George Henry Mackenzie George Henry Mackenzie ( 24 March 1837 , North Kessock , Scotland – 14 April 1891 , New York City ) was a Scottish - American chess master . Biography . Mackenzie was educated mainly in Aberdeen , at the Aberdeen Grammar School and the Marischal College , University of Aberdeen ; but he studied in Rouen , France , and Stettin , Prussia , from 1853 to 1855 . He was commissioned into the 60th Foot as an ensign in 1856 when he was nineteen years old . Soon after , his regiment was sent to the Cape of Good Hope , and from there to India . He traveled to England in 1858 , having been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant . In 1861 he sold his commission and retired from the army . Mackenzie began to practice chess in 1853 , and in 1862 he won a handicap tournament in London in which he defeated Adolf Anderssen . In 1863 , during the middle of the American Civil War , he moved to the United States . During the Civil War , he fought on the Union side , obtaining the rank of Captain in the 10th United States Colored Troops Regiment . However , on June 16 , 1864 , he was reported as a deserter by the United States Army . In 1865 , Mackenzie came to New York , where he wrote on chess matters for " Turf , Field , and Farm . " He won the first prizes at the annual contests of the New York Chess Club in 1865 , 1866 , 1867 , and 1868 . Death . Mackenzie died at the Cooper Union Hotel on April 14 , 1891 , but the cause of death is a matter of considerable speculation . " The New York Times " reported on April 27 , 1890 that Mackenzie was suffering from tuberculosis , and on April 15 , 1891 , a day after his death , mentioned that the immediate cause of death was pneumonia , noting that his condition had worsened from a fever caught while visiting Havana . However , on April 29 , 1891 , " The Sun " carried a report by Dr . S . B . Minden , who had visited Mackenzie before his death , claiming that the captain had committed suicide by an overdose of morphine , which he had requested earlier to ease the pain from his tuberculosis , but Dr . Minden had refused . The coroner who had presided over Mackenzie ' s death dismissed this assertion as ridiculous , insisting that tuberculosis was the cause of death . Chess career . Mackenzie dominated American chess from the time he immigrated in 1863 until shortly before his death in 1891 . During a 15 - year period , from 1865 through 1880 , Mackenzie amassed a record of thirteen straight first place finishes in tournaments , while winning six of seven matches , with only one drawn . His successes in the U . S . included first place at Cleveland 1871 , Chicago 1874 , and New York 1880 ( the second , third , and fifth American Chess Congress es , respectively ) . In 1878 Mackenzie began to receive invitations to play in the top international tournaments in Europe . Subsequently he played in many tournaments both at home and abroad . In 1878 , he tied for fourth – fifth in Paris . In 1882 , he tied for fourth in Vienna ( Wilhelm Steinitz and Szymon Winawer won ) . In 1883 , he tied for fifth – seventh in London ( Johannes Zukertort won ) . In 1885 , he took fourth place in Hereford ( Joseph Henry Blackburne won ) , and took seventh in Hamburg 1885 ( Isidor Gunsberg won ) . In 1886 , he tied for seventh – eighth in London . Finally , Captain Mackenzie capped the climax of his chess achievements by winning the first prize , ahead of Joseph Blackburne , Johannes Zukertort , Berthold Englisch , Max Weiss , Curt von Bardeleben , Siegbert Tarrasch , and Louis Paulsen in the fifth German Championship at Frankfurt - on - the - Main 1887 . He won the fifth Scottish Championship at Glasgow 1888 with a score of + 4 −0 = 2 . Samuel Lipschuetz replaced him as the United States Chess Champion in 1890 . While his only international victory was at Frankfurt 1887 , Mackenzie was a frequent high placer throughout his career . In match play , in 1886 he defeated the other top American master of the era , Samuel Lipschutz , by a score of + 5 −3 = 5 . The same year , Mackenzie drew a match in London with top European master Amos Burn with the final tally + 4 −4 = 2 . Despite this , Mackenzie was not considered a serious contender for the world title held by Steinitz . His tournament results were below those of Steinitz , Zukertort , Blackburne , and Tarrasch in the 1880s , and his personal record against Steinitz was + 1 −6 = 3 . Famous games . Mackenzie – James Mason , Paris 1878 1 . e4 e6 2 . d4 d5 3 . Nc3 Nf6 4 . exd5 exd5 5 . Nf3 Bd6 6 . Bd3 O - O 7 . O - O Nc6 8 . Bg5 Ne7 9 . Bxf6 gxf6 10 . Nh4 Kg7 11 . Qh5 Rh8 12 . f4 c6 13 . Rf3 Ng6 14 . Raf1 Qc7 15 . Ne2 Bd7 16 . Ng3 Rag8 ( see diagram ) 17 . Qh6 + ! ! Kxh6 18 . Nhf5 + Bxf5 19 . Nxf5 + Kh5 20 . g4 + Kxg4 21 . Rg3 + Kh5 22 . Be2 # 1 – 0