Les stratagèmes des échecs, ou collection des cours d'échecs les plus brillans et les plus curieux, tant dans la partie ordinaire que dans les différentes parties composées; tirés des meilleurs auteurs, et dont plusieurs n'ont point encore été pub

2 volumes in one: 93+[1 blank] pages with tables, engraved plate in the text volume; 122 page of color diagrams. Sextodecimo (4 3/4" x 4") bound in period leather with gilt stamping to spine and red spine label. First chess book to be published in color. Date reads X after the French revolution started publishing with the date I in 1792.(Schaakboekerij Niemeijer 1788); (Van der Linde-Niemeijeriana:2152); (Rimington-Wilson 991-994); (Anton Schmid, Lit. des Schachspiels, page 325) First edition.

First edition of a fine chess manual, a classic in its field, the plates here beautifully colored by hand. The engraved plate in the text volume of a chess board with all chess pieces set up in the starting position, the fields colored in white and gold and the pieces in red and black, the gold and red colored by hand (opposite page 28), and 120 engraved plates with similarly hand colored chess boards depicting chess problems in the plates volume. The tables with the full proceedings of all the chess games, illustrated on the engraved plates, are given in the text volume, accompanied by short explanations and the book starts with a general exposition of the rules of the game. In the first volume is Cerutti's poem on chess. Stamma is pillaged in this work. The work was published simultaneously at Strasbourg in German translation, and in 1816 it was translated into English. All these editions were several times republished as well, all through the 19th century.

Condition:

Slight worming to spine hinge, back board slightly bowed, small stamp to front end paper else a very nice copy.