George Walker (chess player) George Walker (chess player) George Walker (13 March 1803 – 23 April 1879) was an English chess player and author of "The Celebrated Analysis of A D Philidor" (London, 1832), "The Art of Chess-Play: A New Treatise on the Game of Chess" (London, 1832), "A Selection of Games at Chess played by Philidor" (London, 1835), "Chess Made Easy" (London, 1836), and "Chess Studies" (London, 1844). In 1839 visited Paris and the Café de la Régence, where he lost (+1-2) a short match to Boncourt . In 1845, he teamed up with Henry Thomas Buckle, William Davies Evans, George Perigal, and
White and Black in chess with an extra tempo. As late as the mid-to-late 19th century, the practice of White moving first had not yet become standard. George Walker in his popular treatise "The Art of Chess-Play: A New Treatise on the Game of Chess" (4th edition 1846), set forth the rules of London's St. George's Chess Club promulgated in June, 1841. "Law III" provided that the player who moved first had the choice of color; if the players played more games at the same sitting, the first move would alternate, but each player would continue to use the same colored pieces as he had