Göttingen manuscript
Encyclopedia
The Göttingen manuscript is the earliest known work devoted entirely to modern chess
. It is a Latin
text of 33 leaves held at the University of Göttingen. A quarto parchment manuscript of 33 leaves, ff. 1–15a are a discussion of twelve chess opening
s, f. 16 is blank, and ff. 17–31b are a selection of thirty chess problem
s, one on each page with a diagram and solution. Authorship and exact date of the manuscript are unknown. Similarities to Lucena's Repeticion de Amores e Arte de Axedres con CL iuegos de partido (c. 1497) have led some scholars to surmise that it was written by Lucena or that it was one of Lucena's sources. Although the manuscript is generally assumed to be older than Lucena's work, this is not established. The manuscript has been ascribed possible writing dates of 1500–1505 or 1471.
The manuscript is exclusively devoted to modern chess (using the modern rules
of movement for the pawn
, bishop
, and queen
, although castling
had not yet taken its current form), and no mention is made of the earlier form. The rules are not explained, so the manuscript must have been written at a time and place when the new rules were well established, or it was addressed to a player familiar with the new rules. The addressee of the manuscript is not named, but was evidently a nobleman of high rank. Some particulars of the manuscript suggest that the author was from Spain
or Portugal
and that it was copied at some point in France
, although this is not certain.
became a more common end to the game, and study was required to develop early attacks and defend against them. Subsequent chess writing would continue to emphasise study of the opening .
The twelve openings in the manuscript include four attacks in which the Prince to whom the work is addressed is the first player, and eight defences where he is the second player. They include one example each of 1.c4 (English Opening
) and 1.f4 (Bird's Opening
), two examples of 1.d4 (Queen's Pawn Openings) including a Queen's Gambit
, and eight examples of 1.e4 (King's Pawn Openings). Every King's Pawn Opening included is a Double King's Pawn Opening as Black always responds to 1.e4 with 1...e5. One example of the Bishop's Opening
(2.Bc4) is given. The other seven King's Pawn Openings are King's Knight Opening
s (2.Nf3), to which the author seems to suggest that 2...Nc6 is the best defence . Although no evaluation of the resulting positions is given, some of the examples continue well into the middle game; the eighth is given through move 33. In the order in which they appear in the manuscript, the openings are:
. Many of the thirty problems are given special conditions, such as specific pieces that can't move or requirements that mate be delivered by a pawn or by two consecutive checks by pawns . Examples of problems in the manuscript:
No. 18: 1.Ng4 2.Nf6 3.Ra8+ 4.Rg8 5.g6+ 6.d6#
No. 20: 1.Bd1+ 2.Qd7+ 3.Qd3 4.axb3+ 5.bxc4+ 6.c5#
No. 24: 1.Kd7 2.Ne5 3.Nc4 4.Na5 5.Bd4 6.a7+ or b7+ 7.b7# or a7#
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...
. It is a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
text of 33 leaves held at the University of Göttingen. A quarto parchment manuscript of 33 leaves, ff. 1–15a are a discussion of twelve chess opening
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
s, f. 16 is blank, and ff. 17–31b are a selection of thirty chess problem
Chess problem
A chess problem, also called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by somebody using chess pieces on a chess board, that presents the solver with a particular task to be achieved. For instance, a position might be given with the instruction that White is to move first, and checkmate Black in two...
s, one on each page with a diagram and solution. Authorship and exact date of the manuscript are unknown. Similarities to Lucena's Repeticion de Amores e Arte de Axedres con CL iuegos de partido (c. 1497) have led some scholars to surmise that it was written by Lucena or that it was one of Lucena's sources. Although the manuscript is generally assumed to be older than Lucena's work, this is not established. The manuscript has been ascribed possible writing dates of 1500–1505 or 1471.
The manuscript is exclusively devoted to modern chess (using the modern rules
Rules of chess
The rules of chess are rules governing the play of the game of chess. While the exact origins of chess are unclear, modern rules first took form during the Middle Ages. The rules continued to be slightly modified until the early 19th century, when they reached essentially their current form. The...
of movement for the pawn
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
, bishop
Bishop (chess)
A bishop is a piece in the board game of chess. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king's knight and the king, the other between the queen's knight and the queen...
, and queen
Queen (chess)
The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Each player starts the game with one queen, placed in the middle of the first rank next to the king. With the chessboard oriented correctly, the white queen starts...
, although castling
Castling
Castling is a special move in the game of chess involving the king and either of the original rooks of the same color. It is the only move in chess in which a player moves two pieces at the same time. Castling consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player's first rank, then...
had not yet taken its current form), and no mention is made of the earlier form. The rules are not explained, so the manuscript must have been written at a time and place when the new rules were well established, or it was addressed to a player familiar with the new rules. The addressee of the manuscript is not named, but was evidently a nobleman of high rank. Some particulars of the manuscript suggest that the author was from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
or Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and that it was copied at some point in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, although this is not certain.
Openings
The attention paid to the opening in the manuscript reflected the greater importance of study of the early part of the game caused by the changes to the movement of the pieces in modern chess. The old game tended to develop slowly, with victory often achieved by capturing all enemy pieces to the bare king. The modern game developed much more quickly due to the new ability of the pawn to make an initial move of two squares, and the greatly enhanced powers of the bishop and queen. CheckmateCheckmate
Checkmate is a situation in chess in which one player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to meet that threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured...
became a more common end to the game, and study was required to develop early attacks and defend against them. Subsequent chess writing would continue to emphasise study of the opening .
The twelve openings in the manuscript include four attacks in which the Prince to whom the work is addressed is the first player, and eight defences where he is the second player. They include one example each of 1.c4 (English Opening
English Opening
In chess, the English Opening is the opening where White begins:A flank opening, it is the fourth most popular and, according to various databases, anywhere from one of the two most successful to the fourth most successful of White's twenty possible first moves. White begins the fight for the...
) and 1.f4 (Bird's Opening
Bird's Opening
Bird's Opening is a chess opening characterised by the move:Bird's is a standard but never popular flank opening. White's strategic ideas involve control of the e5-square without occupying it, but his first move is also non-developing and slightly weakens his kingside...
), two examples of 1.d4 (Queen's Pawn Openings) including a Queen's Gambit
Queen's Gambit
The Queen's Gambit is a chess opening that starts with the moves:The Queen's Gambit is one of the oldest known chess openings. It was mentioned in the Göttingen manuscript of 1490 and was later analysed by masters such as Gioachino Greco in the seventeenth century...
, and eight examples of 1.e4 (King's Pawn Openings). Every King's Pawn Opening included is a Double King's Pawn Opening as Black always responds to 1.e4 with 1...e5. One example of the Bishop's Opening
Bishop's Opening
The Bishop's Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White attacks Black's f7-square and prevents Black from advancing his d-pawn to d5....
(2.Bc4) is given. The other seven King's Pawn Openings are King's Knight Opening
King's Knight Opening
The King's Knight Opening is a chess opening consisting of the moves:The opening is likely to continue into one of a number of other named openings, depending mainly on Black's second move.-Popular continuations:...
s (2.Nf3), to which the author seems to suggest that 2...Nc6 is the best defence . Although no evaluation of the resulting positions is given, some of the examples continue well into the middle game; the eighth is given through move 33. In the order in which they appear in the manuscript, the openings are:
- Damiano DefenceDamiano DefenceThe Damiano Defence is a chess opening characterized by the opening moves#e4 e5#Nf3 f6?The ECO code for the Damiano Defence is C40 .-Details:...
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6) - Philidor DefencePhilidor DefenceThe Philidor Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:It is named after the famous 18th-century player François-André Danican Philidor, who advocated it as an alternative to the common 2...Nc6...
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6), example favoring White - Giuoco PianoGiuoco PianoThe Giuoco Piano is a chess opening beginning with the moves:Common alternatives to 3...Bc5 include 3...Nf6 , 3...Be7 , or 3...d6 .-History:...
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5) - Petrov Defence (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6)
- Bishop's OpeningBishop's OpeningThe Bishop's Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White attacks Black's f7-square and prevents Black from advancing his d-pawn to d5....
(1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 c6) - Ruy LopezRuy LopezThe Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The opening is named after the 16th century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura, who made a systematic study of this and other openings in the 150-page book on chess Libro del...
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 Classical Defence) - Ponziani OpeningPonziani OpeningThe Ponziani Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The opening is now considered inferior to 3.Bb5, the Ruy Lopez, and 3.Bc4, the Italian Game, and is accordingly rarely seen today at any level of play. Black's main responses are 3...Nf6, leading to quiet play, and 3...d5, leading...
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3) - Philidor Defence, example favoring Black
- Queen's Gambit AcceptedQueen's Gambit AcceptedThe Queen's Gambit Accepted is a chess opening characterised by the moves:The Queen's Gambit is not considered a true gambit, in contradistinction to the King's Gambit, because the pawn is either regained, or can only be held unprofitably by Black...
(1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4) - 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Bf5 (a form of the London SystemLondon SystemThe London System is a complex of related chess openings that begin with 1.d4 followed by an early Bf4. The London System requires very little knowledge of opening theory and normally results in a very closed game...
) - Bird's OpeningBird's OpeningBird's Opening is a chess opening characterised by the move:Bird's is a standard but never popular flank opening. White's strategic ideas involve control of the e5-square without occupying it, but his first move is also non-developing and slightly weakens his kingside...
(1.f4) - English OpeningEnglish OpeningIn chess, the English Opening is the opening where White begins:A flank opening, it is the fourth most popular and, according to various databases, anywhere from one of the two most successful to the fourth most successful of White's twenty possible first moves. White begins the fight for the...
(1.c4)
Problems
All thirty problems are also found in Lucena's work, and all but one (number 24) are found in DamianoPedro Damiano
Pedro Damiano was a Portuguese chess player who lived from 1480 to 1544. A native of Odemira, he was a pharmacist by profession...
. Many of the thirty problems are given special conditions, such as specific pieces that can't move or requirements that mate be delivered by a pawn or by two consecutive checks by pawns . Examples of problems in the manuscript:
Solutions
No. 5: 1.Qb7 2.Qd5#No. 18: 1.Ng4 2.Nf6 3.Ra8+ 4.Rg8 5.g6+ 6.d6#
No. 20: 1.Bd1+ 2.Qd7+ 3.Qd3 4.axb3+ 5.bxc4+ 6.c5#
No. 24: 1.Kd7 2.Ne5 3.Nc4 4.Na5 5.Bd4 6.a7+ or b7+ 7.b7# or a7#