An excellent copy with a distinguished provenance. This is the first work on chess written by a native-born Indian.
George Walker gives an excellent account of him and this book: "In the year 1814 there was published, in Bombay, an original work on chess, by a native of India, well known throughout the British dominions in Hindostan as a player and teacher of the game. The book was originally written in the Sanscrit tongue, but was printed in English, under the direction of the author, by the title Essays on Chess, and is prefaced by a goodly list of subscribers, both British and native. This volume is now exceedingly rare; many of its positions are exquisitely beautiful, and, in fact, of first-rate merit and science. Mr. Lewis reprinted the greater part of the work in England, under the title of Oriental Chess; for which favour, I have been told, the author was not particularly grateful. The name of this gifted Hindoo was Trevangadacharya Shastru. I have quoted him in this essay, because he was celebrated for playing well without seeing the board. A friend of mine has seen him play three, and even four games at once, blindfolded, with the best players,—performing his laborious task with perfect accuracy. He would attend European residents for a certain fee ; and would play eight, ten, and twelve hours at a sitting,—taking no refreshment but a little rice or tea, and seldom opening his lips to utter a single word. He played indifferently the English or Hindoo variety of chess; and never, it is affirmed, was beaten by any European."
It was followed fifteen years later by the monograph, Analysis of the Muzio Gambit, and match of two games at chess played between Madras and Hyderabad, (1829).
Sir George Thomas Staunton, 2nd Baronet (1781-1859) was the son of Sir George Leonard Staunton (1737-1801). He was just twelve when he accompanied his father on Lord Macartney's mission to China, 1792-4. After graduating from Trinity College, Cambridge he joined the East India Company as a writer in Canton and later became its chief. During this time he assisted the likes of Thomas Manning and Robert Morrison in learning Chinese. It's hardly a surprise that a gentleman such as him would be interested in chess.
Walker, G., Chess and Chess-players; Consisting of Original Tales and Sketches (London, 1850) p.128.
