Another Peek Into A Lucky Bag.
Afternoon everyone. My long time readers will understand the title.
Huge amount here, so, as usual, just pop in and out, cherry pick, etc. Just enjoy whatever of the material you choose to enjoy!
I am snowed under with books at the moment! Five on the table I am trying to get through, including one which arrived just yesterday. Receiving the latest of Fialla's Quarterly for Chess history volumes is always a special treat.
SERIOUSLY. This series is absolutely brilliant - if you have the money to do so, please support Vlastimil Fialla by actually spending money on a book and buying it. Then we can all wait patiently for the next volume. 
A quick look at the index shows you what you get for your money.
The first article - whilst not a speciality of mine, is incredible work - complete with a mass of primary source details. Simply amazing research work! Bravo Sergio! Just wonderful, and I learned a huge amount.
On primary sources, my eye was particularly taken by the L.C.M. De La Bourdonnais material, so let's dig into that! I have 4 bottles of porter to hand, and hope that I shall not fall foul of becoming irritable!
Firstly Fialla quotes an article from The Evening Chronicle, Dec 23rd, 1840 with regard to the death of La Bourdonnais. It is based on an article from Fraser's Magazine which I already knew of.
Those with long enough memories will know of my interest in the writings of George Walker, and he wrote some long articles in Fraser's Magazine. Lots to read in this blog, so just read whatever takes your eye! The material in question from Walkers - it is much longer!- article 'The Cafe De La Regence', Frasers Magazine vol.22. 1840.
O.K. Let's do some chess. Fialla - after the above material - gives 'First De La Bourdonnais Blindfold Game'. Well, to my knowledge it certainly wasn't his first blindfold game, albeit I would say that it is certainly his most - historically - interesting.
One fascinating predecessor is this game. His opponent was a historically significant figure in his own right.
I have a picture of him on a horse in military uniform, but it is impossible to make it work here. The game is wonderful, and I recently posted it on bluesky.
The game in question is historically important in the context of La Bourdonnais' status in the chess world at the time. His opponent was Hyacynthe Henri Boncourt. After the death of La Bourdonnais, Boncourt could be regarded as the strongest player in the world. For example, in 1840 he is recorded as having beaten St. Amant - of the famous match with Staunton in 1843 - by 19-16. ( from memory, I have a game somewhere!)
Walker speaks of the game twice. Once in a LONG article 'Chess Without the Chessboard' about blindfold chess in Fraser's Magazine, and also in his Bells Life In London column, from which Fialla takes his material.
Original source.
Well, I have always said that when I retire I will go through all of Walker's columns to see what new findings can be found - back to that later! The game.
O.K. On the subject of going through all the Bell's Life columns, the indefatigable Vlastimil Fialla seems o have beaten me to it!! He gives a little section of games of La Bourdonais from that source, saying that they are likely not to be found in the databases.
I don't own a database - yeah, I am old and stupid!! - but i couldn't find the games on chessgames.com, so he may well be right! One source he quotes is Bells Life in London March 27th, 1836. I confess to not having looked at that page! Wonderful find mate!
The games there - Fialla gives another from a different column in Quarterly.
There is only one picture of La Bourdonnais . And NO - there are exactly no pictures of M'Donnell, whatever ill informed internet idiots will tell you! It is to be found in various forms. This clean one is the standard one.
It certainly fits the contemporary descriptions of him.
So for those of you who have time to spare and are - like me - genuinely interested in primary source material, some of a Walker article from Fraser's Magazine - 'Deschapelles The Chess King', from Fraser's Magazine vol 19 1839, with some material on de la Bourdonnais, and much other material of interest. Just because I can!
With a BIG thank you to whoever took the time to scan the material and post it online - without such people we would all be reduced to pathetic copyists who just rewrite the material of others. The internet is full of people in both catagories! I know who's work I value!!
So, the de la Bourdonnais picture. This is the version - not so easily found on a google image search 
as it appears in his obituary in Le Palamede 1841.
