 At the age of 14, (in 1804) Evans went out to sea to serve in the navy until 1815, when the war ended.He was then transferred to the postal department; by 1819, he had reached the title of Captain of the sailing packet.Around 1825-1826, on shore leave in London, Evans played Alexander McDonnell, beating the latter with what is now regarded in chess circles as the first creation of the Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4).