It seems that complaintss about too much theory go very far back, well into the
romantic era. What is the oldest such complaint known? I found this one in an
Austrian paper called The Humorist, August 27, 1858. Reporting on the
Morphy-Loewenthal match, with Morphy ahead 7-3-1, the writer claims to be a
strong chessplayer (just a pawn weaker than Grimm), but that pure chess has been
replaced with "gray theory". With Bilguer and hundreds of other chessbooks, you
have to have studied too much in order not to be beaten before tactics begin! The
writer then praises Morphy for defying this trend with his own sharp moves
(calling him the Wagner of chess); he also says that Hamppe would be a good
opponent for Morphy.

How far back do you think complaints about book knowledge date to?

Jerry Spinrad