Louis Charles Mahe de La Bourdonnais (1795-1840) was a French master who was possibly the strongest player in the early 19th century.
La Bourdonnais was born on an island in the Indian Ocean and learned chess in 1814 and began to take the game seriously in 1818, regularly playing at the Cafe de la Regence. He took lessons from Jacques François Mouret (1780-1837), his first teacher and within two years he became one of the best players in the Cafe. Mouret was a French master of the early 19th century and the chess tutor of the future King Louis Philippe I.
La Bourdonnais was forced to earn his living as a professional chess player after squandering his fortune on bad land deals. He played before a World Championship was established, but was considered the strongest player in the world from 1821 until his death in 1840.
The most famous match series (totalling 85 games) in that time was the series against Alexander McDonnell (1798-1834) in 1834. McDonnell was an Irish master who eventually settled in London, where he became the secretary of the Committee of West Indian Merchants. It was a lucrative position and he became wealthy ny advocated strongly on behalf of slave owning sugar plantation owners.
In 1825, he became a pupil of William Lewis, who was then the leading player in Britain. But soon, McDonnell had become so good that Lewis, fearing for his reputation, simply refused to play him anymore.
McDonnell was suffering from Bright's disease, the old name for acute or chronic nephritis. In the summer of 1835, his condition worsened and he died in London on September 16, 1835.
[Event "1st Match, London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1834.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Louis De Labourdonnais"]
[Black "Alexander McDonnell"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C24"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 18"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "1834.??.??"]
[EventType ""]
[Source ""]
[SourceVersion ""]
[SourceQuality ""]
{C24: Bishop's Opening} 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 {This move initiates an attack on f7
and prevents black from playing ...d5. At the same transposition into other
openings remain a possibility.} Bc5 {This is the Classical Variation. In
modern times 2...Nf6 is preferred.} 3. Qe2 {This ancient move dates back to
the 16th-century Spanish Catholic priest Ruy Lopez. Statistically it gives
black better chances than the usual 3.Nc3 or 3.Nf3.} (3. Qh5 {This rather
pointless move is seen often in the online games of lower rated players. While
it's mot really bad it allows black easy equality.} Qe7 4. Nf3 d6 5. d3 Nf6 {
and all white has accomplished is losing time with his Q/}) 3... Nf6 4. d3 Nc6
(4... O-O {was played in a modern example, Short,N (2680)-Kramnik,V (2791)
London 2010.} 5. Bg5 c6 6. Nd2 h6 7. Bh4 Re8 {with equal chances.}) 5. c3 Ne7
6. f4 {This is risky. Safe and solid is 6.Nf3} exf4 7. d4 Bb6 (7... d5 {
This rather surprising thrust gives black a slight advantage.} 8. e5 (8. dxc5 {
is strongly met bu} Bg4 9. Nf3 dxc4 10. Bxf4 Ng6) 8... Bg4 9. Nf3 Nh5 10. Bb5+
c6 11. dxc5 cxb5 12. Qxb5+ Qd7 13. Qxd7+ Kxd7 {Black is a bit better.}) 8. Bxf4
(8. e5 {was the only way to keep the balance.} Nfd5 9. Nh3 c5 10. Nxf4 Nxf4 11.
Bxf4 cxd4 12. cxd4 O-O (12... Bxd4 13. Bxf7+ {might be too risky for black.})
13. O-O Bxd4+ {with equal chances.}) 8... d6 {Solis, but passive. More
aggressive was 8...d5} 9. Bd3 (9. Bg5 {presents black with more problem. After}
Ng6 10. Nd2 h6 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. O-O-O {with equality.}) 9... Ng6 10. Be3 O-O
11. h3 {Developing with 11.Nf3 was a good option. Now black slowly imptoves
his chances over the bext few moves.} Re8 $19 12. Nd2 Qe7 {More aggressive was
12...d5} 13. O-O-O c5 14. Kb1 cxd4 15. cxd4 a5 {This really doen;t accomplish
much. 15...Bd7 nd ...Bc6 putting pressure on white's center was a stronger
option.} 16. Ngf3 Bd7 17. g4 {Aggressive, but it is not without risks. Placing
his Rs on e1 and f1 was a solid alternative.} h6 {This is not necessary
because g5 is not a threat to be ffeared.} (17... Bc6 18. d5 (18. g5 Nxe4 {
is very good for black.}) 18... Bxe3 19. dxc6 Bxd2 20. Qxd2 Nxe4 {and black is
slightly better.}) 18. Rdg1 (18. g5 {is the logical way to take advantage of
black's last move.} hxg5 19. Bxg5 Qe6 20. Be3 {wuth some real attacking
chances against black's K.}) 18... a4 {[%mdl 8192]} (18... Bc6 {is better.} 19.
g5 Nxe4 20. Nc4 Nxg5 21. Nxg5 Bxd4 {White is in dire straits.}) 19. g5 {
[%mdl 2048] Seizing the initiative.} hxg5 20. Bxg5 a3 {White should have
ignored this and pressed on with his K-side plans.} 21. b3 Bc6 $2 (21... d5 {
equalizes.} 22. e5 Qb4 23. Bxf6 Qc3 24. Nf1 Bxd4 25. Nxd4 Qxd4 26. Ne3 {
and black should play 26...Kxf8 because taking th B is too dangerous.} gxf6 27.
Bxg6 Rxe5 (27... fxg6 {loses...} 28. Rxg6+ Kf7 29. Rxf6+ Ke7 30. Nxd5+ Kd8 31.
Rd1) 28. Bf5+ Kf8 29. Bxd7 Rxe3 30. Rd1 Rxb3+ 31. axb3 a2+ 32. Kc2 Qc5+ 33. Kd3
{White has escaped and has a decisive advantage.}) 22. Rg4 (22. h4 {is the
correct continuation.} Bxe4 23. h5 Nf8 24. Nxe4 Nxe4 25. Qxe4 Qxe4 26. Bxe4
Rxe4 27. Bf6 {and white is winning.}) 22... Ba5 {Putting the R on this square
was better.} 23. h4 (23. Rf1 Bd7 (23... b5 24. Bxf6 Qxf6 25. Ne5 {wins}) 24.
Rg3 Qe6 25. Bxf6 Qxf6 26. e5 {White has the initiative.}) 23... Bxd2 (23... Qe6
24. Rgg1 Bxd2 25. Nxd2 Nxe4 26. Nxe4 Bxe4 27. Bxe4 Qxe4+ 28. Qxe4 Rxe4 {
with equal chances.}) 24. Nxd2 Ra5 25. h5 {[%mdl 8192] Yet another weak move
that results in his gettong a lost position.} (25. Qf3 {is much better.} Rxg5 (
25... d5 26. e5 Ne4 27. Rf1 Nxd2+ 28. Bxd2 Rb5 29. Qg3 Rf8 30. h5 Bd7 31. hxg6
Bxg4 32. Qxg4 fxg6 33. Rxf8+ Qxf8 34. Bxb5) 26. Rxg5 Nxe4 27. Nxe4 Bxe4 28.
Qxe4 Qxe4 29. Bxe4 Rxe4 30. h5 {White should win.}) 25... Rxg5 {McDonnell now
conducts the next few moves with great verve.} 26. Rxg5 Nf4 27. Qf3 Nxd3 28. d5
Nxd5 29. Rhg1 Nc3+ $1 30. Ka1 Bxe4 31. Rxg7+ Kh8 32. Qg3 {White threatens mate
with Rg8+, bit nlack can safely meet it with 32...Qf6} Bg6 {[%mdl 8192] This
horrible move shpuld have lost!} (32... Qf6 33. Rg8+ Kh7 {White can't allow
the N to move with a discovered check, so...} 34. Qg7+ Qxg7 35. R1xg7+ Kh6 36.
Rxe8 {and black mates in 5.} Nb4 37. Rg6+ Bxg6 38. Rh8+ Bh7 39. Rxh7+ Kxh7 {
Black mates with 40...Nc2#}) 33. hxg6 Qe1+ {Both sides must ahve seen that
taking the Q loses, but neither sode realized that capturing the Q is not
forced.} 34. Rxe1 $4 {[%mdl 8192]} (34. Nb1 {and now black is left with a lost
position. The best line is} Kxg7 35. gxf7+ Qxg3 {Now comes an amazing winning
move!} 36. fxe8=N+ {Underpromotions are rare!} (36. fxe8=Q Qxg1 37. Qd7+ {
and white is forced to take a perpetual check.}) 36... Kf8 37. Rxg3 Ne5 38.
Rxc3 Kxe8 39. Nxa3 {and white is winning.}) 34... Rxe1+ {All white can do is
delay mate.} 35. Qxe1 Nxe1 36. Rh7+ Kg8 37. gxf7+ Kxh7 38. f8=N+ (38. f8=Q Nc2#
) 38... Kh6 39. Nb1 Nc2# {Accuracy: White = 30%, Black = 37%. There were a lot
of mistakes, but it is still an entertaining game with some unusual features.}
0-1
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