ann Arbor, 1996) dated the game 1895. We add here that the book specified as its source Chigorin’s column in Novoye Vremya of 12 December 1895. The moves from 13...Rc8 to 16 Nf6 mate appeared in a note, and the game’s finish was stated to be 13...Be6 14 Qxe6 fxe6 15 Ne5 Qa5 and ‘White mates in two’.
(7098)
Addition on 10 September 2023:
See also Etude explicative d’une partie d’échecs. Le Gambit Evans by Michel A. Tossizza (La Rochelle, 1910).
To the Chess Notes main page.
To the Archives for other feature articles.
Copyright: Edward Winter. All rights reserved.