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Event table notes
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| Event data |
| Place: Brussels |
| Start date: 22 Dec. 1851 |
| End date: 26 Dec. 1851 |
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| Notes: |
| A report that appeard in the Illustrated London News of 3 Jan. 1852 (p.14) and the Sunday Times of 4 Jan. 1852 (p.7), copied from the Journal du Commerce d'Anvers, says that the match was between 'the British champion, Sir John Deacon' and 'M. Michaels, the Belgian champion'. The term 'champion' probably just means 'representative of their country' here. L'Indépendence Belge of 22 Dec. 1851 (p.3) and Journal de la Belgique of 22 Dec. 1851 (p.3) have 'Sir J. Deacon, membre de Saint-Georges chessclub à Londres'. It seems certain that it was actually Frederic Horace Deacon, who had ties with Belgium and frequently visited, and Philippe Michaels (the initial 'M' probably stands for 'monsieur'). I know of no chess player named 'Sir John Deacon'. Staunton, in the Illustrated London News of 24 Jan. 1852 (p.75), says that the name 'Sir John Deacon' was a joke, and that it 'probably referred to a few games lately played by a young and promising amateur, Mr F Deacon, with a Colonel Michaels, of Brussels'. Journal de la Belgique of 26-27 Dec. 1851 (p.3) says that Deacon had taken lessons from Staunton, so this confirms the identification. Two drawn games were played on 22 Dec. 1851; no other draws are mentioned, so I take the final score to be +7-2=2 for Deacon. L'Indépendence Belge of 29 Dec. 1851 (p.3) and L'Emancipation of 30 Dec. 1851 (p.3) say that Deacon had won the match, winning 7 games out of 13, Michaëls winning 2. This might mean that there were 4 draws, but I think it more likely that '7 out of 13' should be interpreted as equivalent to 'first to win 7 games', i.e., 'best of 13 games, draws not counting', such that once one player has won 7 games, any remaining games of the 13 need not be played. |
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| References |
| Periodicals |
| [Eman], vol. 22, no. 359, 25 Dec. 1851, page 3 |
| [Eman], vol. 22, no. 364, 30 Dec. 1851, page 3 |
| [ILN], vol. 20, no. 539, 3 Jan. 1852, page 14 |
| [ILN], vol. 20, no. 542, 24 Jan. 1852, page 75 |
| [InBe], vol. 21, no. 356, 22 Dec. 1851, page 3 |
| [InBe], vol. 21, no. 362, 29 Dec. 1851, page 3 |
| [InBe], vol. 22, no. 2, 2 Jan. 1852, page 2 |
| [JB], vol. 38, no. 356, 22 Dec. 1851, page 3 |
| [JB], vol. 38, no. 360, 26 Dec. 1851, page 3 |
| [ST], no. 1526, 4 Jan. 1852, page 7 |
| [SZ], vol. 8, no. 5, May 1853, page 157 |
| [SZ], vol. 8, no. 8, Aug. 1853, page 249 |
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