First American Chess Champion

July always brings out the patriot in me .

It’s a great time to revisit our  Earliest American Chess Champions…

Charles Stanley (left) during his match with John Turner (right) in Washington in 1850 (Lowenthal center)

Charles Henry Stanley (September 1819, Brighton – 1901, USA) was the first chess champion of the United States.

When the first U.S. championship match took place in 1845, Stanley defeated Eugène Rousseau of New Orleans, and claimed the title.

In 1846 he published the first US book on a chess match, 31 Games of Chess and in 1855 organized the first World Problem Tournament.
Stanley is a little-known figure who has been eclipsed by the achievements of the world famous Paul Morphy.

Stanley played Morphy in 1857, losing the title of U.S. Chess Champion ..
He was married, and had a daughter, Pauline, who was named after Morphy.

Classical games: Charles Henry Stanley beat John Spencer Turner 8 to 3, with 1 draw

[Event “Washington Match”]
[Site “03”]
[Date “1850.02.??”]
[EventDate “?”]
[Round “?”]
[Result “1-0”]
[White “Charles Henry Stanley”]
[Black “John Spencer Turner”]
[ECO “C26”]
[WhiteElo “?”]
[BlackElo “?”]
[PlyCount “49”]

            Stanley – Turner         1-0

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bc5 4. Nf3 d6 5. d3 h6 6. Be3 Bb6 7. Ne2 Be6 8. Bb3 c6 9. Ng3 Nbd7 10. O-O O-O 11. Qe2 Re8 12. Rad1 Qc7 13. Nh4 Nf8 14. Nhf5 Ng6 15. Qd2 Bxe3 16. fxe3 Kh7 17. Qf2 Rh8 18. Nxg7 Ng4 19. Nxe6 fxe6 20. Qf7+ Qxf7 21. Rxf7+ Kg8 22. Bxe6 Re8 23. Re7+ Kf8 24. Rxe8+ Kxe8 25. Bxg4 1-0

 Known Classical games: Charles Henry Stanley score against Eugene Rousseau 16 to 8, with 8 draws

[Event “New Orleans m”]
[Site “New Orleans, LA USA”]
[Date “1845.12.01”]
[EventDate “?”]
[Round “1”]
[Result “1-0”]
[White “Charles Henry Stanley”]
[Black “Eugene Rousseau”]
[ECO “C26”]
[WhiteElo “?”]
[BlackElo “?”]
[PlyCount “39”]

    Rd 1  Stanley -Rousseau  1-0

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bc5 4. Nf3 d6 5. h3 O-O 6. d3 Be6 7. Bb3 Nc6 8. Ne2 Qe7 9. Ng3 Nd4 10. Nxd4 Bxd4 11. c3 Bb6 12. O-O d5 13. Bg5 c6 14. Nh5 dxe4 15. dxe4 Bxb3 16. Qf3 Bc4 17. Bxf6 Qe6 18. Nxg7 Be2 19. Nxe6 Bxf3 20. Nxf8 1-0

[Event “New Orleans m”]
[Site “New Orleans, LA USA”]
[Date “1845.12.01”]
[EventDate “?”]
[Round “2”]
[Result “0-1”]
[White “Eugene Rousseau”]
[Black “Charles Henry Stanley”]
[ECO “C44”]
[WhiteElo “?”]
[BlackElo “?”]
[PlyCount “74”]

Rd2   Rousseau – Stanley  0-1

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 d6 5. O-O Bg4 6. Bb5 Qf6 7. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. Qxd4 Bxf3 9. Qxf6 Nxf6 10. gxf3 h6 11. Nc3 g5 12. Bd2 Nh5 13. Rae1 Bg7 14. b3 Be5 15. Ne2 Kd7 16. Ng3 Ng7 17. Ne2 Ne6 18. Kh1 Raf8 19. Ng3 Nd4 20. Kg2 Nxc2 21. Rd1 f6 22. Nf5 c5 23. Be3 Ke6 24. Rd2 Nb4 25. Rfd1 Nc6 26. Ng3 h5 27. Re2 Ne7 28. Bc1 Ng6 29. Rd3 Bf4 30. Bb2 Nh4+ 31. Kh1 g4 32. Nxh5 Rxh5 33. fxg4 Rh7 34. Rh3 Rfh8 35. Rc2 Nf3 36. Rxh7 Rxh7 37. Kg2 Ne1+ 0-1

 Known Classical games: Paul Morphy beat Charles Henry Stanley 3 to 1.
Including rapid/exhibition games: Paul Morphy beat Charles Henry Stanley 5 to 1, with 1 draw.
Only rapid/exhibition games: Paul Morphy beat Charles Henry Stanley 2 to 0, with 1 draw.

[Event “Casual game”]
[Site “NYC chess club”]
[Date “1857.??.??”]
[EventDate “1857.??.??”]
[Round “?”]
[Result “1-0”]
[White “Charles Henry Stanley”]
[Black “Paul Morphy”]
[ECO “C33”]
[WhiteElo “?”]
[BlackElo “?”]
[PlyCount “39”]

             Stanley – Morphy  1-0

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 Qh4+ 4. Kf1 b5 5. Bb3 Nf6 6. Nf3 Qh6 7. Nc3 b4 8. Nb5 Ba6 9. Bc4 Bxb5 10. Bxb5 Nh5 11. d4 Ng3+ 12. Kg1 Nxh1 13. Kxh1 c6 14. Bc4 d6 15. a3 g5 16. axb4 g4 17. Ng1 g3 18. h3 Be7 19. Ra5 Bg5 20. Qg4 1-0

[Event “New York m”]
[Site “New York m”]
[Date “1857.11.30”]
[EventDate “?”]
[Round “3”]
[Result “0-1”]
[White “Charles Henry Stanley”]
[Black “Paul Morphy”]
[ECO “000”]
[WhiteElo “?”]
[BlackElo “?”]
[PlyCount “56”]

                Stanley – Morphy   0-1

Odds Game removal of the “F7 Pawn”

[SetUp “1”][FEN “rnbqkbnr/ppppp1pp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq – 0 1”]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. Be3 Qb6 5. b3 Nc6 6. Nf3 cxd4 7. Bxd4 Nxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. c3 Ne7 10. Bb5+ Nc6 11. Bxc6+ bxc6 12. Qh5+ g6 13. Qg4 O-O 14. O-O Ba6 15. Qxe6+ Kh8 16. Rd1 Rae8 17. Qg4 Rxe5 18. Nd2 Bc8 19. Qg3 Bd6 20. Qd3 Ba6 21. Qc2 Rh5 22. N2f3 c5 23. Ne2 Rxf3 24. gxf3 Qd8 25. c4 Rxh2 26. Rxd5 Qh4 27. Qc3+ Kg8 28. Ng3 Qh3 0-1