Alexander McDonnell
Encyclopedia
Alexander McDonnell was an Irish
chess
master, who contested a series of six matches with the world’s leading player Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais
in the summer of 1834.
in 1798. He was trained as a merchant and worked for some time in the West Indies. In 1820 he settled in London
, where he became the secretary of the Committee of West Indian Merchants. It was a lucrative post that made him a wealthy man and left him with plenty of time to indulge his passion for chess.
, who was then the leading player in Britain. But soon McDonnell had become so good that Lewis, fearing for his reputation, simply refused to play him anymore.
. Between June and October 1834 La Bourdonnais and McDonnell played a series of six matches, a total of eighty-five games, at the Westminster Chess Club in London. McDonnell won the second match (and is thus considered to have briefly been World Champion), while La Bourdonnais won first, third, fourth and fifth. The sixth match was unfinished.
, a historical classification of nephritis
, which affects the kidneys. In the summer of 1835 his condition worsened and he died in London on 15 September 1835 before his match with La Bourdonnais could be resumed.
When La Bourdonnais died penniless in 1840, George Walker
arranged to have him buried in London's Kensal Green Cemetery
, near where his old rival McDonnell is buried.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
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...
master, who contested a series of six matches with the world’s leading player Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais
Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais
Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais was a French chess master, possibly the strongest player in the early 19th century.- Early life :...
in the summer of 1834.
Early life
The son of a surgeon, Alexander McDonnell was born in BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in 1798. He was trained as a merchant and worked for some time in the West Indies. In 1820 he settled in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he became the secretary of the Committee of West Indian Merchants. It was a lucrative post that made him a wealthy man and left him with plenty of time to indulge his passion for chess.
Chess career
In 1825 he became a pupil of William LewisWilliam Lewis (chess player)
William Lewis was an English chess player and author, nowadays best known for the Lewis Countergambit and for being the first player ever to be described as a Grandmaster of the game..-Life and works:...
, who was then the leading player in Britain. But soon McDonnell had become so good that Lewis, fearing for his reputation, simply refused to play him anymore.
La Bourdonnais matches
At that time the world's strongest player was the French aristocrat Louis-Charles Mahé de La BourdonnaisLouis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais
Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais was a French chess master, possibly the strongest player in the early 19th century.- Early life :...
. Between June and October 1834 La Bourdonnais and McDonnell played a series of six matches, a total of eighty-five games, at the Westminster Chess Club in London. McDonnell won the second match (and is thus considered to have briefly been World Champion), while La Bourdonnais won first, third, fourth and fifth. The sixth match was unfinished.
Death
McDonnell was suffering from Bright's diseaseBright's disease
Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would be described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. The term is no longer used, as diseases are now classified according to their more fully understood causes....
, a historical classification of nephritis
Nephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of the nephrons in the kidneys. The word "nephritis" was imported from Latin, which took it from Greek: νεφρίτιδα. The word comes from the Greek νεφρός - nephro- meaning "of the kidney" and -itis meaning "inflammation"....
, which affects the kidneys. In the summer of 1835 his condition worsened and he died in London on 15 September 1835 before his match with La Bourdonnais could be resumed.
When La Bourdonnais died penniless in 1840, 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...
arranged to have him buried in London's Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
, near where his old rival McDonnell is buried.
Notable chess games
- Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais vs Alexander McDonnell, 04, London 1834, Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation. McDonnell Defense (D20), 0-1 The first immortal game of the history of chess, according to Reuben FineReuben FineReuben Fine was one of the strongest chess players in the world from the early 1930s through the 1940s, an International Grandmaster, psychologist, university professor, and author of many books on both chess and psychology.Fine won five medals in three chess Olympiads. Fine won the U.S...
. A purely positional sacrifice of a queen for two minor pieces. - Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais vs Alexander McDonnell, London 1834, Bishop's Opening: Lopez Variation (C23), 0-1 An interesting encounter with chances and errors on both sides, ending with a nice two-knights mate.
External links
- 1834 Labourdonnais - McDonnell Matches - match scores from Mark Weeks' chess pages
- Edward WinterEdward Winter (chess historian)Edward Winter is an English journalist, archivist, historian, collector and author about the game of chess. He writes a regular column on that subject, Chess Notes, and is also a regular columnist for ChessBase.-Chess Notes:...
, Alexander McDonnell (2004) - Chess and Chess-Players by George Walker