Author: Arthur Skipworth (1830-1898) assisted by William Wayte and Charles Ranken from the library of Lothar Schmid
Year: 1868-1869
Publisher: John Sampson and Bell & Daldy
Place: York and London
Description:
vii+320 pages with diagrams. Small octavo (7 3/4" x 5 1/2") bound half leather with black label in gilt lettering to spine and five raised spine bands over marbled boards. From the library of Lothar Schmid. (Linde – No. 6125; van der Linde II, 124; Betts 7–12) First edition.
The Chess Players' Quarterly Chronicle was an English chess magazine published in York from February 1868 to December 1871 under the principal authorship and direction of Arthur Skipworth, with assistance from William Wayte and Charles Ranken. The magazine arose during a fractured period for English chess journalism following the decline of Howard Staunton's original groundbreaking publication of the same name. After the definitive end of the second series of The Chess Player's Chronicle in July 1862, several independent publications emerged to fill the void. Arthur Skipworth stepped in to publish the Quarterly Chronicle as a dedicated regional and analytical periodical, lasting for exactly two multi-year volumes spanning 1868–1871. In February 1872, Skipworth left his post in Bilsdale for Tetford Rectory. He partnered with John Wisker to discontinue the quarterly format and launch a revived, more frequent iteration simply titled The Chess Players' Chronicle.
Lothar Maximilian Lorenz Schmid (10 May 1928 - 18 May 2013) was a German chess grandmaster. He was born in Radebeul near Dresden into a family who were the co-owners of the Karl May Press, which published the German Karl May adventure novels. He was best known as the chief arbiter at several World Chess Championship matches, in particular the 1972 encounter between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky at Reykjavic. He was also an avid collector of chess books and paraphernalia. It was reputed that he owned the largest known private chess library in the world, as well as a renowned collection of chess art, chess boards and chess pieces from around the globe.
Condition:
Lothar Schmid's bookplate to front pastedown. Rebound with some trimming to the pages. Front wrapper bound in at the back, some foxing throughout else very good. Rare edition.