Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais, a prominent French chess master who lived from 1795 to 1840, established himself as one of the most formidable players of the early 19th century. Alexander McDonnell (1798 – 1835), an Irish chess master of grandmaster caliber (sometimes spelled MacDonnell), displayed exceptional skill as well. In 1834, the two renowned players engaged in a series of six matches that solidified La Bourdonnais’ status as the preeminent chess player worldwide. These matches are often regarded as unofficial World Chess Championship contests, predating the formal establishment of the title of World Chess Champion.
For today’s analysis, I have chosen a game that was referred to as the inaugural immortal game of chess in Reuben Fine’s renowned book, “The World’s Great Chess Games.”