James Thompson (chess player)

James Thompson (23 September 1804, London - 2 December 1870, New York) was an American chess master.

Born in London, he arrived in New York, where formed the New York Chess Club in 1839. He participated in the First American Chess Congree at New York 1857, and lost a match to Paul Morphy (0 : 3) in the first round. He also lost other matches to him; casual (0 : 5) in 1857, two formal (3.5 : 5.5) in May/June 1859 and (6 : 10) in October 1859, and casual (1 : 3) in 1860 (Morphy gave odds of a knight in three latter matches). He drew a match with Charles D. Mead (1.5 : 1.5) in 1857, and played several times in New York Chess Club tournaments, losing to Frederic Perrin in 1854, 1857, and 1859, and James A. Leonard in 1860/61.