Samuel Rosenthal

1837-1902

The Polish-born master lived in France, but moved to London because of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71. His visit to Scotland in 1871 involved appearances at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cupar, Dundee and Newport.

Glasgow
Rosenthal was a guest of the Glasgow Chess Club at their venue in the Assembly Rooms, Bath Street. On Saturday, 4 March 1871 he played 14 games simultaneously, most of which he won. On Monday, 6 March, in the forenoon, he played 10 games simultaneously, scoring +8, =2. In the evening, he played 14 games, with a result of +9, -2, with 3 games undecided.

Two games follow, one win and one loss by John Jenkin[s].

Rosenthal - J. Jenkins
Glasgow, 4 March 1871 (simultaneous)
KIng's Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 exf4 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Qe2+ Ne7 7. Qb5+ Nd7 8.
d4 Bxf3 9. dxc5 Bxd5 10. Nxd5 Nxd5 11. Qe2+ Qe7 12. Qxe7+ Kxe7 13. Bc4 Nb4 14. O-O g5 15. Bd2 Nc6 16. Rae1+ Nce5 17. b4 c6 18. Bb3 a6 19. g3 Rhg8 20. gxf4 gxf4+ 21. Kh1 Rg4 22. Bxf4 f6 23. a3 Rg6 24. c3 h5 25. Bc2 Rag8 26. Bxg6 Rxg6 27. Rg1 Rg4 28. Rxg4 hxg4 29. Kg2 Kf7 30. Kg3 Kg6 31. Bxe5 Nxe5 32. Rxe5 fxe5 33. Kxg4 Kf6 34. h4 Black resigned. 1-0

Rosenthal - J. Jenkins
Glasgow, 6 March 1871 (simultaneous)
French Defence

1. e4 e6 2. f4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 Qb6 6. d4 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nh6 8. Nc3 Nf5 9. Bb5 Bd7 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. g4 Ne7 12. Qe2 c5 13. Be3 Nc6 14. O-O Nxd4 15. Nxd4 cxd4 16. Bf2 Bc5 17. Nd1 Bb5 18. Qf3 Bxf1 19. Kxf1 O-O 20. b3 f6 21. Qe2 d3 22. Qxd3 fxe5 23. f5 Rad8 24. Bxc5 Qxc5 25. Ne3 d4 26. Nc4 e4 27. Qxe4 exf5 28. Qe6+ Kh8 29. gxf5 Rde8 30. Qd7 Re7 and White resigned. 0-1

Edinburgh
At the Edinburgh Chess Club on Saturday, 11 March 1871 he gave a 13 board simultaneous display, scoring +12, =1.

Herman Rée - Rosenthal
Edinburgh, 11 March 1871 (simultaneous)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. b4 Bxb4 6. c3 Be7 7. d4 d6 8. Ng5 O-O 9. f4 exf4 10. Rxf4 d5 11. exd5 Nxd5 12. Nxf7 Rxf7 13. Rxf7 Kxf7 14. Qf3+ Kg8 15. Bxd5+ Kh8 16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. Qxc6 Bf5 18. Bf4 Bd6 19. Bxd6 cxd6 20. Nd2 Rc8 21. Qf3 Qg5 22. Rf1 Qxd2 23. Qxf5 Qe3+ 24. Kh1 Rg8 25. Qf3 Qd2 26. a4 h6 27. Qc6 Qd3 28. Rg1 d5 29. Qxd5 Qxc3 30. Qc5 Rc8 31. Qxa7 Rd8 32. Qc5 Qd3 33. a5 Rxd4 34. a6 abandoned as drawn. 1/2-1/2

Rosenthal - Dr J.C. Fraser
Edinburgh, 11 March 1871 (simultaneous)
Philidor's Defence

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Be7 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. O-O O-O 7. f4 c5 8. Nf3 c4 9. Bxc4 Nxe4 10. Be3 Bf6 11. c3 Qc7 12. Na3 a6 13. Bb3 b5 14. Nc2 Bb7 15. Nb4 Nd7 16. Nd5 Qc6 17. Nd4 Qc8 18. Nf5 Qd8 19. Bd4 Rc8 20. Bxf6 Ndxf6 21. Nfe7+ Kh8 22. Nxc8 Qxc8 23. Nxf6 Nxf6 24. Bc2 Qc5+ 25. Qd4 Qc6 26. Rf2 Ng4 27. Re2 Nf6 28. Rae1 Kg8 29. Be4 Nxe4 30. Rxe4 f5 31. R4e2 h6 32. Qf2 Kh7 33. Re7 Rf6 34. R1e6 Rxe6 35. Rxe6 Qd5 36. Re7 Qd1+ 37. Qe1 Qxe1+ 38. Rxe1 Be4 39. Kf2 d5 40. g3 Kg6 41. Ke3 Kf6 42. Kd4 Ke6 43. Kc5 and Mr Rosenthal wins. 1-0

Allies - Rosenthal
Edinburgh, March 1871
Scotch Game

The Allies were: Dr Fraser, Meikle, Rée, Morley and others.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Be2 Qxe4 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O Qe7 8. Re1 Be6 9. Bb5 Qd7 10. Nd4 Nge7 11. Bg5 a6 12. Bxe7 Bxe7 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Nxe6 fxe6 15. Qh5+ g6 16. Qh6 Bf6 17. c3 Rb8 18. Re2 Rb5 19. Na3 Rh5 20. Qd2 O-O 21. Rae1 e5 22. Nc4 Qe6 23. b3 d5 24. Nb2 e4 25. h3 Be5 26. Re3 Bf4 27. Qd4 Bxe3 28. Rxe3 Rf3 29. Kf1 Rxe3 30. Qxe3 Qd6 31. Kg1 Rf5 32. b4 Qf4 33. Qd4 g5 34. Na4 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Qc2 36. Nc5 Rxf2 and, after a six hours fight, the Allies succumbed. 0-1

Cupar
On Wednesday, 15 March 1871, at Gilbert's Hotel, Cupar, Rosenthal played 8 in a simultaneous exhibition, winning all games. Thereafter, he was a guest at a dinner held in his honour, which included G.H. Pagan, Arthur Russell, Dr Johnston of Fincraigs, Mr Brown of Westfield, Mr Hodgson, Mr Nimmo and Captain Bremner, the new club president.

Glasgow
Rosenthal then returned to Glasgow, where again he was the guest of Glasgow Chess Club at the Assembly Rooms. On Satyrday, 18 March in the forenoon he played 11 boards simultaneously, scoring +9, -2. An evening display resulted in another success for the visitor; +10, =1, -3.

Dundee
On Friday, 24 March 1871, Rosenthal played 7 opponents at Dundee Chess Club in their rooms at Albert Institute, winning all games. He also played several games against W.N. Walker, Rosenthal giving odds of pawn and move. The result was that Walker won 2, Rosenthal 1 and 1 was drawn. It is reported that both were playing this form of the game for the first time.

On Saturday, 25 March, against Dundee CC, he played numerous games in a simultaneous display, winning the majority. He also played more games with Walker.

Newport
Rosenthal visited the Chess & Whist Club in Newport on Monday, 27 March, 1871. Twice during the evening he conducted 9 games in two simultaneous displays, with his opponents incluing G.B. Fraser and W.N. Walker. Rosenthal scored +11, =5, -2. Walker drew twice.

Allies: G.B. Fraser/W.N. Walker - Rosenthal
Dundee, March 1871 (consultation game)
Scotch Game

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nf3 Qxe4+ 6. Be2 Bb4+ 7. c3 Bc5 8. O-O Nf6 9. Bg5 O-O 10. Nbd2 Qg6 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. Ne4 Qe7 13. Bd3 d5 14. Nxc5 Qxc5 15. Ng5 h6 16. Qh5 Ne5 17. Bh7+ Kh8 18. Rae1 f6 19. Bb1 Bg4 20. Qh4 fxg5 21. Qg3 Nf3+ 22. gxf3 Bxf3 23. Re3 g4 24. Rfe1 Be4 25. Bxe4 dxe4 26. Qxg4 Rf5 27. Qxe4 Raf8 28. R1e2 Rf4 29. Qe5 Qc4 30. Rg3 Qf7 abandoned as a draw. 1/2-1/2

G.B. Fraser - Rosenthal
Newport, 27 March 1871 (simultaneous)
Scotch Game

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nf3 Qxe4+ 6. Be2 d6 7. Nc3 Qe7 8. Bg5 f6 9. Bf4 Be6 10. O-O O-O-O 11. Nd4 Nxd4 12. Qxd4 b6 13. a4 c5 14. Ba6+ Kb8 15. Qd3 Bc8 16. a5 Bxa6 17. Qxa6 Qb7 18. axb6 Qxb6 19. Qd3 Kb7 20. Ra3 and White won in a few moves. 1-0

Sources
North British Daily Mail, 7 March 1871, p5; 20 March, p4.
Illustrated London News, 8, 15, 29 April, 13 and 20 May 1871
Fifeshire Journal, 16 March 1871, p4
Dundee Advertiser, 27 March 1871, p2 and 28 March, p3.
Dundee Courier, 27 March 1871, p2 and 30 March, p2.

Alan McGowan
Archivist/Historian, Chess Scotland  

Added 11/4/2020