Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais
Encyclopedia
Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais (1795–1840) was a French
chess master
, possibly the strongest player in the early 19th century.
in the Indian Ocean in 1797. He learned chess in 1814 and began to take the game seriously in 1818, when he regularly played at the Café de la Régence
. He took lessons from Jacques François Mouret
, his first teacher, and within two years he became one of the best players of the Café.
La Bourdonnais was forced to earn his living as a professional chess player after squandering his fortune on ill-advised land deals.
—until his death in 1840. The most famous match series, indeed considered as the world championship, was the series against Alexander McDonnell
in 1834.
arranged to have him buried just a stone's throw away from his old rival Alexander McDonnell
in London's Kensal Green Cemetery
.
He was the grandson of Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais
.
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...
chess master
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....
, possibly the strongest player in the early 19th century.
Early life
He was born on the island of La RéunionRéunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
in the Indian Ocean in 1797. He learned chess in 1814 and began to take the game seriously in 1818, when he regularly played at the Café de la Régence
Café de la Régence
The Café de la Régence in Paris was an important European centre of chess in the 18th and 19th centuries. All important chess masters of the time played there.The Café' masters include, but are not limited to:* Paul Morphy...
. He took lessons from Jacques François Mouret
Jacques François Mouret
Jacques François Mouret was a French chess master of the early 19th century and one of the operators of The Turk.-Brief Biography:...
, his first teacher, and within two years he became one of the best players of the Café.
La Bourdonnais was forced to earn his living as a professional chess player after squandering his fortune on ill-advised land deals.
Unofficial World Chess Champion
La Bourdonnais was considered to be the unofficial World Chess Champion (there was no official title at the time) from 1821—when he became able to beat his chess teacher Alexandre DeschapellesAlexandre Deschapelles
Alexandre Deschapelles was a French chess player who, between the death of Philidor and the arrival of Louis de la Bourdonnais, was probably the strongest player in the world...
—until his death in 1840. The most famous match series, indeed considered as the world championship, was the series against Alexander McDonnell
Alexander McDonnell
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.- Early life :...
in 1834.
Death
He died penniless in London in 1840, having been forced to sell all of his possessions, including his clothes, to satisfy his creditors. George WalkerGeorge 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 just a stone's throw away from his old rival Alexander McDonnell
Alexander McDonnell
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.- Early life :...
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...
.
He was the grandson of Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais
Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais
Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais was a French naval officer and administrator, in the service of the French East India Company.-Biography:...
.
Notable chess games
- Alexander MacDonnell vs Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais, 16, London 1834, Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian. Open (B32), 0–1 A game demonstrating the strength of pawns. Its end position is one of the most surprising in the history of chess.
- Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais vs Alexander MacDonnell, 3, London 1834, Queen's Gambit Accepted: Old Variation (D20), 1–0 La Bourdonnais punishes MacDonnell's premature attack.