James Pierce (01-07-1833 - 27-04-1892) British composer
Tim Harding wrote a long article in
ChessCafe.com about James Pierce and his chess activities. He quoted the following obituary, published in "
English Mechanic and World of Science" of 13 May 1892, on page 275 :
At an early age, whilst at school, he commenced composing Chess problems, and contributed to several of the leading papers. He was educated at King’s College, London, and gained the first mathematical prize; also the Plumptre prize for English verse in 1852. In 1856 he graduated as sixteenth Wrangler at Cambridge. In 1866 he accepted the mathematical mastership of Bedford Grammar School, and filled that post for fifteen years, and during the whole of this period his problems were constantly appearing in several Chess columns. In 1873 he and his brother published a collection of 30 of their problems, which was very favourably received. Their next joint work was “English Chess Problems”, a collection of 608 problems by English composers, principally their own selection. Their last joint production was “Pierce-Gambit, Papers and Problems”, published in 1888. Mr. Pierce has also conducted this Chess column for about 20 years. He also co-operated as one of the editors of the British Chess Magazine, which periodical contains a great many of his Chess essays and poems. Mr. Pierce has published two volumes of his poems in recent years – one entitled “Stanzas and Sonnets”, and the other “In Clouds and Sunshine”. They are chiefly notable for their deep, contemplative spirit, and evince a highly appreciative sense of the beauty of Nature. They also were very well reviewed.
Indeed James Pierce was the author, together with his brother W. Timbrell Pierce, of "
English Chess Problems" (1876) which contains, as the title indicates, problems by English composers. It can be read online and downloaded
here or
here. Their intention was clearly stated in the introduction (image from
here):
This threemover is not easy to solve, because one variation is an actual twomover with many variations:
Pierce, James
The British Chess Magazine 2
nd Tourney, 1884
1
st Prize
Show Solution1.Se6-g5 ! ZZ
1...Ke5-f6 2.Sg5-f3 ZZ
2...Kf6-e7 3.Qc8-d8#
2...Kf6-g7 3.Bg1-d4#
2...Bh6-~ 3.Qc8-f8#
2...Bh6-g7 3.Qc8-e6#
1...Ke5-f4 2.Sg5-h3+ Kf4-g3, Kf4-e5 3.Bg1-f2, Qc8-e6#
1...Bh6xg5 2.Qc8-e6+ Ke5-f4 3.Bg1-h2#
1...Bh6-f8 2.Qc8xf8 Ke5xd5 3.Qf8-c5#
1...Bh6-g7 2.Bg1-e3 ~ 3.Qc8-e6#
Rich variations and nice flight-giving key.
