Chess Practice

Publication: London, Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1882 Formatting: 8vo, pp. [v], 96. Condition Report: Good. The original red cloth boards show moderate rubbing, scuffing, and minor staining, particularly at the corners and along the extremities, with fading to the spine and bumping to the head and tail. However, the gilt lettering on the front board remains remarkably bright and unoxidised, and the text block edges retain their original gilt finish. Internally, the binding is intact though slightly tender, reflective of its age and historical use. The yellow endpapers and internal pages are clean with only standard, faint age-toning, making this a complete and highly presentable survivor of a scarce text despite the exterior wear. Catalogue Note: First edition. This copy possesses charming and significant provenance, retaining a contemporary owner’s pencilled inscription dated 13th October 1882, the year of publication, on the front free endpaper. Furthermore, an original officers' list card for the Manchester Chess Club, covering the year 1905—1906, is laid in, adding a wonderful layer of local chess history. Copies of this true first printing in the original cloth are scarce on the open market. While the text has been reproduced heavily in modern times, securing an original 19th-century survivor with strong contemporary associations is an uncommon opportunity for the dedicated chess collector. H. E. Bird’s Chess Practice is a foundational 19th-century record of chess mastery, meticulously categorising the actual openings of the greatest games played up to its era. Featuring brilliant specimens from legends such as Morphy, Steinitz, Anderssen, and Staunton alongside Bird’s own tactical brilliance, this work offers both historical insight and enduring strategic value. Complete with a tabulated index designed to simplify the comparison of different lines of play, it remains an indispensable volume for chess historians and enthusiasts seeking to understand the foundational strategies of the romantic era of chess.…