Marmaduke Wyvill

Marmaduke Wyvill (22 December 1815 in Constable Burton – 25 June 1896 in Bournemouth) was a leading English chess master and Liberal Party politician. He was among the world's strongest players in the 1840s and 1850s.

He was born the son of Marmaduke Wyvill of Constable Burton Hall (1791–1872), MP for York.

He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and was admitted to Lincoln's Inn in 1840.

Regarded by Howard Staunton as 'one of the finest players in England', he was primarily an enthusiastic amateur of chess, yet in his sole tournament appearance at London 1851 he took second prize behind Adolf Anderssen. Finishing ahead of Staunton, Elijah Williams, Bernhard Horwitz, and Jozsef Szen, he succumbed only to Anderssen in the final, by a score of 2½-4½. Long after he had retired from competitive play, he retained a great interest in the game and was known to have contributed to the organisation and funding of the 1883 London tournament.

Through his 1845 marriage to Laura, daughter of Sir Charles Ibbetson, Bart., he came into possession of Denton Hall. In 1847 Wyvill was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond, North Yorkshire. He retained the seat in 1861, but lost it in 1865, regaining it for a final time in 1866.

Notable game

His triumph in the third game of the final of the London tournament saw Wyvill winning with a fine counter-attack after defending Anderssen's attack with great expertise. As Staunton put it in a note to Black's 28th move: "... the assault is conducted with uncommon ingenuity and spirit." Anderssen - Wyvill, London 1851