[Philip Stamma] – William Lewis, Stamma on the Game of Chess; containing numerous openings of games, and one hundred critical situations, illustrated on coloured diagrams.

Octavo (c. 20 cm), [1], XII, 337, [3] pp. Title printed in red and black with an engraved vignette of two chess players. Contains 100 “critical situations” on colour-printed diagrams (green, red and black), complete, followed by the solutions. Lewis’s preface is dated Nassau Street, Soho, June 1818.

This is William Lewis’s annotated English edition of the Essai sur le jeu des échecs (1737) by Philip Stamma of Aleppo, a foundational work of modern chess literature. Lewis was one of the leading English players of his day and a famous hidden operator of “The Turk” automaton.

Reference: Whyld & Ravilious 1819:13.

Contemporary half calf with corners, marbled paper boards, gilt ornaments to spine.

Condition: interior good and complete, with scattered foxing and crisp diagrams. Ownership stamp “A.W.H. Cla[…]” at upper margin of title, partly trimmed; pencil brackets on title. Binding heavily worn: front board detached, spine with extensive loss of leather and sewing exposed, [one] preliminary leaf (pp. v–vi) loose but present. In need of restoration. Sold as seen.

• Code SW301026_B
• Anno 1819
• Pagine 337