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Captain William Davies Evans
Number of games in database: 4
Years covered: 1826 to 1843
Overall record: +3 -1 =0 (75.0%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.

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CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAVIES EVANS
(born Jan-27-1790, died Aug-03-1872) United Kingdom

[what is this?]
William Davies Evans was born on Musland Farm, St. Dogwell's, North Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK.

It was in 1824 whilst commanding a steam packet that sailed between Milford in Wales and Waterford in Ireland he invented the gambit for which he became famous. Its original form was 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 d6 5.b4. He used it against Alexander McDonnell around 1825. (See Captain Evans vs McDonnell, 1826.)

Although he claimed that the "Little Game of Chess" (an endgame composition involving only two kings with three pawns each) is actually won for the player who moves first, not drawn, as had been believed for over a hundred years, the problem had been previously solved by others.

Captain Evans also claimed to have invented a safety system of white, green and red lights at sea during the 1830s, but there is no known confirmation of this claim. He passed away in Ostend in 1872.


 page 1 of 1; 4 games  PGN Download 
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Captain Evans vs McDonnell 1-020 1826 LondonC52 Evans Gambit
2. Captain Evans vs McDonnell 1-020 1829 London (England)C51 Evans Gambit
3. Captain Evans vs G Perigal 1-032 1839 LondonC21 Center Game
4. Cochrane vs Captain Evans 1-016 1843 ?C39 King's Gambit Accepted
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Captain Evans wins | Captain Evans loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Jun-09-04   mack: Sorry... I saw that they were both against MacDonnell and ended in 20 moves, checked one, and then thought I checked the other... I in fact clicked on the same game twice.
Jun-30-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Knight13: Hello, Captain Evans. How can I help you?
Nov-01-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Luisenrique: Saludos desde Caracas. El gambito Evans es una de mis aperturas favoritas.
Nov-01-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Ron: <Luisenrique> My Spanish in not that great, but I think I readily undertstand your post. And Saludos to Venezuela, home of Ozzie Guillen, Luis Aparicio

Ron
Chicago
Home of the 2005 World Champion White Sox

Dec-24-05   WMD: From March 1990 BCM:

<[Evans'] grave was located in the churchyard at Nieuwpoortse-Steenweg, lawn number 8, grave 39, just ten minutes from the Thermae Palace Hotel where the 1988 and 1989 tournaments were held. Part of the inscription reads "Also well known in the chess world as the author of the Evans Gambit." The grave is in a bad condition compared with the surrounding ones.>

Sounds like a job for the Staunton Society. Just a hop on-and-off a ferry.

Feb-06-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Knight13: Mr. g4 player, a pawn-give-away guy who made his opening very popular in the 1800s and 1900s, until it was refuted or something.
Feb-24-06   McCool: He liked to play his own opening.
Apr-16-06   EricCartman: he is probably one of the best players who ever lived
Jul-27-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  biglo: If you want to know more about Evans read http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skitt...
Nov-05-06   argishti: this is it? 3 games?? this guy is the founder of one of the most deadliest gambits in chess. wow
Nov-05-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  technical draw: What a coincidence. This guys name is Evans and he plays the Evans' gambit.
Jan-27-07   Dr.Lecter: He seems like a good player. Why did Bill Robertie call him a average player of the time.
Jan-27-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sneaky: I spent a great deal of time analyzing "The Little Game of Chess" with a friend


click for larger view

It's as deep of an endgame composition as any. It has its own openings, it contains gambits, and wild (but inferior) lines where both sides queen.

White can win by perfect play but there was a time where I would accept the handicap of Black pieces against just about anybody, since one inaccuracy by White spells 0-1.

Feb-24-07   coolbob: <Sneaky> I have a question, would black win if he went first with perfect play?
Mar-11-07   brainof7: evans gambit is my opening, and it is really strong. I beat a guy pretty higher than me because of the position it gave me.
May-23-07   alan11: The evans gambit has to be the most exciting game in chess. Evan's games are great, but look at Paul Morphy's games in the Evans. Pure genius.
May-17-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sneaky: <coolbob: <Sneaky> I have a question, would black win if he went first with perfect play?> Surely you are joking, right? Of course Black wins if he moves first--the position is symmetrical.

Here is one fanciful line in the LGOC which does not represent best play, but very interesting nonetheless.

(A)


click for larger view

1.a4? (this move at best draws; 1.Ke2! wins) h5 2.a5 Kd7 3.Ke2 h4 4.Kf3 g5 5.a6 Kc6 6.b4 h3 7.b5+ Kb6 8.Kg3 g4

(B)


click for larger view

This position is =. During my analysis I called positions like this "double restraint" because both players have restrained pushing of one of their pawns.

Ideal play by both sides now would run: 9.Kh2 Ka7 10.Kg3 Kb6 11.Kh2 Ka7 10.Kg3 Kb6 drawn by repetition.

The first player to push their restrained pawn loses. Let's take a look and see what happens if White decides to push his c-pawn:

9.c4? f5! 10.c5+ Ka7 11.c6 Kb6 and now White is to move, and is in zugzwang:

(C)


click for larger view

12.Kh2 f4 13.Kg1 f3 (g3 also wins) 14.Kh2 f2

or 12.Kf2 f4 as it transposes into the same position as above

Getting back to diagram (B) above, one may rationalize that if White finds himself in zugzwang with 9.c4? then perhaps there is a way to win by intentionally losing a move, and playing 9.c3 instead. But in that event Black will still win, by responding with 9...f6!! Cute, eh?

May-17-08   ivansachelov: musland farm is a hell of a place to be born in, that's for sure.
May-17-08   blackburne: Gambit Evans:

http://www.ajedrezdeataque.com/18%2...

May-17-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Calli: "musland farm is a hell of a place"

http//www.casblaidd.co.uk/The_Locality/the_local-
ity.html

Never been there, but it looks pleasant.

May-17-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: I think the other link is broken.

http://www.casblaidd.co.uk/The_Loca...

May-17-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Calli: <kp> Thanks! not sure what happened

º¿º

May-17-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <Calli> As long as you're here, did you see <brankat>'s post on the Tarrasch page asking about Lasker's writings on the 1908 match? Since you had posted one of Lasker's columns (about game #9), I thought you might be able to help.
May-17-08   pawnofdoom: Since when was a guy with 4 games in the database a Player of the Day?

Of course, Evans is an exception

May-17-08   Wone Jone: So, does Tennille have an entry?
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