It was in 1846 that the 22-year old Randolph, after having just finished his collegiate studies, became known. At that time he played against Charles Vezin, the subject of the previous post.
Randolph was known for his positional play characterized by patient and thorough analysis.
In 1847, along with another Philadelphia player of renown, Benjamin Tilghman, he organized the correspondence match against Boston in which the previous post’s game was played.
In 1856 he participated in a correspondence match against New York which was won by Philadelphia. Then in the fall of 1858 he took an active part in a telegraph match against New York. After this match Randolph stopped playing competitive chess, probably for health reasons, but continued to follow the game.
At the time of his death the London Times claimed that Randolph was one of the three greatest players in the world. How and why they made that statement is unknown. There is little information available on Randolph and I could locate only two of his games.
Randolph was not only a recognized master player, but a well regarded member of Philadelphia society who was known for his intelligence, gentle manner and modest character.
He was the grandson of the “father of American surgery” Dr. Philip S. Physick, and son of Dr. Physick’s daughter Sally and her husband Dr. Jacob Randolph.
Dr. Philip S. Physick purchased Laurel Hill Mansion in Pgiladelphia in 1828 to use as a summer retreat and later bequeathed the house to his daughter Sally Randolph in 1837, when it became known as the Randolph Mansion.
The chessplayer Philip Randolph, who died in the mansion, was its last resident. He never married and was buried at Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia. The newspaper death notice stated that relatives and male friends were invited to attend the funeral at his mother’s residence.
After he died his widowed mother, Sally, sold the mansion to the city of Philadelphia. In 1870, the city demolished its barn, outbuildings, and farmhouse, yet the mansion now known as Laurel Hill Mansion still stands.
[Event "Philadelphia"]
[Site "Philadelphia, PA USA"]
[Date "1847.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Philip Randolph"]
[Black "Charles Vezin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C39"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 16"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "1847.??.??"]
{C39: King's Gambit Accepted} 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 {
This is the most popular, the main alternative being 3.Bc4. Black had two main
approaches:1) attempt to hold the P with ...g5 and 2) return the P in order to
facilitate his development.} g5 {[%mdl 32] The Classical Variation arises
after 3.Nf3 g5. White's main choices are 4.h4 and 4.Bc4} (3... Nf6 4. Bc4 d5 5.
exd5 Bd6 6. d4 Nh5 7. O-O Qh4 8. Qe1+ Qxe1 9. Rxe1+) 4. h4 (4. Bc4 g4 {An
alternative is 4...Bg7} 5. O-O gxf3 6. Qxf3 Qf6 {Here white usually plays 7...
e5 although 7.d3 is super-solid.}) 4... g4 5. Ne5 {5.Ng5 (the Allgaier Gambit)
intending 5...h6 6.Nxf7 id very rsky amd is considered risky and unsound. The
text is the Kieseritzky Gambit which is considered the main line; it was
popularized by Lionel Kieseritzky in the 1840s and used by Wilhelm Steinitz
and much later Spassky used it to beat Fischer.} h5 {The main alternative is 5.
..Nf6, but the text is satisfactory.} 6. Bc4 Nh6 {Black can satisfactorily
defend the P with 6...Rh7, but the text move is also good.} 7. d4 d6 {White
should now simply retreat with 8.Nd3 which results in equal chances. Instead,
he embarks on a risky and unsoumd sacrifice, but one which also has some
potential.} 8. Nxf7 Nxf7 9. Bxf7+ (9. Bxf4 {is about as good.} Qe7 {White has
two playable moves: 10.Bxf7+ followed bu O-O and 10.Nc3 followed by Nd5. In
either case black holds the advantage.}) 9... Kxf7 10. Bxf4 Bh6 11. O-O {
Black's K is exposed, but white does not have anu way of getting at it, so
black has the better position.} Kg7 {He could also have exchanged the Bs first.
} 12. Nc3 {Perhaps defending the h-Pawn with 12.Qe1 would have been just a bit
safer.} Be6 (12... Qxh4 {There was no reason to have avoided this. After} 13.
g3 Qd8 {black has simply picked up a free P.}) 13. d5 Bf7 (13... Bxf4 {allows
white to equalize after} 14. Rxf4 Bf7 15. Qd4+ Kg8 16. e5 dxe5 {He must play
this.} 17. Qxe5 Nd7 18. Qf5 {with equal chances that could lead to a draw if
the players are willing...} Qe7 19. Re4 Qd8 20. Rf4 Qe7 {with a repitition.})
14. Qd4+ Kg8 15. e5 {This position contains a trap if black is careless.} dxe5
(15... Qxh4 16. Bxh6 Rxh6 17. Qf4 Rh7 18. e6 {If the B moves white mates on f8}
Qe7 19. Ne4 (19. exf7+ {is less effective.} Rxf7 20. Qh6 Rh7 21. Qe6+ Qxe6 22.
dxe6 Nc6 23. Nd5 {White is clearly better, but 19.Ne4 is even stronger.}) 19...
Bg6 20. Nf6+ Kh8 21. Qg5 Qg7 22. Rae1 {and white is winning.}) 16. Bxe5 Rh7 17.
Ne4 {This threatens to win with Nf6+.} Bg7 {[%mdl 8192] This is a blunder that
should have lost at once.} (17... Nd7 {is the correct defense after which
black holds on to his advantage. For example...} 18. Rae1 Bg6 {White has no
effective continuation.}) 18. Ng5 {After this white has equalized, but he has
missed a golden opportunity.} (18. Bxg7 Rxg7 19. Nf6+ Kh8 20. Qf4 Rg6 21. Qe5
Qf8 22. Rf5 {Black has no option but to play} Rxf6 23. Qxf6+ Qg7 24. Qxf7 Qxf7
25. Rxf7 {and white is winning.}) 18... Bxe5 {[%mdl 8192] ...and loses.} (18...
Qxd5 {is a completely different story; the position is completely equal.} 19.
Qf2 {Better than trading Qs} Bxe5 {Threatening ...Bd4} 20. Rad1 {Black is now
compelled to surrender his Q, but after} Nc6 (20... Qxa2 21. Qf5 Kf8 22. Qxh7
Bg7 23. Qxh5 {mates in 4} Ke8 24. Rfe1+ Be5 25. Rxe5+ Kf8 26. Qh8+ Bg8 27. Qh6#
) 21. Rxd5 Bxd5 22. Nxh7 Bd4 23. Nf6+ Kg7 24. Nxd5 Bxf2+ 25. Rxf2 Re8 26. Nxc7
Re7 27. Nd5 g3 28. Rf5 Re1+ 29. Rf1 Re4 {a draw would be a reasonable
conclusion.}) 19. Qe4 Rg7 20. Rxf7 Rxf7 21. Nxf7 Kxf7 {White is down two
pieces, but black's extra material is useless.} 22. Qh7+ {Taking the B would
also win.} Ke8 {The K has no hiding place and all his pieces are just
bystanders.} 23. Qg8+ Ke7 24. Qe6+ Kf8 25. Rf1+ Kg7 26. Rf7+ {Black resigned.
It's mate in 2} 1-0
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