James A. Leonard
Encyclopedia
James A. Leonard was a young American chess master
, who grew up as a son of poor Irish immigrants in New York City
. He learned to play chess at age 16 or 17. Before his 20th birthday, he was already famous for his fierce attacking play and prowess at blindfold chess
, at which he played as many as ten games simultaneously
.
In 1862, he fought for the Union
in the American Civil War
. He was captured, and while being held as a prisoner of war
, died of dysentery
before reaching his 21st birthday. Commentators have compared his promise, never realized, to that of American chess giants Paul Morphy
and Harry Nelson Pillsbury
.
book Chess Personalia: A Biobibliography state that Leonard was born in New York City. However, his biographer John S. Hilbert, states, based on Leonard's military records, that "recent evidence strongly suggests he was born in Ireland".
Leonard grew up in New York City with his parents, who were poor, working-class Irish immigrants. Hilbert believes, based on 1850 census
records, that his parents may have been John Leonard, a cabinet maker, and his wife Eleanor. Leonard also had a brother Joseph, about two years his junior.
tournament held there. In October 1860, Paul Morphy
, the de facto world chess champion, visited New York and played Leonard, giving him rook odds
. The result of the game is unknown.
In 1861, Leonard visited Philadelphia, where he played a match against William Dwight
, who later became a general in the Union Army
. The match was a class of chess cultures. Leonard wrote of Dwight, to Hazeltine, "OH GOLLY ain't he a slow player! ... He considers 3 moves a side every hour as getting along very fast". The Philadelphians treated Leonard as a social inferior, and took offense at an article about the match he published in the New York Clipper
. Francis Well wrote of that article in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, "It is as vulgar, coarse, and illiterate as might be expected from anything emitting from such a source, and published in such a column." The match was a disaster for Leonard, whose second stole his money, leaving him penniless. Leonard returned to New York with the match unfinished, while leading with six wins, two draws, and three losses, and needing only one more win for victory in the match.
By late 1861, Leonard was giving simultaneous exhibition
s of blindfold chess
, commonly on eight boards. Hazeltine referred to Leonard's "wonderful blindfold séances in the Fall of 1861, the Winter and Spring of 1862". The most blindfold games that Leonard ever played simultaneously was apparently ten, in New York on November 16, 1861. He scored four wins, two draws, and four losses. The number of boards played by Leonard was close to the world record, which was then held by Louis Paulsen
, who had played as many as 12 blindfold games simultaneously.
Biographer Hilbert writes that "during his short career he won three major New York tournaments and defeated all the finest chessplayers of the city, and most of the finest players in the country, save one. Although the two main chess matches he played were left unfinished, his dominance in those matches was evident."
in Company F., 88 N.Y. Volunteers, an Irish regiment. After seven days of battles, he was captured by the Confederate Army. While held in a facility in Annapolis, Maryland
that housed prisoners of war captured by both sides, he contracted scorbutic dysentery
and died on September 26, 1862.
writes that Leonard "acquired fame among his contemporaries for his brilliant attacks and blindfold prowess". William Ewart Napier
wrote in the mid-1930s, "Among the neglected masters of this country who should be kindly remembered as exhibiting the premonitory signs and urge of champions was Leonard. In style, he was no doubt frankly satellited to Morphy, whose exploits were still a fresh memory in Leonard's day."
James D. Séguin, in a tribute to Harry Nelson Pillsbury on page 127 of the July 1906 American Chess Bulletin
(reprinted from the New Orleans Times-Democrat) remarked of Leonard:
with 17...Nf6! 18.Rxd8 Raxd8 19.f4 Ke7. 18.Bxe6 Qe7 19.Qg4+ Qg5 20.Bf5+ Kf6 21.Rd6+ Ke5 22.Re6#
1–0
Leonard – L. Mark, New York, date unknown 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 d6 6.Nxd4 Ne5 7.Bb3 c5 8.f4 Nc6 9.Qh5 g6 10.Qd5 Qc7 11.Nb5 Qd7 12.e5 Nb4 13.Nxd6+ Bxd6 14.Qxd6 Qxd6 15.exd6 Be6 16.a3 Bxb3 17.axb4 Bxc2 18.bxc5 f5 19.b4 Nf6 20.Nc3 a6 21.Re1+ Be4 22.Bb2 Rf8 23.b5 Kd7 24.Na4 Nd5 (see diagram at left) 25.c6+ bxc6 26.Nc5+ Kd6 27.Ba3 Rfe8 28.Nxe4+ Kd7 29.bxc6+ Kxc6 30.Rac1+ Kb6 31.Bc5+ Kc7 32.Ba7+ Kb7 33.Nc5+ Kxa7 34.Nxe8 Nxf4 White mates in five moves: 35.Rc7+ Kb6 36.Rb1+ Ka5 37.Rc2 etc. 1–0
In the following game, Leonard nonchalantly allows Black to trap his bishop
, then launches a blistering attack: Leonard – Perrin, place and date unknown 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 N6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Nxe5 d5 6.Bb3 Bd6 7.d4 0-0 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 Be6 10.f4 c5 11.Qd2 c4 12.Ba4 a6 13.0-0-0 b5 14.f5 Bxf5 15.Rdf1 Bh7 16.Rxf6 gxf6 17.Nxd5 Bxe5 18.dxe5 Nd7 19.Qxh6 "and White wins"
Chess master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
, who grew up as a son of poor Irish immigrants in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He learned to play chess at age 16 or 17. Before his 20th birthday, he was already famous for his fierce attacking play and prowess at blindfold chess
Blindfold chess
Blindfold chess is a form of chess play wherein the players do not see the positions of the pieces or touch them. This forces players to maintain a mental model of the positions of the pieces...
, at which he played as many as ten games simultaneously
Simultaneous exhibition
A simultaneous exhibition or simultaneous display is a board game exhibition in which one player plays multiple games at a time with a number of other players. Such an exhibition is often referred to simply as a "simul".In a regular simul, no chess clocks are used...
.
In 1862, he fought for the Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He was captured, and while being held as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, died of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
before reaching his 21st birthday. Commentators have compared his promise, never realized, to that of American chess giants Paul Morphy
Paul Morphy
Paul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy...
and Harry Nelson Pillsbury
Harry Nelson Pillsbury
Harry Nelson Pillsbury , was a leading chess player. At age 22, he won one of the strongest tournaments of the time , but his illness and early death prevented him from challenging for the World Chess Championship.- Early life :Pillsbury was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, moved to New York City...
.
Early life
Nineteenth-century chess journalists and Jeremy Gaige'sJeremy Gaige
Jeremy Gaige was an American chess archivist and journalist. He was best known for his work collecting and publishing tournament results and basic biographical data on chess players. Hooper and Whyld called his works "scrupulously written" and "a source of reference for chess journalists and...
book Chess Personalia: A Biobibliography state that Leonard was born in New York City. However, his biographer John S. Hilbert, states, based on Leonard's military records, that "recent evidence strongly suggests he was born in Ireland".
Leonard grew up in New York City with his parents, who were poor, working-class Irish immigrants. Hilbert believes, based on 1850 census
United States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...
records, that his parents may have been John Leonard, a cabinet maker, and his wife Eleanor. Leonard also had a brother Joseph, about two years his junior.
Chess career
Leonard learned chess at age 16 or 17. He played chess primarily at the Morphy Chess Rooms in New York. Chess journalist Myron Hazeltine remarked that Leonard was the Rooms' "light and lustre". In the summer of 1860, he won the second New York HandicapChess handicap
A handicap in chess is a way to enable a weaker player to have a chance of winning against a stronger one. There are many kinds of such handicaps, such as material odds, extra moves A handicap (or "odds") in chess is a way to enable a weaker player to have a chance of winning against a stronger...
tournament held there. In October 1860, Paul Morphy
Paul Morphy
Paul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy...
, the de facto world chess champion, visited New York and played Leonard, giving him rook odds
Chess handicap
A handicap in chess is a way to enable a weaker player to have a chance of winning against a stronger one. There are many kinds of such handicaps, such as material odds, extra moves A handicap (or "odds") in chess is a way to enable a weaker player to have a chance of winning against a stronger...
. The result of the game is unknown.
In 1861, Leonard visited Philadelphia, where he played a match against William Dwight
William Dwight
William Dwight, Jr. , was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:William Dwight was born July 14, 1831 in Springfield, Massachusetts...
, who later became a general in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. The match was a class of chess cultures. Leonard wrote of Dwight, to Hazeltine, "OH GOLLY ain't he a slow player! ... He considers 3 moves a side every hour as getting along very fast". The Philadelphians treated Leonard as a social inferior, and took offense at an article about the match he published in the New York Clipper
New York Clipper
The New York Clipper, also known as The Clipper, was a weekly entertainment newspaper published in New York City from 1853 to 1924. It covered many topics, including circuses, dance, music, the outdoors, sports, and theatre. It had a circulation of about 25,000. The publishers also produced the...
. Francis Well wrote of that article in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, "It is as vulgar, coarse, and illiterate as might be expected from anything emitting from such a source, and published in such a column." The match was a disaster for Leonard, whose second stole his money, leaving him penniless. Leonard returned to New York with the match unfinished, while leading with six wins, two draws, and three losses, and needing only one more win for victory in the match.
By late 1861, Leonard was giving simultaneous exhibition
Simultaneous exhibition
A simultaneous exhibition or simultaneous display is a board game exhibition in which one player plays multiple games at a time with a number of other players. Such an exhibition is often referred to simply as a "simul".In a regular simul, no chess clocks are used...
s of blindfold chess
Blindfold chess
Blindfold chess is a form of chess play wherein the players do not see the positions of the pieces or touch them. This forces players to maintain a mental model of the positions of the pieces...
, commonly on eight boards. Hazeltine referred to Leonard's "wonderful blindfold séances in the Fall of 1861, the Winter and Spring of 1862". The most blindfold games that Leonard ever played simultaneously was apparently ten, in New York on November 16, 1861. He scored four wins, two draws, and four losses. The number of boards played by Leonard was close to the world record, which was then held by Louis Paulsen
Louis Paulsen
Louis Paulsen was a German chess player.In 1860s and 1870s, he was among the top five players in the world. He was a younger brother of Wilfried Paulsen....
, who had played as many as 12 blindfold games simultaneously.
Biographer Hilbert writes that "during his short career he won three major New York tournaments and defeated all the finest chessplayers of the city, and most of the finest players in the country, save one. Although the two main chess matches he played were left unfinished, his dominance in those matches was evident."
Civil War, death
On February 1, 1862, Leonard enlisted on the side of the Union in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in Company F., 88 N.Y. Volunteers, an Irish regiment. After seven days of battles, he was captured by the Confederate Army. While held in a facility in Annapolis, Maryland
Parole, Maryland
Parole is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 14,031 at the 2000 census. It is where several major roads intersect at the edge of the state capital, Annapolis, and adjacent to the Annapolis Mall shopping center and Anne Arundel Medical Center...
that housed prisoners of war captured by both sides, he contracted scorbutic dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
and died on September 26, 1862.
Legacy
Chess historian 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:...
writes that Leonard "acquired fame among his contemporaries for his brilliant attacks and blindfold prowess". William Ewart Napier
William Ewart Napier
William Ewart Napier was an American chess master of English birth.- Life :...
wrote in the mid-1930s, "Among the neglected masters of this country who should be kindly remembered as exhibiting the premonitory signs and urge of champions was Leonard. In style, he was no doubt frankly satellited to Morphy, whose exploits were still a fresh memory in Leonard's day."
James D. Séguin, in a tribute to Harry Nelson Pillsbury on page 127 of the July 1906 American Chess Bulletin
American Chess Bulletin
The American Chess Bulletin was a chess periodical that was published monthly and bi-monthly from 1904 to 1963. The editor was Hermann Helms , who founded the magazine and edited it until his death, at which point publication ceased...
(reprinted from the New Orleans Times-Democrat) remarked of Leonard:
With the admitted exception of the king of chess kings, our own Paul Morphy, Pillsbury assuredly stands as the finest exponent of the game that America has yet produced – unless perhaps on a plane with him may be placed the natural (though never fairly developed) capacity of that remarkable if erratic and early eclipsed genius of the early sixties, James Leonard, of New York, whose life so soon disappeared amid the smoke and gloom of battle in the great Civil War. But, of course, lack of opportunity to attain development of genius on Leonard's side precludes fair comparison in this instance.Gustavus Reichhelm went even further, writing in 1898 that Leonard "was, after Morphy, the most promising player America ever produced". In 2005, a biography of Leonard by chess historian John S. Hilbert was published, entitled The Tragic Life and Short Chess Career of James A. Leonard, 1841-1862.
Notable games
Leonard – Matthews, Brooklyn Chess Club, blindfold exhibition, November 30, 1861 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.0–0 d6 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.e5 dxe5 11.Ba3 Nxd4 12.Nxe5 Be6 13.Re1 c5 14.Qa4+ Nd7 15.Nxf7 Kxf7 16.Rxe6 Nxe6 17.Rd1 Kg6? According to Fritz 8, Black could have achieved approximate equality by sacrificing his queenQueen (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...
with 17...Nf6! 18.Rxd8 Raxd8 19.f4 Ke7. 18.Bxe6 Qe7 19.Qg4+ Qg5 20.Bf5+ Kf6 21.Rd6+ Ke5 22.Re6#
Checkmate
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...
1–0
Leonard – L. Mark, New York, date unknown 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 d6 6.Nxd4 Ne5 7.Bb3 c5 8.f4 Nc6 9.Qh5 g6 10.Qd5 Qc7 11.Nb5 Qd7 12.e5 Nb4 13.Nxd6+ Bxd6 14.Qxd6 Qxd6 15.exd6 Be6 16.a3 Bxb3 17.axb4 Bxc2 18.bxc5 f5 19.b4 Nf6 20.Nc3 a6 21.Re1+ Be4 22.Bb2 Rf8 23.b5 Kd7 24.Na4 Nd5 (see diagram at left) 25.c6+ bxc6 26.Nc5+ Kd6 27.Ba3 Rfe8 28.Nxe4+ Kd7 29.bxc6+ Kxc6 30.Rac1+ Kb6 31.Bc5+ Kc7 32.Ba7+ Kb7 33.Nc5+ Kxa7 34.Nxe8 Nxf4 White mates in five moves: 35.Rc7+ Kb6 36.Rb1+ Ka5 37.Rc2 etc. 1–0
In the following game, Leonard nonchalantly allows Black to trap his 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...
, then launches a blistering attack: Leonard – Perrin, place and date unknown 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 N6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Nxe5 d5 6.Bb3 Bd6 7.d4 0-0 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 Be6 10.f4 c5 11.Qd2 c4 12.Ba4 a6 13.0-0-0 b5 14.f5 Bxf5 15.Rdf1 Bh7 16.Rxf6 gxf6 17.Nxd5 Bxe5 18.dxe5 Nd7 19.Qxh6 "and White wins"