Adolf Żytogórski (or Adolph Zytogorski, , later known as John Hanstein) ( – 28 February 1882) was a Polish-British

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

master and translator.

Biography

Details of Zytogorski's early life are sparse. He is usually said to have been born in 1806 or 1807 based on his obituary in the '' British Chess Magazine'', but according to chess historian Tim Harding, around 1811 or 1812 is most likely, based on his census records and death certificate. Despite being Polish, he gave his place of birth on census records as

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

, which was part of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

at the time, leading Harding to speculate that he may have had one Polish and one Austrian parent. Following the collapse of the Polish–Russian War in 1830–31 (

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31) (), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in Russian Partition, the heartland of Partitions of Poland, partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. ...

), Zytogorski became a political refugee, and emigrated to England. His role in the uprising is unknown, but in 1837 he joined both the Union of Polish Emigration, and the Polish Democratic Society. During

Nicholas I of Russia Nicholas I, group=pron (Russian language, Russian: Николай I Павлович; – ) was Emperor of Russia, List of rulers of Partitioned Poland#Kings of the Kingdom of Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 18 ...

's 1844 visit to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, Zytogorski and other exiles petitioned the Emperor to be allowed to return to Poland. They were offered an amnesty on the condition that they first travelled to Russia to be examined for possible state crimes. Like many others, Zytogorski did not accept, and remained in England. From about 1850 he adopted the surname Hanstein (possibly his mother's maiden name), though he kept using the name Zytogorski for chess. Zytogorski died on 28 February 1882 in the German Hospital, Dalston, London.

Chess

Zytogorski was a frequent contributor to the '' Chess Player's Chronicle'', and in 1841 carried out a thorough analysis of the Rook and bishop versus rook endgame, including a challenge that four starting positions could always be won, including one said by

Giambattista Lolli Giambattista Lolli (1698 – 4 June 1769) was an Italian List of chess players, chess player and one of the most important Chess theory, chess theoreticians of his time. He is most famous for his book ''Osservazioni teorico-pratiche sopra il giuoc ...

to be a draw. Much of this work was included in

Howard Staunton Howard Staunton (April 1810 – 22 June 1874) was an English chess master who is generally regarded as the world's strongest player from 1843 to 1851, largely as a result of his 1843 victory over Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-A ...

's ''Chess-Players' Handbook'' (1847) with analysis by

Josef Kling Josef Kling (19 March 1811 – 1 December 1876), also found in English-language sources as Joseph Kling, was a German chess master and chess composer. He has been called "a pioneer of the modern style of chess." Although Kling was an expert on ...

, who showed that there was an error in Zytogorski's logic. By 1851, Zytogorski appears to have fallen out with Staunton, and did not play in the St. George's Club tournament that Staunton organised that year.

William Wayte William Wayte (4 September 1829 – 3 May 1898) was a Church of England cleric and a British chess master. He was one of a group of ministers who played a prominent role in English chess in the late nineteenth century. Although little remembe ...

suggested that this was because Staunton had suppressed all mention of Zytogorski in the ''Chess Player's Chronicle'' and the ''

Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'', founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. The magazine was published weekly for most of its existence, switched to a less freq ...

''. Robert Barnett Brien took over from Staunton as editor of the ''Chess Player's Chronicle'' in 1854, and soon afterwards also seems to have fallen out with Staunton. In 1855, Brien published a claim that Zytogorski had beaten Staunton 6−0 in 1843, at Staunton's usual

odds In probability theory, odds provide a measure of the probability of a particular outcome. Odds are commonly used in gambling and statistics. For example for an event that is 40% probable, one could say that the odds are or When gambling, o ...

of pawn and two moves. However, with no independent evidence to support this claim, and considering their relative strength at the time, it is considered very unlikely by chess historians such as Philip Walsingham Sergeant and Tim Harding. Zytogorski won a match against Franciscus Janssens (6−4) in 1854. In 1855, he took second behind Ernst Falkbeer and ahead of Brien (''Triangular''), and won at London ( Kling's Coffee House). In 1856, he lost to Valentine Green (7−8) (Zytogorski gave odds of pawn and move), and played in semifinals at London (McDonnell Chess Club). He lost to

Ignatz Kolisch Baron Ignatz von Kolisch (6 April 1837 – 30 April 1889), also Baron Ignaz von Kolisch (German) or báró Kolisch Ignác ( Hungarian), was a merchant, journalist and chess master with Jewish roots. Kolisch was born into a Jewish family in Pres ...

at Cambridge 1860 (semifinal). From 1859 to 1862, Zytogorski,

, and

revived the ''Chess Player's Chronicle'', which had been discontinued by Brien in 1856. Zytogorski's role is not clear, but in 1861 it was reported that it would "henceforth be edited by Herr Kolisch conjointly with its late manager Mr. Zytogorski".

Bibliography

As editor: * '' Chess Player's Chronicle'' (1859–1862) As translator: * ''Select Popular Tales from the German of Musaeus'' (1845) (anonymous) by Johann Karl August Musäus * ''The Enchanted Knights; or The Chronicle of the Three Sisters'' (1845) (anonymous) by Johann Karl August Musäus * ''The Nymph of the Well and The Barber's Ghost'' (1848) (as Adolphus Zytogorski) by Johann Karl August Musäus * ''Libussa, Duchess of Bohemia; also The Man Without a Name'' (1852) (as Adolphus Zytogorski, later reissued as J. T. Hanstein) by Johann Karl August Musäus * ''Oswald Dorn'' (1856) (as J. F. Hanstein) by Carl Franz van der Velde * ''The Immaculate Conception'' (1857) (as J. F. Hanstein) by Edmond de Pressensé * '' The Captain's Daughter'' (1859) (as J. F. Hanstein) by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin * ''Popular Works of Musæus'' (1865) (as J. T. Hanstein) by Johann Karl August Musäus * ''The Chronicle of the Three Sisters, and Mute Love'' (1866) (as J. T. Hanstein) by Johann Karl August Musäus

Notes

References

External links

*
Adolf Zytogorski
player profile at

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