Strength of The Competition
As this was the first ever international tournament, it is difficult to assess the strengths of the players. As an approximate guide, here are Chessmetrics' rating of the contestants immediately before the contest started:
| Name | Chessmetrics score, April 1851 | "World ranking", April 1851 | Highest Chessmetrics score before May 1851 | Highest "world ranking" before May 1851 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kieseritzky | 2658 | 1 | 2658 (April 1851) | 1 (April 1851) |
| Williams | 2507 | 3 | 2507 (April 1851) | 2 (Feb 1851) |
| Löwenthal | 2488 | 4 | 2488 (April 1851) | 4 (April 1851) |
| Anderssen | 2484 | 6 | 2484 (April 1851) | 6 (March 1848, ... April 1851) |
| Mayet | 2468 | 8 | 2468 (April 1851) | 6 (Jan - Feb 1848) |
| Horwitz | 2439 | 11 | 2579 (Oct 1846) | 3 (Mar - July 1846) |
| Bird | 2377 | 14 | 2380 (Feb 1851) | 12 (Feb 1851) |
| Szén | (2493 in May 1851) | (4 in May 1851) | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) |
| Staunton | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) | 2670 (Jan 1844) | 1 (May 1843 - Aug 1849) |
| Wyvill | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) |
| Kennedy, H.A. | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) |
| Löwe | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) |
| Mucklow | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) | (insufficient data) |
| Brodie | (not listed) | (not listed) | (not listed) | (not listed) |
| Kennedy, E.S. | (not listed) | (not listed) | (not listed) | (not listed) |
| Newham | (not listed) | (not listed) | (not listed) | (not listed) |
Read more about this topic: London 1851 Chess Tournament
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