The New World and the "Indian Defense" In reply #56 we traced back the first occurence of the term "Indian Defense" to
The Times [and] Democrat. The annotations of this US newspaper were reprinted in full in the
The Chess Player's Chronicle 1884, p. 172. [I haven't seen the original]. - Thus
the USA is connected with Cochrane's manuscript in more than one respect:
-
The Times-Democrat of New Orleans 1884 prints the name "Indian Defense", afaik the oldest source to do so. Co-editors of the chess column are Seguin (who has a large chess collection) and
Charles A. Maurian, Morphy's friend. Maurian is co-editor from 1883 until 1890, when he went to Paris. - A few centuries earlier Columbus had confused America with India and called the natives "Indians". Finally the New World had found a way
to pay back the favour, with a chess opening.
- In the
American Chess Bulletin 1909, J. A. Galbreath (New Orleans) tells this story:
Quote:In the year 1880, Captain George H. MacKenzie came to St. Louis [...]. He was a great admirer of Morphy and our conversation frequently turned upon his wonderful exploits. [He] told us that Mr. John Cochrane, the celebrated English chess player, who for so many years resided in the East Indies in the service of the East India Company, was also deeply impressed with Morphy. Captain MacKenzie, it will be remembered, was himself stationed in Hindostan as a Captain in the British army.
Mr. Cochrane had in contemplation the publication of a book, "Loose Leaves of Indian Chess". In the course of a conversation with the Captain in Calcutta, in 1858, Mr. Cochrane said to him that he did not think that his book would appear during his life time, as he was then getting old and had too many cares of other sorts; but the material for the book was in hand, and that there was a young American (Morphy) who purposed coming over to Europe to tackle the strongest players, and if he beat them as he (Cochrane) thought he would, then Mr. Cochrane thought the best thing he could do would be to leave his book to Morphy for him to edit, together with one hundred guineas for expenses. How the ultimate consummation of this plan was prevented is fully explained by Morphy's absolute retirement from chess the next year.
After Cochrane's death in 1878, book-dealer Bernard Quaritch offered a transcript of his manuscript (s. below). Since 1869 several chess magazines had written that they got many games from Cochrane, but print only a few of those games. We must assume that most of Cochrane's transcripts have gone lost, but at least one copy survived. Offered by Bernard Quaritch (Firm) in 1886:
Quote:31815 COCHRANE. TRANSCRIPT of Mr. John Cochrane's Material for his intended Work, "LOOSE INDIAN CHESS LEAVES," containing several hundred Games, chiefly against Brahmins, played, during Mr. Cochrane's long residence in India, 3 vols. sm. 4to. MS. portrait added, bds. £3. 3s about 1825 [the date must be an error, S. B.]
In the above Transcript will be found many examples of Openings, claimed as original several years afterwards by Paulsen, Boden, and other noted Players.
We cannot be sure that this is the copy which finally ended in the Cleveland Public Library (actually I hope that it is not the same, cf. the last sentence of this post), but it seems possible that the English chess-friend and multitalent
John Ruskin bought this copy. Ruskin died in 1900. The description in the White Collection (CPL) reads as follows:
Quote:Author: Cochrane, John.
Title: Transcript of Mr. John Cochrane's materiel for his intended work to be entitled 'Loose Indian chess leaves'. Vol. I. Other Title Variation: Indian chess leaves MS
Year Published: 186
Publisher: [186-?]
Item Type: Reference book, No Holds
Description: [194] p. : ill. ; 21 cm.
Audience: ADULT
# Notes: Holograph?
# Bookplate affixed to p. 2 of cover: Ex libris John Ruskin, Brantwood. # Each page divided into three columns.
# Dark green cloth binding with "Exercise book" stamped in blind on cover. # CPL Collection Development B703H2 # Dealer's description inserted.
The description mentions one volume, while Quaritch said "3 volumes". In the ChessBase database Cochrane's Calcutta games are from 1850-1856 (if I remember correctly). So there may be a small chance that this Cleveland volume is actually only the second of three [transscript?] volumes, and with a little luck 1000+ more games may have survived, from 1829-1849 and 1857-1869. If, by coincidence, you own the two missing volumes, contact me!