André Danican Philidor | Early editions of a landmark chess manual, 5 volumes in all

André Danican Philidor

A group of five volumes, comprising:

(i) L'Analyze des echecs: Contenant une nouvelle methode pour apprendre en peu de tems à se perfectioner dans ce noble jeu. London [?but Paris], 1749. 8vo (189 x 111 mm), "fruit bowl" title ornament, later calf, spine with raised bands in 6 compartments, marbled endpapers, red edges, green silk ribbon, washed [ESTC N68168: "The imprint is false, probably printed in Paris"];

(ii) Die Kunst im Schachspiel ein Meister zu werden. Strassburg: Amand König, 1754. FIRST GERMAN TRANSLATION, 8vo (162 x 99 mm), folding woodcut of a chessboard, woodcut head- and tail-pieces, contemporary calf, spine gilt with raised bands in 6 compartments, marbled endpapers, original green silk ribbon, title-page repaired twice at margin, spotting to folding plate and last few leaves, erased ownership inscription to endpaper, ribbon detached, extremities rubbed and bumped, spine worn;

(iii) Underretning om skak-spil. Viborg: Trykt af C.H. Mangor, 1773. FIRST DANISH TRANSLATION, 8vo (156 x 96 mm), title with engraved border, five engravings of chess boards, engraved head and tail pieces, contemporary calf gilt, covers tooled in blind and gilt, spine with raised bands in 6 compartments, marbled edges and endpapers; extremities slightly rubbed and bumped, lower corners repaired;

(iv) Analyse du jeu des échecs; nouvelle édition, considérablement augmentée. London [?but Paris], 1777. LARGE PAPER COPY, large 8vo (230 x 135 mm), engraved frontispiece portrait of the author by Bartolozzi, list of subscribers, contemporary calf gilt with black morocco label to spine bearing the armorial stamp of Prince Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and Albany, marbled endpapers, original pink silk ribbons, transfer of frontispiece onto title page, upper board detached, lower board starting, extremities rubbed, corners worn [ESTC T145116: "The imprint is false; printed in Paris?"]

[with, edge-mounted on front endleaves:] Autograph manuscript note signed ("AD Philidor"), responding to three queries by Count Brühl relating to castling, written below Brühl's original questions, in English, with a small number of corrections to Philidor's English in Brühl's hand, 1 page, folio 1795; [also with:] a letter by James E. Vernon (1837–1928), Vicar of Bicknoller, to "Dear Sir", noting the provenance of the Philidor autograph ("...I found it in an old book on Chess which formed part of the library of my great-uncle W. Tassie..."), 2 pages, 28 April 1878

(v) Analysis of the game of chess; a new edition, greatly enlarged. London: P. Elmsley, 1777. 8vo (207 x 127 mm), engraved frontispiece portrait of the author by Bartolozzi, fore-edge painting of a chess game, contemporary tree calf, spine gilt with black morocco gilt-lettered label, publisher's wrappers bound in, light spotting to first and last few leaves, upper joint repaired, lower joint starting, extremities rubbed and bumped, corners worn

EARLY EDITIONS OF A LANDMARK CHESS MANUAL by French composer and chess master André Danican Philidor (1726–1795), widely regarded as the best chess player of his age. A chess opening, an endgame position, and a checkmate method are all named after him. His work Analyse du jeu des Échecs was considered to be a huge advance in chess knowledge, hence becoming a standard chess manual for at least a century. First printed in 1749 (ESTC lists 3 issues printed that year), it went through more than 100 editions; German, Danish, and English translations all appeared in the eighteenth century, ensuring the text's widespread influence. The work analysis nine different types of game openings, and includes Philidor's famous phrase "[les pions] sont l'âme des Echecs" ("pawns are the soul of chess").

PROVENANCE:

(iv) Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and Albany, armorial device on spine label; John Isaac Marks, armorial bookplate; George Walker, inscription on front endpapers, "...G. Walker. / From his Chess Library..."

(v) Ebenezer Maitland (1780–1858), English landowner and politician, bookplate and ownership inscription