Chess in 1855
by Bill Wall
In 1855, the Chess Association was founded in Britain by George William.
In 1855, John L. O’Sullivan, the United States Ambassador to Portugal, played a match with St. Amant in Paris. St Amant won 21 games, lost 3, and drew 3. (source: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 12, 1855)
In 1855, the New-York Chess Club was formed by M.F. Perrin at No. 158 East Tenth-street. (source: New York Times, Jan 12, 1855)
In 1855, a chess room was established in the Sacramento Club in Sacramento, California.
In 1855, the Pioneer Chess Club was formed in San Francisco. The club met at the Pioneer Association Hall and had about 20 members. The President was Willard B. Farwell. The Vice President was William Rufus Wheaton (1814-1887). Secretary and Treasurer was John H. Gardiner. Other founding members were H. O. Burrows and T. J. Grotjan.
In 1855, the German Chess Club, San Francisco was formed. Its president was Professor William (Wilhelm) Schleiden.
In 1855, the New York Times started publishing a chess column.
In 1855, the St. James Amateur Chess Club was formed in connections with the St. James Literary and Scientific Society.
In 1855, Adolf Anderssen defeated Carl Mayet in a match in Berlin.
In 1855, Adolf Anderssen defeated Jean Dufresne in a match in Berlin, scoring 6-0.
In 1855, Mattia Cavallotti was born in Milan. In 1881 he won the 3rd Italian championship.
In 1855, the first world problem tournament was organized by Charles Stanley.
In 1855, the earliest chessmen of conventional shape were discovered in Bambra-ka-thul, India. It was set is early 11th century Muslim.
On February 14, 1855, James Grundy was born in Manchester, England. He was an English-American chess master.
On April 18, 1855, Frideswide Beechey Rowland was born. She was the first woman to win a prize for chess problems. She had her own chess column.
On April 21, 1855, the first Black American chessplayer, Theophilus Thompson, was born.
On April 24, 1855, the Mechanics' Institute chess club was incorporated.
In May 1855, Adolf Zytogorski won the Kling’s Coffeee House knockout chess tournament in London.
In June 1855, Charles Henry Stanley, British Vice Consul at the port of New York, was arrested in New York on the charge of violating the neutrality laws by inviting Americans to enlist in the British army and proceeding to the Crimea. At the time, he was considered the US chess champion. (source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, July 8, 1855)