Charles Henry Stanley

Few individuals played a larger role in the early development of chess in the United States than Charles Henry Stanley. British-born Stanley immigrated to the United States in 1843 and soon made an impact as a writer and player. His accomplishments include starting the first regular chess column in the United States, which appeared in the New York newspaper The Spirit of the Times, and editing one of the country’s first chess periodicals, The American Chess Magazine. Stanley is best remembered as the first U.S. chess champion, a title he earned by defeating Eugene Rousseau in an 1845 match.

M.J. Hazeltine
Charles Stanley (left) and John Turner (right) during their Match in Washington
1866 Public domain

Stanley vs. Rousseau: New Orleans Showdown, 1845 – A Chess Battle for the Ages