The pioneers ca.1830-1846
The game of chess has been mentioned several times in
Danish literature, among the earliest examples are Saxo
(ca.1200). But real chess books appear in 1774 (Thomas Nickel
Bruun : Chesshandbook / Lærbog i skak) and 1815(H.V.Lundby
The chess pocketbook / Lommebog for skakspillere).
The first recorded game of chess is a correspondance game
(a very common way of playing chess at that time) between
"Læseforeningen" represented by the players Carl August Blankensteiner and Chr.Holm and "studenterforeningen"
represented by the Møller brothers (Hendrik and Christen)
White : The Møller brothers
Black : Blankensteiner & Holm (1836)
1.e4 e5 2. Bc4 c6 3. Qh5 Qe7 4. Nf3 d6 5. Ng5 Nh6 6. d3 g6 7. Qh4 f5 8. f4 Bg7 9. 0-0 fxe4 10. dxe4 d5 11. Bb3 Be6 12. Nc3 Nd7 13. exd5 cxd5 14. Bxd5 Qc5+ 15. Qf2 Bxd5 16. Qxc5 Nxc5 17. Nxd5 0-0-0 18. Rfd1 e4 19. Be3 Na4 20. Bxa7 Rhe8 21. Nb6+ Nxb6 22. Bxb6 Rxd1+ 3.Rxd1 e3 24. c3 Nf5 25. Nxh7 e2 26. Re1 Nd6 27. Bd4 Bxd4+ 28. cxd4 Nf5 29. d5 Nd4 30. Kf2 Re7 31. Nf8 Opg.
The fact that The Møller brothers won the game came as quite
a surprice, because Blankensteiner and Holm were the known
champions of Copenhagen in those days.
The Legend has it that Carl August Blankensteiner travlled to Berlin in order to play Ludwig Bledow at the latters favorite café.
In the first issue of "Nordisk skaktidende" 1873 There are an
amusing description of "Tobacco manufacturer" Chr.Holm
He did have the habbit of recite either a poem or sing a short
aria from an opera, to describe his opponents play.
Furthermore he adressed his fellow chessplayers with : Count,
Prins, duke and nobel titles like that - with him self as King!!
When Hendrik Møller eventually were the stronger of the two
Chr.Holm adressed him "brother".
Copenhagen chess players ca. 1840
(and their occupation)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl August Blankensteiner (19/11-1809 - 31/10-1870)
(art dealer : Nürnbergkram Storekongensgade 68st.)
Chr.Holm (??/??-???? - 1864)
(tobacco manufactura)
Hendrik C.H.Møller (1814 - 1880)
(vicar)
Christen Jensenius Møller (1811 - 1882)
(vicar)
Vilhelm Henrik Dreier (1798 - 1865)
Co. inventor of the Nordic gambit - at that time called
The Dreier Gambit.
(member of supreme court)
Københavns skakforening ( Copenhagen Chess club )
was founded 21/4-1844 but did only exist for 3 years, when
the club had to pay tax to the monarchy.
kilder : Nordisk skaktidende 1873 - 1881
skak i 1000 år / Hartvig Nielsen
samt tak til familien Blankensteiner