The Sepoy Rebellion (1857-1858), an uprising against the British, caught the British by surprise. During that time Minchin sent his wife Mary, who was in poor health due to the climate in Madras, back to England.
In due course she returned to India, however the travel, the climate and seven pregnancies had taken their toll and she passed away in Madras, where she had been born, in about 1877.
Minchin returned to England a wealthy man and was one of the main promoters of the London 1883 international tournament and he also edited the tournament book.
For many years while he was in India he was a member of the Legislative Council of Calcutta which gave him the opportunity of becoming acquainted with Indian Princes and rulers, many of whom took a great interest in chess.
In a letter in the newspaper Morning Post Henry Bird stated that Minchin was " the principal originator in England and India of the great Exhibition Tournament of 1851", but the British Chess Magazine of the day disputed the claim because Minchin’s name was mentioned by Staunton in his tournament book nor was his name mentioned in the list of subscribers.
However, the success of the 1883 Chess Congress in London
was largely owing to Minchin’s influence with the Indian Princes and particularly with the Maharajah of Vizayanagram, after whom the Minor Tournament was named and who contributed largely to the prizes.
The St. George's Chess Club took a leading role in organizing the 1883 event and Minchin, an honorary secretary of the club, was appointed “manager” of the event.
Minchin was known as a kindhearted man who was an excellent
scholar both in ancient and modern languages and he had a fondness for reading.
As for his chess, he was a very tough opponent over the chess
board and no one took him lightly. As a member of the St. George's Chess Club he took part in its numerous matches with considerable success.
Later in his life when he had experienced the loss of many of his old friends he retired from the London chess scene and went to live near Bournemouth in southern England.
There he was elected the president of the Bournemouth Chess Club where he appears to have played only casual chess. He died near Bournemouth, England.
In the following game, perhaps an offhand game, he handily defeats Henry Bird, who in 1866 was, according to Chessmetrics, one of the top 5 best players in the world.
[Event "London"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "1866.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Henry Bird"]
[Black "James Minchin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C84"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 16"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "1866.??.??"]
{C84: Ruy Lopez, MacKenzie Variation} 1. e4 e5 {[%mdl 32]} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d4 {This variation (a favorite of Bird) is named after George
Henry Mackenzie who used it on a regular basis. It's a direct and aggressive
approach, but modern theory frowns on it because it does not promise white any
advantage. My databse confirms this opione;white wins 20 percent of the games,
but loses over twice as many. This variation ( favorite of Bird) is namee
after George Henry Mackenzie who used it on a regular basis. It's a direct and
aggressive approachm but modern theory frowns on it because it does not
promise white any advantage. My databse confirms this opione;white wins 20
percent of the games, but loses over twice as many.} exd4 6. e5 {Rarely played,
but it's neither better nor worse than the usual 6.O-O because neither move
has brought white much success.} Ne4 7. O-O Be7 {Black has achieved better
results with the ift played 7...Nc5} 8. c3 {Risky, but playable!} (8. Bxc6 dxc6
9. Nxd4 O-O 10. f3 Nc5 11. Nc3 {Strikovic,A (2512)-Lazic,M (2528) Subotica
2008. White has equalized.}) 8... dxc3 9. Re1 (9. Bc2 {is inferior to the text.
} cxb2 10. Bxb2 d5 11. Nbd2 {White does not have nearly enough compensation.
Richter,K-Saemisch,F Berlin 1937}) (9. bxc3 {is not very good either.} O-O 10.
Qd5 Nc5 11. Bc2 {Black has a solid position, but started making mistakes and
soon lost!} b6 12. Be3 Bb7 13. Bxc5 Bxc5 14. e6 dxe6 15. Bxh7+ Kxh7 16. Qh5+
Kg8 17. Ng5 Re8 18. Qxf7+ Kh8 19. Qh5+ Kg8 20. Qh7+ Kf8 21. Qh8+ Ke7 22. Qxg7+
{1-0 Bird,H-Steinitz,W London 1866}) 9... cxb2 10. Bxb2 {White has barely
sufficient compensation for his two Ps. Black's positiom is quite solid and
it's going to be tough to crack his defense.} Nc5 11. Bc2 O-O 12. Nc3 d6 13.
Nd5 Bg4 14. Nxe7+ Qxe7 $17 15. Qd5 {Walking into a fork gets white into major
difficulties. His best chance was 15.exd6} (15. exd6 Qxd6 16. Bxh7+ {White
must play this aggressive move even tgough black can survive it with little
difficulty. White must play this aggressive move even tgough blaack can
survive it with little difficulty.} Kh8 {This reserves black's edge.} (16...
Kxh7 17. Ng5+ Kg8 18. Qxg4 Qg6 {Black id well defended, but white can continue
attacking as foillows...} 19. Re3 Ne6 20. h4 Nxg5 21. hxg5 Rae8 22. Rh3 Re4 23.
Qg3 Qd6 {and white's attack on the h-file has come to nothing. Even so, the
position has fizzled out to a draw (5 Shootouts from this position were drawn).
}) 17. Qxd6 {This is the best white has.} cxd6 18. Bc2 Bxf3 19. gxf3 {It's
clear that this position is better for black, but can he win. The double Rs
and white's two Bs will make squeezing out then win very difficult. In
Shootouts white scored +9 -2 =3, but the games were long and laborious. In
practical play it seems unlikely black could force a win.}) 15... Nb4 $19 16.
Qd4 Nxc2 {The elimination of this B also eliminates any attacking chances
white may have had...theoretically speaking that is. Practically speaking the
position is quite thorny.} 17. Qxg4 {This is a tricky position! Black must be
very careful to choose the right move here!} (17. exd6 {looks reasonable, but
after looks reasinable, but after} Qxe1+ 18. Nxe1 Nxd4 19. Bxd4 cxd6 {black is
winning.}) 17... Qe6 (17... Nxa1 {This proves once again that is't not over
until it's over!} 18. exd6 Qxe1+ 19. Nxe1 Ne6 {and white has multiple ways to
win.}) (17... Nxe1 {This should be sufficient to win. For example...} 18. exd6
Nxf3+ 19. gxf3 f5 20. dxe7 fxg4 21. exf8=Q+ Rxf8 22. fxg4 Nd3 {and with care
black should win.}) 18. Qh4 {Of course white cannot afford to trade Qs.} Nxe1
19. Rxe1 Nd3 {Yet another fork.} 20. Re4 (20. Re2 dxe5 21. Bxe5 f6 22. Qe4 Nxe5
23. Nxe5 Rad8 24. h4 Rd1+ 25. Kh2 Qxe5+ {is an easy win.}) 20... Nxb2 {White
is down so much material the game is over.} 21. Rg4 Qf5 22. h3 dxe5 23. Qg3 g6
24. Ng5 Rad8 25. Qh4 h5 {[%mdl 32]} 26. Ne4 Rd1+ 27. Kh2 hxg4 28. Ng5 Qf4+ {
White resigned} (28... Qf4+ 29. Qg3 Qxg5 30. Qxg4 Qxg4 31. hxg4 Kg7 32. Kg3
Rd3+ 33. f3 Rh8 34. Kf2 Rd2+ 35. Kg3 g5 36. f4 exf4+ 37. Kf3 Re8 38. a3 Re3#)
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