an English chess player and author, nowadays best known for the Lewis Countergambit. He may have been the first player ever described as a Grandmaster of the game. Born in Birmingham, William Lewis moved as a young man to London where he worked for a merchant for a short period. He became a student of chess player Jacob Sarratt, but in later years he showed himself to be rather ungrateful towards his teacher. Around 1819 Lewis was the hidden player inside the Turk (a famous automaton), meeting all-comers successfully.
