Johann Löwenthal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Johann Löwenthal |
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| Full name | Johann Jacob Löwenthal |
| Country | Hungary (until 1849) United States (1849−1851) United Kingdom (1851−1876) |
| Born | 15 July 1810 Budapest, Hungary |
| Died | 24 July 1876 (aged 66) Hastings, England |
| Title | Master |
Johann Jacob Löwenthal (born Löwenthal János Jakab; 15 July 1810 – 24 July 1876) was a very skilled chess player. He was considered one of the top three chess players in the 1850s.
Contents
About Johann Löwenthal
Early Life and Chess Beginnings
Johann Löwenthal was born in Budapest, which was then part of Hungary. His father was a merchant. Johann went to a school called a gymnasium in his hometown.
In 1846, he played a chess match against Carl Hamppe in Vienna and won. He won 5 games, lost 4, and had no draws.
Moving to New Countries
In 1848, Johann Löwenthal got a job with the government under Lajos Kossuth. When Kossuth's government fell, Löwenthal had to leave Hungary. He moved to America in 1849.
Then, in 1851, he moved to London, England. He lived there for the rest of his life. In 1857, he won a big chess tournament in Manchester, beating another famous player named Adolf Anderssen.
Matches Against Paul Morphy
Johann Löwenthal played against Paul Morphy, a very famous American chess player, several times. When Morphy visited New Orleans, Löwenthal played him twice and lost all three games.
Later, when Morphy came to London in 1858, Löwenthal was one of the first top players to challenge him. Morphy won this match too, with 9 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws. Löwenthal admitted that Morphy was stronger.
After winning the match, Morphy gave Löwenthal a generous gift of furniture for his new house. This was because Morphy knew chess was Löwenthal's main way to earn money. Morphy did not want to be seen as a professional player himself.
Winning a Major Tournament
Just a few days after his match with Morphy, Löwenthal had a great success. He won the British Chess Association Congress tournament in Birmingham, England, on August 27, 1858. He won a prize of £63.
Chess Books and Teaching
In 1860, Löwenthal published a book called Morphy's Games of Chess. This book collected many of Paul Morphy's games. Morphy was very popular at the time, and Löwenthal used this to make his book a success. Morphy even signed his name to parts of the book, even though Löwenthal wrote most of it.
Löwenthal also worked as the secretary for the St. George's Chess Club in London. He taught chess to others. He also invented the first demonstration board. This is a large chess board used to show games to a group of people.
He helped organize a big international chess tournament in 1862. After the tournament, he published a book about it, explaining the games played.
Chess Editor and Later Life
Johann Löwenthal was also a chess editor for several newspapers and magazines. He worked for The Illustrated News of the World and The Era. He was also the editor of The Chess Players' Magazine from 1863 to 1867.
In 1874, Löwenthal became ill and could no longer support himself financially. Many people, including Lord Randolph Churchill, helped raise money for him. He also became a Roman Catholic.
Johann Löwenthal passed away on July 24, 1876, in St. Leonards-on-Sea, near Hastings, England. He was 66 years old.
