Robert Wormald

    Robert Wormald (1834-1876, 42 years old) is probably best remembered as the inventor of the Wormald Attack (5,Qe2), an aggressive line in the Ruy Lopez. He was born in Yorkshire, England and was educated at Oxford University and from there moved to London where be became active in chess and writing about it. He died at his home, apparently from bronchitis and congestion of the lungs. 

    At the time of his passing he was the chess editor of the Illustrated London News, a position he assumed upon the death of Howard Staunton. 

    Wormald began his chess career as a member of the Oxford University Club and was a reasonably good amateur player, but nothing very special. After moving to London he took part in the Congress of 1862 (he did not play in the international tournament). After that he did not play any serious chess, but was well known in chess circles as a strong player and especially for his books on the openings which were published both in his own name and in conjunction with that of the late Howard Staunton. Wormald was also a brilliant and original problem composer. 

    In 1853, he played a match with Robert B. Brien from whom he received odds of pawn and two moves. The final score was 3.5-3.5. In 1858 he played a match with J. Campbell in London, winning +7 -4 =11. 

    The following game was played in a match (results unknown) against Francis Burden (born in 1829 or 1830 – 1882), a civil engineer. Besides chess, he was also skilled at whist and billiards. It has been suggested that he may have inspired Henry Bird to play the Bird Defense in the Ruy Lopez (3...Nd4). 

    Burden was born in Belfast and lived in London for many years where he met and trained Cecil Valentine De Vere. He visited Venezuela in his capacity as a businessman around 1870, after which he developed a fever and was forced to retire from chess. He died on on January 13, 1882, at the age of 52, on the same day that his close friend Samuel Boden died. At the time of his death, he had been retired from chess for twelve or thirteen years.