With the election dominating the news, this week I focus on the strongest chess player to have entered Parliament. Marmaduke Wyvill was MP for Richmond Yorkshire, and he won the silver medal in the very first international tournament, which was organised by Howard Staunton to coincide with the Great Exhibition of London in 1851. Stylistically, Wyvill was a student of Staunton, and he favoured the king’s side bishop fianchetto and a delayed action to challenge the centre from the flanks. Notes based on those by Imre Konig in Chess from Morphy to Botvinnik (Hardinge Simpole).
Marmaduke Wyvill-Lowe: London 1851; English Opening
1 c4 e5 2 e3 c5 3 Nc3 Nc6 4 g3 Be7 5 Bg2 d6 6 d3 White is happy to allow Black to build up in the centre as he plans to counter with d4 at a later date. 6 … Nf6 7 a3 Be6 8 Nge2 The modern approach here would be 8 Nd5, preventing Black’s next move.
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