R. N. Coles

Howard Staunton the English World Chess Champion R. N. Coles

Howard Staunton (1810 - 22 June 1874) was an English chess master who is generally regarded as having been the world's strongest player from 1843 to 1851. He promoted a chess set of clearly distinguishable pieces of standardised shape that is still the style which must be used for competitions. He was the principal organizer of the first international chess tournament in 1851. From 1840 onwards he became a leading chess commentator, and won matches against top players of the 1840s. However, the achievement of Staunton have been neglected or even ignored by his own countrymen and this book seeks to rectify that.