Alexander Cunningham (historian)

Alexander Cunningham (* 1654 probably in Ettrick, Selkirkshire County (now Scottish Borders ); † May 1737 in London ) was a British diplomat, historian and chess players. On him the Cunningham Gambit is returned. A series of biographical parallels were due to a temporary confusion with the scholar and chess player Alexander Cunningham of block.

Career

Alexander Cunningham was the son of the minister of Ettrick, Alexander Cunningham. He attended school in Selkirk and was also educated in the Netherlands. 1688 he returned during the Glorious Revolution, which was the breakthrough for parliamentary rule, back to the British Isles. He accompanied traveling with a private tutor from 1692 to 1695, James, Earl of Hyndford below, and from 1697 to 1700, John, Marquis of Lorne, a member of the influential Scottish clan Campbell, and later Duke of Argyll and Greenwich.

During the reigns of William III. and Queen Anne Cunningham worked in a subordinate political position for the Whig party - in this period of residence in different political centers, including in Paris (1700-1702) and Hanover ( 1703), are occupied. His political missions were taking place. Against the backdrop of the Spanish War of Succession, in which event the UK and the other European powers were involved The situation changed when the Whigs in 1710 temporarily lost power. After the change of government Cunningham operated again as a private tutor. When in 1714 King George I then came out of the House of Hanover to the government, Cunningham was named in recognition of past earnings to the British ambassador to the Republic of Venice. Thus the peak of his career was reached.

With a board equipped, he retired in 1720 to retire back to London, where he studied historical studies devoted. Alexander Cunningham died in London in Westminster and was buried on May 15, 1737 in the sanctuary of St. Martin 's Church.

Historian

In his last phase of life Cunningham wrote a detailed account of recent British history. The "History of Great Britain (sic) of the Revolution in 1688 to the accession of George the First ", later the title of the German edition was focused on the witnessed by Cunningham era since the Glorious Revolution (1688 /89) and included the development on the Act of Union, 1707 consummated union of the Kingdom of England with the Kingdom of Scotland to the mentioned change of the ruling family.

The historical work was completed as a Latin manuscript. An edition in English translation by William Thomson took place only in 1787 and for decades after the death of Cunningham. Only two years later appeared in Wroclaw a ( also in two volumes ) German edition. The presentation served henceforth as insightful source for the political events of the eventful history it covers section.

" Cunningham the historian " vs. " Cunningham the critic"

The English translator Thomson had done in the introduction of the historical work on the idea, if it were one and the same person with the author and the Scottish academics ( "the critic" ) Alexander Cunningham of block ( 1650/60-1730 ). Too strange actually published the biographical parallels. Both were known immediate contemporaries, the sons of Scottish pastor, partly educated in the Netherlands, Scottish tutor ( the Whigs of related ) noble, classical scholar and also as a chess player.

The continuing confusion about the identity of the two persons was only resolved when independently in a 1804 article published in the " Scots Magazine" as well as in an investigation that in 1818 in the " Gentleman's Magazine " was published, the different survival data were documented. However, this took so little attention that the error still lasted more decades in the literature.

Chess players

The historian Cunningham was a famous chess player, but was apparently visited on match strength against the same name scholars and famous chess players, chess friends from all over Europe, back. It appeared therefore as natural that professionals such as Tassilo von der Lasa Heydebrand and had to assume Cunningham of block would be the namesake of the Cunningham Gambit.

Initially was the " gambit of the three farmers ' meant that forms now a sub-variant of the Cunningham Gambit. The three farmers Gambit determine trains: 1.e2 e5 -e4 e7 - 2.f2 - f4 -f3 e5xf4 3.Sg1 Bf8 - e7 4.Lf1 - c4 Be7 5.g2 - g3 - h4 f4xg3 6.0-0 g3xh2 7.Kg1 - h1. It was first mentioned in a manuscript of Caze 1706, then in 1735 published chess book by Joseph Bertin. Wen Philipp Stamma and Philidor, to the Gambit also the name of its " inventor " gave, just thought is ultimately unclear.

The historian Cunningham remained demonstrably before 1710 in The Hague, where he played with the Earl of Sunderland chess. On these the mentioned manuscript of 1706 was directed. For the chess historian HJR Murray, it was clear that the historian sought to popularize Gambit. It seems to be the predominant view in the chess literature to regard him as the ( original ) name to this day. If one considers that Cunningham of block was considered outstanding European chess player in the period 1710-1730, but doubts remain, the extent to which this influenced the spread of gambits.

Werkausgaben

• Hollingbery Thomas (ed.): The History of Great Britain: From the Revolution in 1688 to the Accession of George the First. Translated from the Latin manuscript of Alexander Cunningham, Esq Minister from George I to the Republic of Venice, 2 vols, London, 1788.
• Hollingbery Thomas (ed.): History of Great Britain from the Revolution in 1688 to the accession of George the First. Translated from English by the Latin manuscript Alexander Cunningham's, Esq. Minister George I bey of the Republic of Venice by William Thomson, RD d, together with the introduction of the conditions of life and writings of the author, 2 volumes, Wroclaw 1789.