Joseph Henry Blackburne (1841 – 1924), ‘The Black Death’ as he was popularly known, was an extroverted man with an adventurous spirit. He is worth mentioning among the former greats of chess because he contested some serious games with grandmasters right up to the level of the world champion.
Former New York Times chess columnist Harold C Shonberg once wrote, “Blackburne brought something new and breezy to English chess.” Blackburne was the winner of Berlin 1881 coming ahead of such giants as Szymon Winawer , Louis Paulsen, Johannes Zukertort and Mikhail Chigorin. He was a complete chess professional, playing everyone without scruples. In 1899, he estimated he had played at least 50,000 games, and his career still had 15 years to go.
Blackburne was an extraordinary blindfolded chess player. He is on record as playing a total of 16 chess boards simultaneously. Of course that figure has already been surpassed by others, but I still consider Blackburne a great blindfold player. In blindfold chess, one player does not have sight of the board(s). The player may be backing the other contestants or may be in another room. Moves are relayed and the player responds. According to the history books, as early as 1226 there was blindfolded play. I witnessed two blindfolded sessions in Guyana, one between Maurice Broomes and Edward Greenman and the other between Broomes and two others.
Blackburne arrived at a time when chess was played in a formal setting. He, however, joked with his opponents much to his joy. He wore ordinary clothing in recognition of the ordinary man. He liked his glass and never made a secret of his drinking. One chess writer noted that Blackburne “could drink like a sailor on leave after three years at sea.” Blackburne gave an interview at the turn of the 20th century and said in part: “I find that whisky is a most useful stimulus to mental activity, especially when one is engaged in a stiff and prolonged struggle”. ‘The Black Death’ was an enormous talent.
CHESS GAME
White: Emanuel Lasker
Black: Joseph Henry Blackburne
Event: 1899 London, London, England, June 3
Type of Game: Spanish Game: Steinitz Defence.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. d4 Bd7 5. d5 Nb8 6. Bd3 Be7 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. Ne2 c6 9. c4 Na6 10. Ng3 Nc5 11. Bc2 b5 12. b4 Nb7 13. dxc6 Bxc6 14. cxb5 Bxb5 15. a4 Bd7 16. O-O g6 17. h3 h5 18. Be3 a5 19. b5 Rc8 20. Rc1 Nc5 21. Nd2 h4 22. Ne2 g5 23. Bxg5 Rg8 24. Bxh4 Bxh3 25. Bg3 Be6 26. Re1 Ng4 27. Nf1 Bg5 28. Rb1 Rh8 29. Nc3 Bf4 30. Nd5 Qg5 31. f3 Rh1+ 32. Kxh1 Bxg3 33. Nxg3 Nf2+ 34. Kg1 Nxd1 35. Nf5 Bxf5 36. exf5 Qd2 37. Rexd1 Qxc2 38. Rbc1 Qxf5 39. Nb6 Rd8 40. Nc4 Nb7 41. Ne3 Qf4 42. Kf2 Qxa4 43. Rc7 Nc5 44. Rh1 Rd7 45. Rc8+ Ke7 46. Rhh8 Qd4. 0-1. White resigns.
