William Wayte (4 September 1829 – 3 May 1898) was a Church of England cleric and a British chess master.

He was one of a group of ministers who played a prominent role in English chess in the late nineteenth century.

[2] Wayte was one of a group of ministers who played a prominent role in early Victorian Era English chess.

Other members of the group included George Alcock MacDonnell, John Owen, Charles Ranken, Edmund Thorold, and Arthur Skipworth.

[3][4][5] Mike Fox and Richard James remark that, "The English parsons were a talented mob; presumably quiet country parishes in the nineteenth century gave one the leisure needed to become a star.

[9] In 1872, he finished third in the first-class section at the 8th Counties Chess Association Congress in Malvern with 10.5 of 14 possible points, behind Revs.

[14] At London 1878, he won the Loewenthal Cup, scoring an undefeated 13 of 14 possible points in the double round robin event.

[15] At London 1879, he again won the Loewenthal Cup, scoring 9 of 12 possible points in a triple round robin format.

[16] With his chess career advancing, Wayte left his professor position at the University College London in 1879.

[2] In 1881, he finished third in the 16th British Counties Chess Association Congress in Leamington with 7 of 9 possible points, behind Revs.

[17][18] In 1884, he won the 19th Counties Chess Association tournament in Bath with 5 of 6 possible points, ahead of such strong players as Henry Bird and Rev.

[1][2] Shortly before the following game, Steinitz had written that a rook, bishop, and well-supported passed pawn were often more than a match for a queen.

7.Bb5 Ne4 8.0-0 0-0 Here and on the next move, Reinfeld recommends that Black play ...g5!, keeping the gambit pawn and making it difficult for White to develop properly.

[28] Over a century after this game, World Champion Anatoly Karpov played 5...d6 against Jan Timman, with a similar idea.