Chess in 1848
by Bill Wall
In 1848, the first open chess tournament was held at Simpson's. (source: Chess History and Reminiscences by Henry Bird, 1893)
In 1848, Paul Morphy defeated his father, Alonzo. It was Paul Morphy’s first recorded chess game.
In 1848, the Revolution of 1848 forced Karl Marx out of Belgium where he was planning a revolutionary action. He was forced to flee back in France, where he spent much of the time playing chess in the Paris cafes.
In 1848, H. R. Agnel, a teacher at West Point Military Academy, published Chess for Winter Evenings.
In 1848, the first chess set and board for the blind was made, by W. Wood.
In 1848, the London Chess Club defeated the Amsterdam Chess Club in a correspondence match.
In 1848, chess composer Max Bezzel (1824-1871) created and published the eight queens problem.
In 1848, the first chess column in a women's magazine appeared in the Ladies Newspaper, London.
In 1848, Carl Hamppe of Vienna analyzed the Vienna opening and made contributions to the opening.
In 1848, Daniel Harrwitz defeated Carl Mayet in a match in Berlin.
In 1848, Henry Buckle and Lionel Kieseritzky drew their match in Paris.
In February 1848, Adolf Anderssen and Damiel Harrwitz drew their match 5-5 in Breslau, Germany.
On September 14, 1848, Adolf Albin was born in Bucharest. He was an Austrian theoretician, chess writer and journalist. He died in 1920.
On October 14, 1848, the chess column in The Spirit of the Times ended. It was edited by Charles Stanley. It was the first weekly chess column in the U.S, starting in March, 1845.
On November 2, 1848, Charles Stanley edited a chess column in The Albion. It lasted until 1856.
On December 31, 1848, Amos Burn was born in Hull, England. He was German champion in 1898. He died in 1925.