Alexandre Deschapelles
| Alexandre Deschapelles | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Full name | Alexandre Louis Honore Lebreton Deschapelles |
| Country |
 France
|
| Born |
March 7, 1780 Ville-d'Avray, France |
| Died | October 27, 1847 (aged 67) Paris, France |
| World Champion | c. 1800 – c. 1820 (Unofficial) |
Alexandre Deschapelles (March 7, 1780 in Ville-d'Avray near Versailles – October 27, 1847 in Paris) was a French chess player who, between the death of Philidor and the arrival of Louis de la Bourdonnais, was probably the strongest player in the world. He was considered the unofficial world champion from about 1800–1820.
His parents were Louis Gatien Le Breton Comte des Chapelles, born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1741, and Marie Françoise Geneviève d'Hémeric des Cartouzières from Béziers in the south of France. Louis Gatien served as an officer in a dragoon regiment and later, through the influence of his close friend, the future admiral Latouche-Tréville, became an officer in the royal household (Maison du Roi) with a number of rooms near the king's chambers in the château of Versailles.
Deschapelles was sent to the renowned military academy at Brienne with a view to a military career. When the influence of Louis Gatien's patron Latouche-Tréville ceased in 1791 and with the Reign of Terror looming, Louis Gatien decided to emigrate to Germany with his wife and two sisters of Alexandre. Soon after his father's emigration, Alexandre had to leave Brienne to join the French Republican army. A soldier in Napoleon's army, Deschapelles lost his right hand in battle and was thereafter nicknamed "Manchot" (one-armed). He also received a massive sabre wound down the entire length of his face, which caused the Phrenology enthusiasts of his era to suggest "cranial sabre-wounds" were responsible for his amazing chess skill.
Deschapelles had an incredible aptitude for games. Three months after learning the moves of Polish Draughts, he defeated the French champion of that game, and claimed to have learned all of his chess knowledge in just four days.
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