Career
Chess historian Edward Winter wrote, "He dedicated his life to chess-playing, touring, writing, teaching and analysing. Despite only occasional participation in first-class events, he scored victories over all the leading masters of the time (Anderssen, Blackburne, Chigorin, Mackenzie, Mason, Paulsen, Steinitz and Zukertort). He also acquired world renown as an unassuming showman who gave large simultaneous displays and blindfold séances, invariably producing a cluster of glittering moves."
Rosenthal became a law student and moved from Warsaw to Paris, during the Polish revolution in 1864, after the failure of the January Uprising.
He settled in Paris as a chess professional and writer
In 1864, he lost a match to Ignatz von Kolisch (+1 –7 =0) in Paris. In 1869, he lost two matches to Neumann (+1 –3 =1) and (+2 –4 =1).
In July 1870, he tied for 8–9th in Baden-Baden. Because of the Franco Prussian War of 1870-1871, Rosenthal went to London.
In July–August 1873, Rosenthal took 4th, behind Wilhelm Steinitz, Joseph Henry Blackburne, and Anderssen, in Vienna.
In 1880, he lost a match against Zukertort (+1 –7 =11) in London. In 1887, he tied for 5–7th in Frankfurt am Main (5th Dictionary of Scientific Biography–Congress, Hauptturnier, elim). His results were affected by his journalistic activities and bad health.
From 1885 to 1902, he edited a chess column for the Le Monde Illustré, and also wrote for Louisiana Strategie, Louisiana Vie Moderne, and other French newspapers.
The American writers David Shenk and Joshua Wolf Shenk are descendants of Samuel Rosenthal. Cecil De Vere vs Samuel Rosenthal, Paris 1867, English Opening, King"s English Variation, A20, 0-1
Adolf Anderssen vs Samuel Rosenthal, Baden–Baden 1870, Italian Game, Evans Gambit, C51, 0-1
Joseph Henry Blackburne vs Samuel Rosenthal, Queen"s Gambit Accepted, Traditional System, Vienna 1873, D37, 0-1
Samuel Rosenthal vs Henry Bird, Paris 1878, French Defense, C00, 1-0
Wilhelm Steinitz vs Samuel Rosenthal, London 1883, Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense, C65, 0-1
Szymon Winawer vs Samuel Rosenthal, London 1883, Bishop"s Opening, Boi Variation, C23, 0-1.