Transactions of the British Chess Association for the years 1866 and 1867

164 pages with frontispiece, diagrams and indices. Octavo (8 1/2" x 5 1/2") bound in original publisher's green cloth with gilt lettering to cover and blind-stamped embossed cover decoration. From the library of Harold James Ruthven Murray. (Betts 25-6; Bibliotheca van der Linde-Niemeijeriana: 5193) First edition.

Includes the a selection of 37 games from the Congress of London 1866 (Challenge Cup: 1. de Vere; 2. MacDonnell. Handicap: 1. Steinitz and Green), 46 from the Dundee Congress in 1867 (Challenge Cup: 1. Neumann; 2. Steinitz. Handicap: 1. Steinitz and Fraser), 14 games in the Steinitz - Anderssen competition in 1866 (Steinitz won 8:6 and was then considered " "best player" in the world) and 64 problems.

The Dundee tournament is reckoned as the fourth ever international tournament of modern times. The first of modern chess is perhaps Madrid 1575, under the patronage of Phillip II, won by Leonardo ahead of Ruy Lopez. There is a match tournament at Paris in 1821 between Deschappelles, Labourdonais and Cochrane not usually listed - Labourdonnais won 13-1. London (1851) was a knock-out tournament won by Anderssen. London (1862) was an all-play-all tournament again won by Anderssen 12-1. But in 1862 a draw had to be replayed until a positive result was obtained. At Dundee in 1867 this carry-over from knock-out events was abandoned and "it was decided that a draw should be reckoned as half a game to each player engaged in it". The Congress of the British Chess Association (President: Lord Lyttleton) was held at Dundee with the preliminary meeting being in the boardroom of the Caledonian Railway Company on Tuesday, September 3rd. The Congress consisted of three events: (1) The Grand Tourney of Blackburne, De Vere, G. B. Fraser, Hamel, Dr. J. Fraser, Rev. MacDonnell, Neumann, Col. Robertson, Spens and Steinitz. (2) The Handicap Tournament consisting of all the Grand Tournament players except for Hamel, plus seven extra players contested on a knock-out system and won jointly by Steinitz and Dr. J. Fraser "by mutual agreement" after they in the final, "owing to an alleged excess of the time limit by the latter (Fraser), consented to reckon their game as annulled. "This is the result of no rule or procedure being laid down for deciding the penalty for overstepping the time limit. No replay of the final game was possible "as Steinitz had to leave per steamer in the afternoon". (3) The Scottish Championship of eight players, all-play-all, won by Dr. J. Fraser 6-1. A contemporary newspaper report said about this event "after a very tedious contest".

Harold James Ruthven Murray (1868-1955) was a British educationalist, inspector of schools, and prominent chess historian. His book, A History of Chess, is widely regarded as the most authoritative and comprehensive history of the game.

Condition: An autograph dedication (by Charles E. Ranken) on the front end paper: P. Powter with compliments from the Publisher of the "Chess Player's Chronicle … Nov. 1883. Some foxing. Cover stained with bumped corners, spine ends rubbed else very good. Scarce chess item.