Alexander McDonnell

Alexander McDonnell (1798–1835), sometimes spelled MacDonnell, was an Irish chess master, who played a series of six matches with the world's leading chess player, Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais, in 1834.

West India Interest

Alexander McDonnell was born in Belfast in 1798. His father was a surgeon. He worked as a merchant in the West Indies, where he became a friend of Major Thomas Moody ADC Kt. who described him as 'unquestionably clever' and of a 'cool and reasoning manner'.

In 1820, he settled in London, where he became the secretary of the Committee of West Indian Merchants whose interest he advocated. McDonnell was a Whig whom Moody invited to Downing Street to discuss economics.

Chess career

In 1825, he became a pupil of William Lewis, who was the leading chess-player in Britain. McDonnell outplayed Lewis until Lewis refused to play against him.

Around 1825–1826, McDonnell played Captain Evans, while the latter was on shore leave in London. McDonnell was beaten with what is now regarded in chess circles as the creation of the Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4).

In 1831, along with George Walker, he became a founding member of the Westminster Chess Club and was acclaimed as England's best player.

La Bourdonnais matches

At that time, the world's strongest player was the French aristocrat Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais. Between June and October 1834, La Bourdonnais and McDonnell played a series of six matches, a total of eighty-five games, at the Westminster Chess Club in London. McDonnell won the second match, while La Bourdonnais won the first, third, fourth and fifth. The sixth match was unfinished.