John Brown: The Forgotten Chess Composer? reintroduces a classic chess title to a whole new readership. Chess Strategy was originally published in 1865, and now Brian Gosling investigates the life and work of it’s author, John Brown, selecting 50 of his chess problems to inspire a new generation of chess players.

John Brown: The Forgotten Chess Composer? reintroduces a classic chess title to a whole new readership. Chess Strategy was originally published in 1865, and now Brian Gosling investigates the life and work of it's author, John Brown, selecting 50 of his chess problems to inspire a new generation of chess players. John Brown: The Forgotten Chess Composer? is not only a gentle introduction into the art of problem solving in chess, but is also a fascinating glimpse into the life and work of an outstanding chess problem composer - in an age before computers. His problems were simple, elegant and accurate and players of all abilities will have much to learn from the chess problems he created, 50 of which have been selected and discussed in this new title by Brian Gosling. Chess is a game with worldwide popularity, but the art of problem solving is often neglected by casual players. You do not need to be a chess expert to become a chess problem solver. The challenge is for White to checkmate Black in a specific number of moves, and the search for these optimal moves makes these puzzles highly absorbing.

A huge amount was published about chess in the United Kingdom before the First World War. The growing popularity of chess in Victorian Britain was reflected in an increasingly competitive market of books and periodicals aimed at players from beginner to expert. The author combines new information about the early history of the game with advice for researchers into chess history and traces the further development of chess literature well into the 20th century. Topics include today's leading chess libraries and the use of digitized chess texts and research on the Web. Special attention is given to the columns that appeared in newspapers (national and provincial) and magazines from 1813 onwards. These articles, usually weekly, provide a wealth of information on early chess, much of which is not to be found elsewhere. The lengthy first appendix, an A to Z of almost 600 chess columns, constitutes a detailed research aid. Other appendices include corrections and supplements to standard works of reference on chess.

This book portrays British chess life in the nineteenth century through biographical studies of ten players who shaped the modern game. From Captain Evans, inventor of the famous gambit, to Isidor Gunsberg, England's first challenger for the world championship, personal narratives are blended with game annotations to reassess players' achievements and character. The author has combined deep reading in primary sources with genealogical research to reveal new facts and correct previous misunderstandings. Major chapters on Howard Staunton and William Steinitz, in particular, highlight the tensions between Englishmen and immigrants, amateurs and professionals. The contrasting long careers of Henry Bird and Joseph Blackburne provide a thread of continuity. The lives of several other important figures in Victorian chess are also presented. More than 160 games (with diagrams), several annotated in detail, and 50 photographs and line drawings are included. Appendices provide career records for all ten; there are extensive notes, a bibliography and indexes.