Joseph Blackburne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joseph Henry Blackburne |
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Joseph Henry Blackburne, the "Black Death"
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| Full name | Joseph Henry Blackburne |
| Country | England |
| Born | 10 December 1841 Manchester, England |
| Died | 1 September 1924 (aged 82) London, England |
Joseph Henry Blackburne (10 December 1841 – 1 September 1924), nicknamed "The Black Death", dominated British chess during the latter part of the 19th century. He learned the game at the relatively late age of 17 or 18, but he quickly became a strong player and went on to develop a professional chess career that spanned over 50 years. At one point he was the world's second most successful player, with a string of tournament victories behind him, and popularised chess by giving simultaneous and blindfold displays around the country. Blackburne also published a collection of his own games.
Biography
Joseph Henry Blackburne was born in Manchester. He learned how to play draughts as a child, but it was not until he heard about Paul Morphy's exploits around Europe that he switched to playing chess at the age of 17 or 18:
Blackburne joined the Manchester Chess Club in 1861. By the next year, Blackburne became champion of the city club, ahead of Bernhard Horwitz (who taught him endgame theory). Blackburne's introduction to blindfold chess was a little later and he was soon playing chess blindfolded with three players simultaneously.
Images for kids
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Blackburne's contemporary Wilhelm Steinitz dominated chess in the 1870s and 1880s
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Emanuel Lasker, Steinitz's successor as World Chess Champion, dominated the second half of Blackburne's playing career
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Blackburne circa 1890
See also
In Spanish: Joseph Henry Blackburne para niños
