Tim Harding: Steinitz in London, A Chess Biography with 623 Games

by Fabrizio Zavatarelli
Our well-known member Tim Harding had recently added a new monograph to his previous seminal works. Steinitz in London, A Chess Biography with 623 Games (415 p., McFarland, ISBN 978-1-4766-6953-3) in fact goes beyond its title, since it adds a comprehensive account of the Bohemian Caesar’s early activity in Vienna (chapt. 1) and casts a glance at his late years, as well (chapts. 12 and 13). Several pages are also devoted to London chess life and especially to its clubs (in chapts. 3, 5, 9 and 10).
Read more … Tim Harding: Steinitz in London, A Chess Biography with 623 Games
Die Feuilletons von Ignaz Kolisch

Five years ago our member Fabrizio Zavaratelli published his impressive biography of a now hardly known, but nevertheless rather mythological chess master from the 19th century, Ignaz Kolisch. His book Ignaz Kolisch The life and chess career was introduced on our website by webmaster Ralf Binnewirtz (see Zavatarelli on Kolisch).
This year Fabrizio Zavaratelli, together with our member Luca D’Ambrosio and with Michael Burghardt, have published a kind of complementary work Die Feuilletons von Ignaz Kolisch (544 p., Edition Marco, ISBN 978–3-924833-82-4). On the website of the Glarean Magazin Ralf Binnewirtz, now a former member, has published an extended review of this new publication on and of Ignaz Kolisch. You will find it on F. Zavatarelli u.a: Feuilletons von Ignaz Kolisch.
By the way, on these Swiss website Ralf Binnewirtz reviewed in depth many chess books, for instance recently the biography of Hein Donner by the late Alexander Münninghoff.
Below the first paragraph of the review is shown.
Bob van de Velde
Das schachjournalistische Phänomen Ideka
von Ralf Binnewirtz
Drei Schachhistoriker und -autoren haben sich zusammengetan, um die 92 sonntäglichen Feuilletons von Ignaz Kolisch – erschienen 1886-1888 in dessen eigener Wiener Allgemeinen Zeitung – in einem kompakten Band zu vereinen, der weit über die Schachwelt hinaus Interesse beanspruchen darf. Denn diese Feuilletons tangieren und reflektieren nahezu alle Bereiche der Gesellschaft und vermitteln in der ausgefeilten Prosa des Autors ein Zeit- und Sittengemälde Westeuropas aus der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts.
Alessandro Sanvito, RIP 1938-2020

Our Honorary Member Guy van Habberney has informed us about the sad news that our old-time member Alessandro Sanvito passed away, and sent us the obituary below. In addition to it we republish Michael Negele’s article My unforgettable stay at Ermide’s and Alessandro’s home which he wrote for our Chess Stalker Quarterly six years ago.
[Update 2020-11-13] Our member Siegfried Schönle advised us that there is a second volume of the Festschrift in honor of Alessandro Sanvito. A PDF with its content and the multilingual title pages was added at the end of the article. [/Update]
Alessandro Sanvito, 1938-2020
Alessandro Sanvito, one of our earliest members, passed away in Milan on October 21st, aged 81. He had been suffering since a couple of years. Born is 1938, Alessandro’s early youth was marked by the second world war. Then, in 1959, he became seriously ill, to the extent that he was unable to finish his studies. His 9 years older brother Luciano, a famous designer, subsequently helped him to set himself up as a reputable jewelry and diamonds appraiser. In 1965 he married his wife Erminde, with whom he had 4 daughters. They all survive him.
Dr. Diego D'Elia: Il codice Vittorio Emanuele 273 della Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma: analisi storico-culturale e codicologica

The book Il codice Vittorio Emanuele 273 della Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma: analisi storico-culturale e codicologica (The Vittorio Emanuele code 273 of the National Central Library of Rome: historical-cultural and codicological analysis) published for the publishing house Itinera progetti di Bassano del Grappa is the latest in chronological order of the great research work on the history of chess carried out by Dr. Diego D'Elia, among the world's leading experts in this sector.
In this essay, accompanied by a large and well-documented critical apparatus, a detailed and in-depth overview of the late medieval chess literature is provided, based on the direct study of the sources, in a process that culminates in the analysis of an important 15th century codex, kept at the National Central Library of Rome, guiding the reader in a study path that will allow him to learn about the fascinating world of board games such as chess, backgammon and the game of filet (derived in part from the Arab tradition), which were widespread in our society throughout the centuries of the late Middle Ages, seen and interpreted in their historical and cultural context.
It will thus be understood the late medieval chess literature, which will form the basis for the training of world-class chess players both Italian and Spanish in the Renaissance era, among the first to apply the current rules of the game of chess, among which the Venetian champion is also included the priest Lorenzo Busnardo. A book that is, let us be permitted, a very important text for the history of the most widespread game in the world, and which finally puts order, correcting some historical and methodological errors, in one of the most compelling fields of study in the context of the most characteristic of knowledge and our culture.
Stefano Zulian gensiuliastoria@tiscali.it
For any information and any purchases write to info@itineraprogetti.com or look at Itinera Progetti
New book about japanese chess shogi

From the editor of the book mentioned below, we got this information, that could be of interest especially for members who are Shôgi players themselves or have historical interest in the game:
Dear Members of the Chess History & Literature Society,
I recently published a book with articles of my german blog about japanese chess called Shôgi Hamburg. It covers the time from 2013 to 2019. It's mostly accounts of tournaments in the city of hamburg, but it also includs four very short essays about the history and culture of shôgi. Maybe it is of interest for your society or some of your members.
Regards,
Fabian Krahe
Fabian Krahe (Hrsg.): Shôgi Hamburg. Beiträge aus den Jahren 2013 bis 2019.
Norderstedt: Books on Demand 2020
German-language
108 pages
15,00 Euro
ISBN-13: 9783751920216
With contributions from: Uwe Frischmuth, René Gralla, Fabian Krahe, Jürgen Woscidlo
For more information:
- E-mail address of the editor shogihamburg@gmail.com.
- BoD Buchshop
Latest news regarding the CCI meeting in St. Louis

Tom Gallegos and Luann Woneis gave further information about the CCI meeting in St. Louis. The message also contains photos of the display shelves at Link, bulging with sets, just to whet your appetite.
AUCTION REMINDER
Greetings CCI Members and other Chess Friends,
Just a quick reminder: Don't forget to bid on Chess SETS, Chess BOOKS and much more at Link Auction Galleries in St. Louis, September 5, 2020 at 10:00 in the morning, Central Daylight Time. That’s 16:00 (4 pm) for the UK; and 17:00 (5 pm) for most of the rest of Europe.
Read more … Latest news regarding the CCI meeting in St. Louis
Again news regarding the CCI meeting in St. Louis

With regard to the 19th Biennial CCI Congress in St. Louis we received the following announcement of Luann Woneis and Tom Gallegos who had organised the original meeting, but due to Covid-19 were forced to adapt the Congress drastically.
Dear CCI Members and Friends,
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Sep 3rd and 4th, 2020, beginning at 09:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic: CCI 19th Biennial Congress Lectures Sept. 3-4, 2020Register in advance for this webinar at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PO-Wf9OJQbKJr0B3PJMI-A
Read more … Again news regarding the CCI meeting in St. Louis
News regarding the CCI Meeting in St. Louis

Tom Gallegos and Luann Woneiss, the organizers of the scheduled meeting of the CCI in St. Louis in September, write us:
Dear CCI Members and Friends,
We hereby announce that CCI’s 19th Biennial will be what is called a “hybrid” event – part in-person, and part online. We cordially invite you to attend, from the comfort of your own home.
PLEASE ATTEND OUR SCHEDULED WEBINARS, 9 am to noon, CDT, September 3 and 4, 2020.
It breaks our hearts that so many of our friends and fellow collectors cannot be with us in St. Louis for our meeting in September. We’d been hoping to welcome as many as 60-80 of you on the originally scheduled date, back in May. Now, with our September postponement date just around the corner, and the pandemic grinding on and on, it looks like the actual number of attendees will be much closer to 10. (And we need every last one of these folks!)
Robert Johnson: Adolf Anderssen - Combinative Chess Genius

Our member Tony Peterson would like to draw our attention to a new book about Adolf Anderssen:
Adolf Anderssen - Combinative Chess Genius.
An autobiography with 80 annotated games.
Self-published, Australia, 2020
Large heavy hardback (22 x 30cm), pictorial covers.
353pp., 36 fine large photos (3 in colour of Anderssen's grave),
comprises ten chapters with biography and 80 annotated games using contemporary annotations where possible,
appendix with Steinitz's Obituary of Anderssen, bibliography and indexes.
Printed on high quality paper with large type and diagrams. The author has "endeavoured to present the fullest, most accurate possible account of Anderssen's life in English."
[Update 2020-10-22] Although the book is sub-titled An Autobiography it is in fact a biography. Most of the information about Anderssen's early life is sourced from the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (1900). Its Anderssen article was written by Max Lange, a personal friend and chess colleague of Anderssen's. The book also draws from the German works of von Gottschall and Riemann, as well as nineteenth century books and magazines. [/Update]
Signed and dated by the author on the endpaper.
Read more … Robert Johnson: Adolf Anderssen - Combinative Chess Genius
Tobiblion update

Per Skjoldager has updated the database of the BoC-Project. 140 new descriptions have made it into Tobiblion as well as the data of the 74th Klittich auction. They are now available for members in Tobiblion.