L'Analyze des Echecs: Contenant Une Nouvelle Methode Pour apprendre en peu de tems à se Perfectioner dans ce Noble Jeu

Pirate edition from the same year as the first edition of this bible of chess strategy, published by Philidor at the age of twenty-two.

Full olive morocco binding, dentelle boards framed by a gilt roulette motif, central gilt decoration in mandorla shape composed of a quatrefoil formed by basket-handle motifs richly decorated in gilt inside the lobes, gilt edges, top spine-end slightly rubbed, corners bumped, some rare spots of foxing, binding attributable to René-François Fétil, pupil of the great Padeloup, based on numerous tools found on bindings bearing Fétil's ticket and listed in Giles Barber, The James A. de Rothschild Bequest at Waddesdon Manor. Printed Books and Bookbindings, 2013 (DCT 38 "Long, cornet-shaped ornament with a floral top", FR 16 "pair of fronds with a large double-sided base leaf and two smaller leaves above; plain curl end").

The greatest chess treatise, in an elegant dentelle binding, from the library of the famous chess player Lothar Schmid, chess grandmaster and arbiter of the century, holder of the largest and most prestigious private chess book collection in the world (according to Allan Savage, Caissa's Legacy: The Great Chess Libraries).

This treatise enjoyed immense popularity and posterity: the Belfort library lists, as new French editions, those of Paris in 1803, 1810, 1820, Strasbourg in 1803 and 1812, Philadelphia in 1821, London in 1752, 1773, 1777; in English, the London editions of 1750, 1777, 1790, 1791, 1824, 1830, and Boston in 1826; in German, the Halle edition of 1840 and Gotha editions of 1779 and 1797; in Dutch, the Gravenhage edition of 1786.

This rare pirate edition from the year of the first edition, bearing the same publication year, namely 1749 - MDCCXLIX, is identifiable by its title vignette with two cornucopias instead of a fruit basket, by the word "tems" in the title written with a lowercase "t", and by the pagination totaling 162 pages (versus 170 for the first edition which contains the list of 127 subscribers).

A rare copy of Philidor's masterpiece, greatest player of the 18th century, from the library of one of the greatest players of the 20th century.

Provenance: engraved bookplate of Lothar Schmid on the front pastedown.