The Smothered Mate or Philidor's Legacy

____________________________________
 American Chess Bulletin,  Jan. 1912.

John A. Galbreath

The Smothered Mate, or Philidor's Legacy.
by John A. Galbreath, New Orleans, La.

This, at once the most elegant and interesting of chess endings, happens but seldom in actual play, and the following examples, all occurring in play, cannot fail to be of much interest and instruction to the reader. Every chess player is familiar with the ordinary forms of the ending which is given in all the elementary handbooks, and it is therefore unnecessary to repeat any of them here.

"Philidor's Legacy" is the name which, by a sort of universal consent, has been given' to the ending in honor of the famous French Master; but it is certain that it was known nearly a century before Philidor was born, in 1726.

By whom it was first played cannot even be conjectured. Mr. Steinitz, writing of the ending in his International Chess Magazine, January, 1885, page 25, has this to say in a note to a game between himself and an amateur:

"This mate is an ordinary version of the smothered mate, the first authorship of which is commonly ascribed to Philidor, after whom it is generally named 'Philidor's Legacy'.  Mr. J. G. Ascher, of Montreal, has however latterly come into possession of a very rare book on the game printed in 1656, nearly sixty years before Philidor was born, in which a specimen of this beautiful mate occurs. The book referred to is apparently a translation of an Italian author named Biachimo, and we understand that neither the original work nor its translation are mentioned in any printed index of chess books."

Mr. Steinitz, while a great chess player and a most profound analyst, was not very strong in matters pertaining to chess history.

The book referred to was presented to the writer many years after Mr. Steinitz' note was written, and after considerable research I have found that it is an English translation of the first edition of Greco, the celebrated Calabrian. George Walker in the appendix to his "Treatise on Chess", third edition published in 1841, gives a "Bibliographical Catalogue of Printed Books and Writers on Chess" up to that period, and has this: "Beale, Francis— The royall game of Chesse-playe, sometimes the recreation of the late king, with many of the nobility, illustrated with almost an hundred Gambetts, being the study of Biochimo, the famous Italian. London, 1656, 8vo, pp. 122.  Mr. Beale's work is, in fact, the translation and first edition of Greco, who is erroneously styled "Biochimo'' instead of "Gioachino".

It is in this first edition of Greco then that we have the first authentic record of the smothered mate, and it was doubtless familiar to all the great chess players who preceded him, many years before Columbus sailed on the voyage which resulted in his discovery of the western world. It must be remembered in this connection that anciently the Queen was the weakest of the pieces, and that she acquired her present power some time during the Fifteenth century. The smothered mate therefore was discovered by some chess artist who lived and played the game between that time and the advent of Greco's book. It may have been the Calabrian himself who first played it. So much for the origin of the ending. Like many other things, it is lost in the misty past, so we will continue to call it Philidor's Legacy, in honor of the amiable and gifted French Chess Paladin.

"The first position is a most beautiful ending of ab Evans Gambit played some years ago between two Russian players. The late E. Schiffers highly eulogized the ending and considered that it placed the game among the 'Immortals'"

___________________________________
___________________________________

The mate offered by Greco in the above article was:

But this mate first appeared in Lucena's 1497 book Repetición de amores y Arte de ajedrez.  The Mammoth Book of Chess by Graham Burgess and John Nunn published the following position from Lucena:

Later, this letter-to-the-editor was published:

Even later, a second letter-to-the-editor was published:

Although when I started playing chess, I learned on a computer, at that time databases were all but non-existent.  I happened upon game collection in a book named, The Golden Treasury of Chess (my copy said compiled by I. A. Horowitz but it was originally authored by Francis Wellmuth) and I played through every game in it.  One of the games in the collection was between John A. Galbreath and H. Harding.   Since then I'd done a little bit of investigation of Galbreath which has led to the following most charming article he wrote for the American Chess Bulletin over a century ago.

____________________________________
 American Chess Bulletin,  Jan. 1912.

John A. Galbreath

 

The Smothered Mate, or Philidor's Legacy.
by John A. Galbreath, New Orleans, La.

This, at once the most elegant and interesting of chess endings, happens but seldom in actual play, and the following examples, all occurring in play, cannot fail to be of much interest and instruction to the reader. Every chess player is familiar with the ordinary forms of the ending which is given in all the elementary handbooks, and it is therefore unnecessary to repeat any of them here.

"Philidor's Legacy" is the name which, by a sort of universal consent, has been given' to the ending in honor of the famous French Master; but it is certain that it was known nearly a century before Philidor was born, in 1726.

By whom it was first played cannot even be conjectured. Mr. Steinitz, writing of the ending in his International Chess Magazine, January, 1885, page 25, has this to say in a note to a game between himself and an amateur:

"This mate is an ordinary version of the smothered mate, the first authorship of which is commonly ascribed to Philidor, after whom it is generally named 'Philidor's Legacy'.  Mr. J. G. Ascher, of Montreal, has however latterly come into possession of a very rare book on the game printed in 1656, nearly sixty years before Philidor was born, in which a specimen of this beautiful mate occurs. The book referred to is apparently a translation of an Italian author named Biachimo, and we understand that neither the original work nor its translation are mentioned in any printed index of chess books."

Mr. Steinitz, while a great chess player and a most profound analyst, was not very strong in matters pertaining to chess history.

The book referred to was presented to the writer many years after Mr. Steinitz' note was written, and after considerable research I have found that it is an English translation of the first edition of Greco, the celebrated Calabrian. George Walker in the appendix to his "Treatise on Chess", third edition published in 1841, gives a "Bibliographical Catalogue of Printed Books and Writers on Chess" up to that period, and has this: "Beale, Francis— The royall game of Chesse-playe, sometimes the recreation of the late king, with many of the nobility, illustrated with almost an hundred Gambetts, being the study of Biochimo, the famous Italian. London, 1656, 8vo, pp. 122.  Mr. Beale's work is, in fact, the translation and first edition of Greco, who is erroneously styled "Biochimo'' instead of "Gioachino".

It is in this first edition of Greco then that we have the first authentic record of the smothered mate, and it was doubtless familiar to all the great chess players who preceded him, many years before Columbus sailed on the voyage which resulted in his discovery of the western world. It must be remembered in this connection that anciently the Queen was the weakest of the pieces, and that she acquired her present power some time during the Fifteenth century. The smothered mate therefore was discovered by some chess artist who lived and played the game between that time and the advent of Greco's book. It may have been the Calabrian himself who first played it. So much for the origin of the ending. Like many other things, it is lost in the misty past, so we will continue to call it Philidor's Legacy, in honor of the amiable and gifted French Chess Paladin.

"The first position is a most beautiful ending of ab Evans Gambit played some years ago between two Russian players. The late E. Schiffers highly eulogized the ending and considered that it placed the game among the 'Immortals'"

"Postion No.2 is the ending of a game played in Germany and is from the "Deutsche Schachzeitung" of 1858."

"Position No.3 is the outcome of a game played at Carlsbad in 1903. A most beautiful and problem-like finish."

"Position No.4 is a peculiar variation of the smothered mate, occurring in play several years ago between two English amateurs. Generally the piece capturing the Queen is a Rook; but sometimes a Knight, neither of which pieces command the mating square when the attacker plays Kt to B7 mate. In the position now under consideration the piece capturing the Queen is a Bishop, but mate by double check prevents the Bishop taking the Knight. The opening of the Rook's file to bring about the double check adds considerably to the interest of the position. The Birmingham (England) Post first published this unique ending."

"Position No. 5 is a truly beautiful termination and occurred in Olmustz, Austria in August, 1905 when Herr Krejeik conceding the odds of the King's Bishop to Herr Kudielka won in brilliant style."

"No.6 is another uncommon form of the ending and first appeared some years ago in the Liverpool Mercury. It occurred in a game won by Mr. Amos Burn the distinguished English master from a member of the Liverpool Chess Club. Here the piece capturing the checking Queen is a Queen but the recapture by the pawn at Knight's sixth forces the promotion of another Queen winning. The incomplete smother being substituted by an adverse pawn commanding the vacant square forms a pleasing variation from the more frequent type of position."

"No.7 is a highly remarkable situation which occurred in a game of the match played many years ago between Mr J.H. Blackburne and Mr. Steinkuhler of Manchester. The outcome is so closely allied to the type of smothered mate and is such a pleasing variation that it makes a fitting conclusion to this 'Charge of a Squadron of Cavalry.'"

___________________________________
___________________________________

The mate offered by Greco in the above article was:

But this mate first appeared in Lucena's 1497 book Repetición de amores y Arte de ajedrez.  The Mammoth Book of Chess by Graham Burgess and John Nunn published the following position from Lucena:

Below is a scan from Luis Ramírez de Lucena's book showing the position
(the A, B, C, and E seem to indicate the move order with D (visible on d8), the alternate move)

American Chess Magazine, Feb 1898 wrote:

The chess editor of the New Orleans Sunday States is well known to American chess players his newsy original style having made his department one of the best of the bright chess columns of the country. Mr. Galbreath has been requested to play on the American team in the third match by cable for the Sir George Newnes Anglo American Trophy an evidence that his skill as a player is appreciated outside of the circle of strong New Orleans experts.  John A Galbreath was born in Jefferson County Mississippi not far from Natchez  October 6, 1846 and will be fifty two years of age on his next birthday.  In the busy years which have elapsed since he arrived at a discretionary age  Mr. Galbreath has found time to become an authority on shooting and its appliances,  an angler of skill, a journalist, and has held positions of prominence in political life.  He is a Mason, a Pythian, an Elk, an Odd Fellow, and a Republican and is a total abstainer from tobacco and alcoholic beverages.  He says he smelled powder, heard the whistle of bullets and the roar of artillery as a Confederate soldier at the age of fifteen years when it was not a gala day salute.  In speaking of his chess life Mr. Galbreath remarks:

"I learned the moves of chess in 1867 and have ever since been a devotee of the game. Staunton's handbook was my first chess book. Have there been any published since that are great improvements on it? To me there is a charm about Staunton's books not possessed by any others because of his exceeding ability as a writer.  He had his faults like all the rest of weak humanity but no unprejudiced person will deny that English chess is more indebted to him than to all the other authorities put together. " 

Mr. Galbreath is fond of open games and has a great liking for the Evans and Muzio ; the latter he says he would play against any one/  He plays from intuition rather than from calculation and prefers the beauties to the hard-drawn lines of conservative play.

Here is Galbreath's aforementioned win over Henry Harding from The Golden Treasury of Chess.

Later, this letter-to-the-editor was published:

Even later, a second letter-to-the-editor was published:

Although when I started playing chess, I learned on a computer, at that time databases were all but non-existent.  I happened upon game collection in a book named, The Golden Treasury of Chess (my copy said compiled by I. A. Horowitz but it was originally authored by Francis Wellmuth) and I played through every game in it.  One of the games in the collection was between John A. Galbreath and H. Harding.   Since then I'd done a little bit of investigation of Galbreath which has led to the following most charming article he wrote for the American Chess Bulletin over a century ago.

____________________________________
 American Chess Bulletin,  Jan. 1912.

John A. Galbreath

 

The Smothered Mate, or Philidor's Legacy.
by John A. Galbreath, New Orleans, La.

This, at once the most elegant and interesting of chess endings, happens but seldom in actual play, and the following examples, all occurring in play, cannot fail to be of much interest and instruction to the reader. Every chess player is familiar with the ordinary forms of the ending which is given in all the elementary handbooks, and it is therefore unnecessary to repeat any of them here.

"Philidor's Legacy" is the name which, by a sort of universal consent, has been given' to the ending in honor of the famous French Master; but it is certain that it was known nearly a century before Philidor was born, in 1726.

By whom it was first played cannot even be conjectured. Mr. Steinitz, writing of the ending in his International Chess Magazine, January, 1885, page 25, has this to say in a note to a game between himself and an amateur:

"This mate is an ordinary version of the smothered mate, the first authorship of which is commonly ascribed to Philidor, after whom it is generally named 'Philidor's Legacy'.  Mr. J. G. Ascher, of Montreal, has however latterly come into possession of a very rare book on the game printed in 1656, nearly sixty years before Philidor was born, in which a specimen of this beautiful mate occurs. The book referred to is apparently a translation of an Italian author named Biachimo, and we understand that neither the original work nor its translation are mentioned in any printed index of chess books."

Mr. Steinitz, while a great chess player and a most profound analyst, was not very strong in matters pertaining to chess history.

The book referred to was presented to the writer many years after Mr. Steinitz' note was written, and after considerable research I have found that it is an English translation of the first edition of Greco, the celebrated Calabrian. George Walker in the appendix to his "Treatise on Chess", third edition published in 1841, gives a "Bibliographical Catalogue of Printed Books and Writers on Chess" up to that period, and has this: "Beale, Francis— The royall game of Chesse-playe, sometimes the recreation of the late king, with many of the nobility, illustrated with almost an hundred Gambetts, being the study of Biochimo, the famous Italian. London, 1656, 8vo, pp. 122.  Mr. Beale's work is, in fact, the translation and first edition of Greco, who is erroneously styled "Biochimo'' instead of "Gioachino".

It is in this first edition of Greco then that we have the first authentic record of the smothered mate, and it was doubtless familiar to all the great chess players who preceded him, many years before Columbus sailed on the voyage which resulted in his discovery of the western world. It must be remembered in this connection that anciently the Queen was the weakest of the pieces, and that she acquired her present power some time during the Fifteenth century. The smothered mate therefore was discovered by some chess artist who lived and played the game between that time and the advent of Greco's book. It may have been the Calabrian himself who first played it. So much for the origin of the ending. Like many other things, it is lost in the misty past, so we will continue to call it Philidor's Legacy, in honor of the amiable and gifted French Chess Paladin.

"The first position is a most beautiful ending of ab Evans Gambit played some years ago between two Russian players. The late E. Schiffers highly eulogized the ending and considered that it placed the game among the 'Immortals'"

"Postion No.2 is the ending of a game played in Germany and is from the "Deutsche Schachzeitung" of 1858."

"Position No.3 is the outcome of a game played at Carlsbad in 1903. A most beautiful and problem-like finish."

"Position No.4 is a peculiar variation of the smothered mate, occurring in play several years ago between two English amateurs. Generally the piece capturing the Queen is a Rook; but sometimes a Knight, neither of which pieces command the mating square when the attacker plays Kt to B7 mate. In the position now under consideration the piece capturing the Queen is a Bishop, but mate by double check prevents the Bishop taking the Knight. The opening of the Rook's file to bring about the double check adds considerably to the interest of the position. The Birmingham (England) Post first published this unique ending."

"Position No. 5 is a truly beautiful termination and occurred in Olmustz, Austria in August, 1905 when Herr Krejeik conceding the odds of the King's Bishop to Herr Kudielka won in brilliant style."

"No.6 is another uncommon form of the ending and first appeared some years ago in the Liverpool Mercury. It occurred in a game won by Mr. Amos Burn the distinguished English master from a member of the Liverpool Chess Club. Here the piece capturing the checking Queen is a Queen but the recapture by the pawn at Knight's sixth forces the promotion of another Queen winning. The incomplete smother being substituted by an adverse pawn commanding the vacant square forms a pleasing variation from the more frequent type of position."

"No.7 is a highly remarkable situation which occurred in a game of the match played many years ago between Mr J.H. Blackburne and Mr. Steinkuhler of Manchester. The outcome is so closely allied to the type of smothered mate and is such a pleasing variation that it makes a fitting conclusion to this 'Charge of a Squadron of Cavalry.'"

___________________________________
___________________________________

The mate offered by Greco in the above article was:

But this mate first appeared in Lucena's 1497 book Repetición de amores y Arte de ajedrez.  The Mammoth Book of Chess by Graham Burgess and John Nunn published the following position from Lucena:

Below is a scan from Luis Ramírez de Lucena's book showing the position
(the A, B, C, and E seem to indicate the move order with D (visible on d8), the alternate move)

American Chess Magazine, Feb 1898 wrote:

The chess editor of the New Orleans Sunday States is well known to American chess players his newsy original style having made his department one of the best of the bright chess columns of the country. Mr. Galbreath has been requested to play on the American team in the third match by cable for the Sir George Newnes Anglo American Trophy an evidence that his skill as a player is appreciated outside of the circle of strong New Orleans experts.  John A Galbreath was born in Jefferson County Mississippi not far from Natchez  October 6, 1846 and will be fifty two years of age on his next birthday.  In the busy years which have elapsed since he arrived at a discretionary age  Mr. Galbreath has found time to become an authority on shooting and its appliances,  an angler of skill, a journalist, and has held positions of prominence in political life.  He is a Mason, a Pythian, an Elk, an Odd Fellow, and a Republican and is a total abstainer from tobacco and alcoholic beverages.  He says he smelled powder, heard the whistle of bullets and the roar of artillery as a Confederate soldier at the age of fifteen years when it was not a gala day salute.  In speaking of his chess life Mr. Galbreath remarks:

"I learned the moves of chess in 1867 and have ever since been a devotee of the game. Staunton's handbook was my first chess book. Have there been any published since that are great improvements on it? To me there is a charm about Staunton's books not possessed by any others because of his exceeding ability as a writer.  He had his faults like all the rest of weak humanity but no unprejudiced person will deny that English chess is more indebted to him than to all the other authorities put together. " 

Mr. Galbreath is fond of open games and has a great liking for the Evans and Muzio ; the latter he says he would play against any one/  He plays from intuition rather than from calculation and prefers the beauties to the hard-drawn lines of conservative play.

Here is Galbreath's aforementioned win over Henry Harding from The Golden Treasury of Chess.

Later, this letter-to-the-editor was published:

Even later, a second letter-to-the-editor was published:

Here is the game digitized: