Julius Mendheim

Julius Mendheim (* about 1788; † August 25, 1836 probably in Berlin) was a German chess player and problem composer. He is considered the first Prussian chess master and pioneer of the Berlin Chess School.

Biography

About life Mendheims, who came from a Jewish family, very little is known. Since 1810, he is said to have resided in Berlin. Mendheim was supposed to be a businessman, but he is referred to in the few written records as " Particulier " or privateer. Apparently it allowed him his financial situation, to devote himself entirely to chess. In later years Mendheim complained about his bad health, which prevented him from working. A portrait is not known.

Chess publications

With the support of well-known as a chess teacher Mosar Alexander (1772-1869) he gave in 1814 a paperback book for chess lovers out. The writing consisted of a collection of chess compositions Mendheims. In 1832, he followed with the title Tasks for chess players of a sequel. The appendix of this book contains an annotated correspondence game between the chess clubs of Berlin and Breslau (and the first batch of the below-mentioned competition ).

Berlin chess master

From the 1820s Mendheim was probably the leading German chess master. However, few details are known about his match fitness.

In Berlin, the two oldest German chess clubs were founded in the first half of the 19th century, to which Mendheim was in close contact. So he was not a regular member, but a frequent guest of the ( existing 1803-1847 ) Berliner Chess Club, which was also called the Great or Old Club. His feature opponents included the sculptor Gottfried Schadow and other club members. In April 1829 Mendheim was then proposed by Schadow as an honorary member, and probably included.

The club gave him the task of leading the with Breslau ( 1829-1833 ) and Hamburg ( 1833-1836 ) agreed correspondence competitions independently. Both games against Breslau ended victorious. The second match against Hamburg Chess Club was less favorable. The first batch won Hamburg, the second ended in a draw. Furthermore, a correspondence game Mendheims against the strong players Angerstein from Brandenburg is obtained. It originated from a variation of the first Breslauer section in which Black ( Angerstein ) from the 21 different train went on and won.

Finally Mendheim 1830 Member, founded three years before the Berlin Chess Club. In many cases, it must begin with Ludwig Bledow, have the founder of the Berlin school of chess played. How great was his influence on Bledow, is not clear. Mendheim said to have been coined yet in the greater extent of the positional teachings of the famous French master Philidor, who had dominated the chess development for a long time. The younger champion Wilhelm Hanstein, Carl Mayet and Bernhard Horwitz met during his lifetime Mendheims together with Bledow. The Chess Player, the Tassilo von der Lasa Heydebrand and boasted as "the genius Mendheim ," was undoubtedly a pioneer of the Berlin Chess School.

Importance as a chess composer

The praise on Mendheim also extended to his services in the field of chess composition. In this regard Mendheim can be considered as carrying on the tradition of medieval Mansuben and Philipp Stammas. In contrast to the modern type of task, the first section of his pocket book for chess lovers contained twenty tasks that require a farmer Matt, the second consisted of 31 problems with different conditions. In contrast Mendheim would have the tasks for chess players, mostly can omit the terms in the later sequel, because here the only gain coincided with the mat guide. Mendheim said of these problems, that "most can be solved by the ordinary laws of chess ." With its direct Matt problems and a number of endgame studies Mendheim was also in the field of chess composition on the threshold of a new era.

The series of chess commandments reminiscent of a Mansube and ends with a double cross check.

Solution: 1 Sd8xc6 Sc7xe8 2 Sc6xa7 KC8 - b8 3 Tc4 - c8 Kb8xa7 4.Nc3 b5 Lf1xb5 5 Be7 - c5 b7 - b6 6 Ka5xb5 Ta1xa4 7 Tc8xa8 matt

Works

• Paperback for chess fans, Alexander Mosar, Berlin 1814 ( author anonymous )
• Tasks for chess players, together with resolutions. As a continuation of the paperback for chess fans, Publisher T. Trautwein, Berlin 1832