Patients of Bethlem Hospital defeat Cambridge in chess
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In 1883 and 1884, patients from Bethlem Royal Hospital, known as Bedlam, in England, competed in a correspondence chess match against the University of Cambridge and won.
Bethlem Hospital, founded in 1247, once allowed paying visitors to view and mock its patients, becoming a popular attraction near London alongside St Paul’s Cathedral. The hospital’s methods were often harsh, resembling torture more than treatment, but reforms later improved conditions for some patients.
The correspondence match lasted from December 1883 to March 1884 and was published in the British magazine The Field. Two patients, identified only as Beta and Mr. C, were noted for their skill, with Beta also composing chess problems. The University of Cambridge Chess Club had produced strong players like Hugh Alexander, who later led a section of the Enigma project during World War II, breaking German military codes.
The article also recounts a story about Raymond Keene, a chess grandmaster and prolific author who attended Cambridge. Keene recalled stealing a sausage roll from a plate outside Prince Charles’s room, resulting in a visit from campus police. The author notes the skill of the Bethlem players, despite the historical context of the hospital and its treatment of patients.
