Howard Staunton

Staunton was the most successful British player of all time, winning three matches against European masters in the 1840s which in modern times would certainly have qualified him to be recognised as world champion.
 
On the social medium of Twitter (@HowardStaunton), an anonymous writer has invented a witty and satirically trenchant imitation of Staunton. The voice is spot on and whoever lurks behind the Twitter handle is clearly extremely erudite and evidently an expert on 19th-century British chess.
 
I am offering a champagne lunch at Staunton’s old haunt (and the traditional home of British chess), Simpsons-in-the-Strand, to anyone who can reveal the identity of the Staunton tweeter. Given how well this secret has been kept so far, I won’t be holding my breath.
 
Staunton-Williams: London 1851; Bird’s Opening
 
1 f4 e6 2 e3 f5 3 g3 Nf6 4 Bg2 d5 5 Nf3 c5 6 b3 Nc6 7 0-0 Bd6 8 Bb2 0-0 9 Qe2 Bc7 10 Na3 This ‘eccentric’ development, avoiding obstruction of the queen bishop’s diagonal, is more effective than developing the knight on c3. 10 … a6 11 Rad1 b5 12 c4 bxc4 13 bxc4 Rb8 (see diagram 1) 14 Bxf6 A startling exchange of what appears to be his most illustrious piece, but Staunton wishes to subject his opponent’s central pawns to intense bombardment (in true ‘hypermodern’ style) and this move is the essential prelude thereto. 14 … Qxf6 15 cxd5 exd5 16 d4 The delayed fixing of the middle pawns. Black’s d-pawn is transformed into a grave weakness. 16 … c4 17 Ne5 Nb4 18 Naxc4 dxc4 19 a3 Bxe5 20 dxe5 Qf7 21 axb4 Rxb4 Staunton’s achievement in this game is a matter for constant wonder. It took depth of vision beyond common experience to appreciate at move 14 that Black, in this position, stands to lose, even with equal material and in possession of his two passed pawns.