Chess. DE MONTIGNY. Les stratagèmes des échecs.

2 parts in one volume in 16mo. 108 x 83 mm. Contemporary leather binding, ornate gilt frame on the covers, gilt title on label and ornaments on the spine. Pages 93, 1 blank, 1 engraved plate o.t.; 122, including titlepage, [2], with 120 plates. Ex libris ‘Sanvito Alessandro’ pasted on the endpaper. A total of 121 engraved plates with contemporary coloring. Defects to the binding, internally some traces of wear and occasional slight dampstaining, overall a good copy, complete with the first plate which is not always present.

Very rare first edition, first chess book to be published in colour. A refined chess manual, a classic in its field: Volume I sets out the strategies corresponding to the various chess games, and also contains Cerutti's poem on chess; Volume II reproduces these moves on engraved reproductions of chess boards, coloured by hand; the chess pieces are represented by various letters printed in red and black respectively. The engraved table in the text volume, facing page 28, depicts a chessboard with all chess pieces arranged in the starting position. 

The work was published simultaneously in Strasbourg in German translation and in 1816 was translated into English: further editions in German and English followed.