Le Palamède Explained

Le Palamède was the world's first periodical devoted to the game of chess.^{[1] [2]} It was founded in France in 1836 by Louis-Charles Mahé de la Bourdonnais,^{[1] [2] [3]} who is often considered to have been an unofficial world chess champion.^{[4] [5]} It ceased publication in 1839, but was revived in December 1841 by Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant, who continued publishing it until the end of 1847.^{[6] [7] [8]}

The magazine was named after Palamedes, the inventor of dice in Greek mythology.

Notes and References

1. [David Hooper (chess player)|David Hooper]
2. [H. J. R. Murray]
3. [Philip W. Sergeant]
4. "After Philidor chess supremacy remained in the hands of the French for a long time. Philidor was succeeded by Deschapelles ... . And Deschapelles was followed by his pupil Labourdonnais." Reuben Fine, The World's Great Chess Games, Dover Publications, 1976, p. 7. .
5. Sergeant wrote that la Bourdonnais, after winning a famous series of matches against Alexander McDonnell in 1834, "might fairly be entitled to call himself the leading player of the world". Sergeant, p. 39.
6. "In December 1841 Saint-Amant revived Le Palamède, a monthly chess magazine which ran until the end of 1847." Hooper & Whyld, p. 350.
7. "From 1841-1847 Saint-Amant edited Le Palamède, in conjunction with Mèry. The paper had lapsed following the death of La Bourdonnais." Anne Sunnucks, The Encyclopaedia of Chess, St. Martin's Press, 1970, p. 419. La Bourdonnais died on December 13, 1840. Jeremy Gaige, Chess Personalia: A Biobibliography, McFarland & Company, 1987, p. 236. .
8. According to H. J. R. Murray, the magazine was "abandoned in 1839; a second series was started in 1842 and in its turn came to an end in 1847". H. J. R. Murray, A History of Chess, Oxford University Press, 1913, p. 886. .