Heinse. Anastasia und das Schachspiel. 1803.

Briefe aus Italien, vom Verfasser des Ardinghello. Letters from Italy. 2 volumes bound in 1. Frankfurt / M., Varrentrapp und Wenner, 1803. With 2 engraved titles. VIII, 231, 279 pages.1 leaf. First edition. L/N 4405. van der Linde I, 373. Schmid, p. 192.

“Anastasia und das Schachspiel” is a novel by Wilhelm Heinse, first published in 1803. The book is a collection of fictional letters from a traveler in Italy, with chess as the central theme. The narrative is divided into sections, each containing letters that discuss various aspects of chess, including historical, philosophical, and cultural perspectives.

Wilhelm Heinse (1746 - 1803) was a German poet of the "Sturm und Drang" period. In this chess novel, he tells in letter form about the beautiful Greek Anastasia and her chess skills. In his remarkable comments on chess, Heinse drew on the teachings of Philidor, the chess school of Modena and the book by Lolli. "In this work, Heinse has provided an excerpt from Lolli's Osservazioni; however, this only contains the defense, a small part of the initial games, the criticism of Philidor of Rio, then the introduction and finally 33 artificial endgames." (Schmid)

Condition: Modern blue leatherette in VG condition. Inside slightly yellowed, occasionally stained. A beautiful, unopened, uncut copy. Rare edition. From David DeLucia's Chess Library.