Jon Speelman: Over the centuries

by Jonathan Speelman
8/20/2023 – This week’s column happens to be the two hundredth in a series stemming back to April 2016. This time, in honour of the round number, I thought we might span the centuries with some games from round about 1823. I’m no chess historian, so make no particular claim for the games I’ve chosen, but they do illustrate some aspects of how the game has developed! | Pictured: Alexander Alekhine with his wife and Efim Bogoljubow | Photo: Europe Echecs

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Two hundred columns and still going!

[Note that Jon Speelman also looks at the content of the article in video format, here embedded at the end of the article.]

Jon SpeelmanThis week’s column happens to be the two hundredth in a series stemming back to April 2016, when it originally started life as an Agony column (a vehicle for readers to send in their triumphs and disasters for possible publication).

Four years later, at the behest of ChessBase, it transmogrified into freestyle and that’s where we are today with free rein for any interesting topic that takes my fancy.

This time, in honour of the round number, I thought we might span the centuries with some games from round about 1823 — there were so few published games that I gave myself the whole decade to look at: 1922 where I found a couple of games I fancy or 1923. And this year.

Chess has changed utterly over the two centuries and indeed hugely over the last two decades, since chess engines rose to become not only our lords and masters but also ubiquitous. I’m no chess historian, so make no particular claim for the games I’ve chosen, but they do illustrate some aspects of how the game has developed.

I hope you enjoy them and will be back next in a fortnight on September 3rd.

Select an entry from the list to switch between games



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Jonathan Speelman, born in 1956, studied mathematics but became a professional chess player in 1977. He was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980–2006 and three times British Champion. He played twice in Candidates Tournaments, reaching the semi-final in 1989. He twice seconded a World Championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.