A Player in Search of a Biographer:
George Henry Mackenzie
by John S. Hilbert
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| The strongest American-based player of the nineteenth
century still waiting to receive full blown biographical treatment, along
with an extensive, well-researched game collection, is George Henry Mackenzie.
Yet few players could boast as interesting a life off the chessboard, at
least in his younger years, than this same player. |
| Mackenzie was born on March 24, 1837, in North Kessock,
Scotland. He would die a little over fifty-four years later, in New
York City, on April 14, 1891. Mackenzie’s 2560 historical Elo rating
tells something about his relative playing strength, during the period,
and especially during his peak years as a player. Frank James Marshall,
United States champion for twenty-seven years, in fact has an historical
Elo rating only ten points higher than Mackenzie’s: 2570. An exceptionally
talented player such as the original Boy Wonder of Brooklyn, New York,
William Ewart Napier, had an historical Elo of “merely” 2500. But
it is Mackenzie who has most suffered, forgotten by all but the hardiest
of chess history scholars. |
| Mackenzie’s finest European results are comparatively
better known. A small sampling include his finishing tied for fourth
and fifth with Zukertort with a score of 22½-11½ at the great
double round event held in Vienna from May 10 through June 18, 1882, behind
Steinitz and Winawer (24-10) and Mason (23-11), but ahead of Blackburne,
Englisch, Louis Paulsen and ten others. The next year, at London
1883, Zukertort’s greatest tournament triumph, where he won by three full
points over second place finisher Steinitz, Mackenzie tied for fifth through
seventh with Mason and Englisch. In 1886 he drew a match with Amos
Burn by a score of four wins each and two draws. His greatest international
tournament success, however, was his first place score of 15-5 at Frankfurt
1887, the Fifth Congress of the German Chess Federation, held July 18 through
August 2, 1887, where he out ran the likes of Blackburne and Weiss by one
and a half points, and where a young Tarrasch finished tied for fifth and
sixth. |
| Mackenzie’s international successes came, according
to Hooper and Whyld, writing in their indispensable Oxford Companion
to Chess, New Edition (Oxford University Press 1992), after a fifteen
year period in the United States, from 1865 through 1880, when he amassed
a record of thirteen straight first place finishes in tournaments, while
winning six of seven matches, with only one drawn. His success in
this country included, for example, first place at Cleveland 1871, Chicago
1874, and New York 1880, the second, third, and fifth American Chess Congresses,
respectively. |
| Hooper and Whyld also suggest, however, just how
fascinating Mackenzie’s life appears to have been away from the chessboard.
We learn from them that he bought a commission in the King’s Royal Rifle
Corps, serving in Ireland, but then resigned it in 1861 to return to London
for chess. Then, “in 1863 he went to the United States and enlisted
in the Northern army. After fifteen weeks as a private he became
a captain in a Black infantry regiment, from which he was discharged a
few months later, allegedly for desertion and impressment. He rejoined
the army in 1864 to fight with distinction in three battles, after which
he was arrested (for his earlier desertion) and imprisoned. After
his release in May 1865 he settled in New York and devoted most of his
time to chess.” |
| Such extraordinary matters, both of heroism and
its apparent opposite, should whet the appetite of chess historians everywhere.
Particularly fascinating, for example, would be interrelating Mackenzie’s
early chess experiences in the United States with his movements within—and
apparently without—the Union army during the Civil War. |
| Tantalizing glimpses can be found, of course.
Gustavus C. Reichhelm, one of the driving forces in chess in Philadelphia
from the early 1860s until his death in 1905, well knew of Mackenzie’s
prowess at chess, and indeed played him two games at the old Philadelphia
Chess Club in 1864, where they split their contests. Many years later,
in 1898, Reichhelm would publish his Chess in Philadelphia, to this
day still the best account of chess in the city of brotherly love from
its beginnings to nearly the end of the nineteenth century. Included
in that volume was Reichhelm’s 1864 victory over Mackenzie. The game
was played at the old Philadelphia Chess Club, then located at the Northeast
corner of Thirteenth and Chestnut streets, on the second floor, where members
would find their club rooms open daily at ten in the morning. |
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Reichhelm,GC — Mackenzie,GH
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Offhand
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| 1864 |
USA Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia Chess
Club)
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Annotations by Reichhelm
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.0-0 d6
7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Bb2 Nf6 10.Qc2
| One of the best forms of attack in the Evans Gambit. 9...Nge7
was better for Black’s previous move. |
| An important move to keep up the pressure and retard Black’s c-pawn. |
| Hobson’s choice. He must extricate himself at any cost. |
| To drive [the] rook away by ...Bd7. On ...Bc7 White plays
Nh4. |
| The goal of White’s play. |
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Chess in Philadelphia, p75
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| The following year—apparently after his release
from prison?—Mackenzie again traveled to Philadelphia, where this
time he was beaten by Reichhelm by a score of four wins to one, with one
draw. But in 1867 Mackenzie would obtain overwhelming revenge, defeating
Reichhelm in a nine game match in Philadelphia by the score of seven wins
to none, with two draws. Reichhelm rather glossed over his debacle when
writing Chess in Philadelphia, merely mentioning, in the third person,
that after the horrendous drubbing he took that “about this time Mr. Reichhelm
concluded that match play was not his forte. With increasing years
and experience he has been able partly, but never wholly, to overcome the
nervous excitement which attends him when playing games on which a great
deal depends.” The first match game of 1867 suggests some of Reichhelm’s
“nervous excitement,” but also some of the advance in Mackenzie’s play. |
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Mackenzie,GH — Reichhelm,GC
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(1)
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| 1867.05.26 |
USA Philadelphia, PA (Athenaeum)
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Annotations by Mackenzie
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.0-0
0-0 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5
| Black exposes his king too much by
this move. |
| By sacrificing the knight for two
pawns, White might have got up somewhat of an attack, but scarcely sufficient
to have compensated for the loss of a piece. |
| It was suggested by Stanley, who was
present while the game was being played, that 15.Nh4 would have given White
a winning game, for suppose: 15.Nh4 gxh4 16.Rf5 Be6 17.Qg4+ Kh8 18.Qh5
and must win. |
| This compels Black to exchange the
queen for the two rooks. |
29.h6 Rg6 30.g5 Rf8 31.Qe7 Re6 32.h7+ 1-0.
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The Albion,
New York, 1867.06.01
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| But Mackenzie’s win over Reichhelm in 1867 came
long after his involvement in the American Civil War, his imprisonment,
and his release. What of his activities more directly related to
this period of national, and apparently for Mackenzie, personal, turmoil? |
| More tantalizing glimpses surface, and should someday
prove useful to the biographer or biographers of Mackenzie. Reichhelm
wrote much, much more than his one volume, Chess in Philadelphia.
He was, for instance, chess editor of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin
from 1861 through December 30, 1870, when the Evening Bulletin published
its last chess column. During his nine year tenure with the Evening
Bulletin, Reichhelm published literally thousands of chess games and
hundreds of chess problems. He also, from time to time, gave brief
glimpses into his own correspondence with chess masters. His developing
correspondence with Mackenzie was no exception. |
| In the February 6, 1864, Evening Bulletin,
for instance, Reichhelm wrote that “our readers will probably remember
the arrival in New York, last fall, of Mr. George H. Mackenzie, an English
[sic] chess player, who had acquired an excellent Chess reputation
in London. Mr. Mackenzie made most creditable scores with several
of the strongest players in New York, and is now engaged in the great game
being played by our government against the Southern rebels. We were
glad to receive a letter from him this week, dating from Virginia, and
signing himself with the honorable title of ‘Captain 10th Regiment U.S.C.T.’
[United States Colored Troops—JSH]. In referring to his games
with Mr. Lichtenhein, which have been a good deal quoted in New York, Captain
Mackenzie says: ‘Mr. Lichtenhein was so much out of practice, that I look
upon the result of the games played as no test at all of what he can do
when in play.’ A valuable hint, if they would but see it, to many
Chess players who build reputations upon chance successes, won from the
carelessness or want of practice of superior players.” |
| The following week, Reichhelm published the first
of a small number of offhand games Mackenzie played in New York City against
Francis Eugene Brenzinger, then a twenty-eight year old whom Reichhelm
described as “one of the leading New York players.” The column, unfortunately,
gave no specific date for the game, merely describing it as being played
“a short time ago.” |
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Brenzinger,FE — Mackenzie,GH
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Offhand
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| C51/03 |
Evans: Morphy (Paulsen)
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Annotations by Reichhelm
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.0-0 d6
7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 Na5 10.e5 Nxc4 11.Qa4+ c6
| Much better than interposing the bishop. |
| If 15.Qa4, Black, of course, replies with 15...b5. |
| Black now has a safe game, with a pawn plus. |
| White should have boldly advanced 20.g4. |
| We should have preferred 26.dxc5, because Black would have been compelled
to retake with 26...Qxc5, which would have rendered the d-pawn weak and
unsupported. |
| White would have obtained a very fine game by now playing 29.Rfe1,
following it up with Re3. |
| This move was no doubt overlooked by White. |
| Compulsory, to prevent the threatened mate in a few moves, by Rxh6+,
etc. |
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Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, 1864
.02.13
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| It would of course be of interest to learn whether
this game was played after Mackenzie left the nation’s military service
the first time, or whether it was played before that date. Perhaps
a future biographer will shed some light on this matter. |
| Of interest, too, is the brief report in Reichhelm’s
March 19, 1864, Evening Bulletin column, where he mentioned that
“Captain Mackenzie is spending a short furlough in New York, and has played
a number of games with various New York amateurs, in most of which he has
proved successful. We are glad to say that Captain Mackenzie expects
to spend two or three days in Philadelphia in the beginning of next week,
and will visit the Philadelphia Chess Club.” |
| But two weeks later Mackenzie still had not appeared.
Apparently his health was suspect, and this had delayed his departure.
No doubt the Philadelphia chess community was quite interested in seeing
a player such as Mackenzie. In his April 2, 1864, column, Reichhelm
wrote that the Philadelphia Chess Club “which felt the depressing effect
of the war so severely last year, now displays a vigorous vitality, which
reminds us of the palmy days of its earlier history.” In the same
column he noted “we are glad to be able to inform our readers that Captain
Mackenzie and Mr. Brenzinger, of New York, propose to pay the Philadelphia
Chess Club a visit during the coming week, Captain Mackenzie’s furlough
having been extended on account of sickness. He is rapidly recovering,
and we hope to see some fine specimens of play during his visit.” |
| No doubt the same correspondence that brought Reichhelm
news of Mackenzie’s condition also brought additional games Mackenzie and
his expected traveling companion, Brenzinger, had contested in New York.
Two more games by Mackenzie were published in the same column. |
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Mackenzie,GH — Brenzinger,FE
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Offhand
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Annotations by Reichhelm
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.0-0 d6
7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 Bg4 10.Bb5 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Kf8 12.Be3 h5 13.Kh1
Qh4 14.Rg1 Qf6 15.Nd5 Qd8 16.Qd2 Ba5 17.Qc2 Nb4 18.Nxb4 Bxb4 19.Qb3 Ba5
20.Bc4 Qf6 21.Bg5
| This combination is faulty. |
| He cannot move 28.Rd5, now, as to do so would cost him the rook. |
| And Mr. Mackenzie resigned. |
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Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, 1864.04.02
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Mackenzie,GH — Brenzinger,FE
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Offhand
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| C51/03 |
Evans: Morphy (Paulsen)
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Annotation by Reichhelm
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.d4 exd4
7.0-0 d6 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 Na5 10.Bd3 Ne7 11.e5 0-0 12.exd6 Qxd6 13.Ne4
Qd5 14.Ba3 Re8 15.Neg5 h6 16.Be4 Qd7 17.Ne5 Qxd4 18.Qh5 Be6 19.Nxe6 fxe6
20.Qf7+ Kh8 21.Qxe6 Nec6
| White mates in four moves. |
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Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, 1864.04.02
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| The planned visit by Mackenzie and Brenzinger to
Philadelphia in April 1864, however, does not appear to have materialized.
Why was this so? Did Mackenzie’s recovery from illness further delay
his leaving New York City for Philadelphia? Was he required, rather,
to immediately rejoin his troops for the Spring Campaign of 1864?
Had he already deserted by then? Did he in fact desert at all?
Perhaps someday we will learn, if Mackenzie ever finds a biographer worthy
of his talent on the chessboard. |
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© John S. Hilbert 1999. All rights
Reserved.
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