much shorter game, in two moves, played by himself, resembling the "Fool's Mate " of the "books." following letter is from Captain Kennedy, the well-known Chess author : 66 The SIR,-Perhaps you will kindly allow me to mention that the seven move-game recorded in your present number, which has been sent to you all the way from the Bahamas, as a novelty, is, in point of fact, a venerable old stager, and has been frequently in print before. It was won by me against a Brighton amateur as far back as the year 1845, and will be found in the Chess Player's Chronicle, vol. V, page 298. It is reprinted in the American Chess Monthly, vol. I, page 252; and, under the designation of 'Captain Kennedy's Mate," again appears in Hazeltine's Brevity and Brilliancy in Chess, page 37. Finally, about two years ago, this Chess-i-kin cropped up in the Illustrated London News (as it now does in your columns), as an original game, contested by two gentlemen in America. I do not for a moment doubt that it was so contested, and only desire to say that I played it first. The small partic in question, I may state, is not, as your Nassau correspondent supposes, the shortest on record. There is in existence a lustrous little Chess gem, cut by the master hand of Legalle, the accomplished preceptor of Philidor, which is as brief, and of unquestionably superior merit.-Yours faithfully, READING, 7th April 1873. The game by M. de Legalle, referred to by Captain Kennedy, will be found in Walker's Chess Studies, p. 58 and is terminated on the seventh move. As these little gems deserve to be recorded, we print one presented to us by Herr Zukertort, who on this occasion gave the odds of a Queen. The annual Soirée of the Cardiff Chess Club was a great success, as was Mr. Steinitz's performance of playing simultaneously seven games without seeing the Board. Mr. Blackburne's annual blindfold performance at the City of London Chess Club is fixed for the 7th instant. Mr. Blackburne will play ten games concurrently, without seeing the boards. In these days of scientific and slow players it is quite refreshing to read that four of the games in the match between Sheriff Spens and Mr. Grant, for the championship of the Glasgow Chess Club, were played at one sitting, the duration of which was three hours and a-half. The gold medal which accompanies, and is the symbol of the championship of the Edinburgh Chess Club, has been again won by Dr. Frazer, who won 23 out of the 27 games he played in the tourney. We learn from the Glasgow Herald that this gold medal was presented" to the Edinburgh Chess Club "by Mr. Donaldson." Mr. Donaldson is perhaps better known in London under his non de plume of "Delta." 66 If any of our readers desire to play a game by correspondence, they can communicate with F. W. H., to our care. We have been favoured with copies of the first four numbers of the Nordisk Skaktidende, a new Chess magazine, published at Copenhagen, and edited by Messrs. Malmqvist and S. A. Sorensen. They contain games and problems, by the best Danish players and composers, and several of the games in the late match between Zukertort and Steinitz. The New York Clipper contains a great many columns besides that devoted to Chess; among others one which bears the title of "Squibs and things," and under this remarkable title we notice a cautiously worded paragraph to the effect that "Mr. F. Boch, an actor in Memphis, is spoken of as the best Chess player in this country." This reminds us of the famous divan master who was spoken of as the best Chess player in Hoxton. The match between Hartford and Boston has ended in the victory of the latter city. On the question of exceeding the time limit, referred to the arbitration of Messrs. Mackenzie and Perrin, as announced in our last number, Boston was adjudged to have lost the game, but her champions having won the next one, the "Cradle of liberty" scored the match. A new monthly journal is to appear this month in Philadelphia, under the title of the Chess Record. It will be edited by Mr. George Reichelm, formerly the Chess Editor of the Philadelphia Bulletin, but better known in England as the adversary of Captain Mackenzie in two well contested matches for the championship of the States. The prospectus of the new periodical has excited our curiosity, and we look forward to the reception of the first number with interest. A singular Chess match is recorded in the Hartford Times. It is said that two "straight games" of Chess have been recently played between the "Naugatuck Hotel" and "Brick Block," and that the former won both. Mr. Belden knows that we appreciate his humour, so we feel sure he will forgive us if we ask him to explain this joke. Mr. T. D. S. Moore, the Chess Editor of the Western Advertiser (London, Ontario), has published a neat little volume, containing 100 gems of Chess, being problems selected from the Chess department of that paper. Many of the problems are by comparatively unknown men, but they are not without merit, and the little book is excellently printed, in clear type. We conmend it to such of our readers as are interested in problems. The Canadian Chess Congress will assemble at Toronto on the 13th inst. Two tourneys will be held, one for games, the other for problems, open only to residents of the dominion. In the game tourney three prizes will be given, and in the problem tourney five prizes will be offered, respectively for the best and second best sets of problems, in two, three and four moves, and for the best single problems, in two, three and four moves. As the genius of Morphy is reverenced in this country as sincerely as in his native land, the following "cutting," from an article in the Hartford Times, will have some interest for our readers. The writer is referring to the period of Mr. Morphy's return to America, after his triumphal progress through Europe : "Morphy, upon his return, renounced at once all his Chess connections, and, under flattering auspices, with sanguine faith in his success on the part of all who knew him, and the theorists who did not, he began the study of the law in the New Orleans Law School. What is the result? He has turned out no lawyer-not even a commission merchant! He is at present doing nothing." Once in a while the solitary athlete can be induced to show that his power is only in abeyance. I saw him at a private séance-just before I left-beat simultaneously, in two hours and three-quarters, sixteen of the most accomplished amateurs in New Orleans. His strength has never been fully tested, and will probably never be fully developed." THE CLASSIFICATION OF PROBLEMS. WHEN, a few months ago, we quoted from the New York Clipper Mr. Carpenter's "Definitions" for the classification of problems, our main object was to direct the attention of our contributors to a subject of extraordinary importance to all problem composers. We have therefore great pleasure in opening our columns to the discussion of the theme with the following letter, received from a valued correspondent, which we commend to the consideration of our problem composers and their reviewers : To the Editor of THE WESTMINSTER PAPERS. SIR, Following in the wake of Mr. Carpenter and X, I beg to offer a few suggestions as to the classification of Chess Problems. I think Mr. Carpenter's scheme much too elaborate, and as X says, not very lucid. With the first proposition made by X, I agreee-but not with his second. The classification I propose is as follows: Class A, or First Class Problems.-That is, those in which, in reply to any move in the defence, the attack can be carried on in one way only--or, in other words, those Problems in which the attack has never more than one move at command at any time by which to win. Problems in Class A, are "Fine" when they embody examples of fine play, involving one or more brilliant sacrifices on the part of the attack. It does not appear to me that there is any utility in the distinction which Mr. Carpenter makes between those problems in Class A, which have many variations, and those which have few or none. Some of the very finest compositions of Mr. Wm. Bone, the Rev. H. Bolton and others do not abound in variations, but they are certainly inferior to none of more modern date which do. I beg to submit to your readers, as an example, the following exquisitely beautiful problem by E. A. M. M. of India (an English composer of the highest rank) which will amply repay them for solving it; and they will not find it an easy nut to crack. Class B, or Second Class Problems.-That is those in which, in reply to any move in the defence, the attack may be carried on in more than one way. Some problems in this class however embody examples of fine play, and are worthy of publication. No. 240, by Mr. Howard Taylor, in the April number of the Papers, is an example. In describing problems in this Class they may be distinguished as simply "Class B" or Class B good." Class C, Incorrect Problems.-That is, those which cannot be solved in the stipulated number of moves, and those which can be solved in fewer moves, and those which cannot be solved at all. BLACK. WHITE. White to play and mate in five moves, I herewith beg to send you solutions of all the Problems, except one, in the April number-classified in this way, and trust the scheme may find favour with your Problem reviewers; all of whom I beg to suggest should allow their names to be published. A nom de plume should only be allowed in reviewing a Problem published anonymously. FAKENHAM, 7th April 1873. Yours faithfully, J. A. MILES. *We learn, from the Dubuque Journal, that Mr. Morphy has entered an eminent banking firm in New Orleans, but in what capacity is not stated. OUR PROBLEMS REVIEWED. 233, by J. H. ZUKERTORT.-There is a second solution to this Problem, commencing with B to R 7 ch.-(Editor.) No. 234, by J. A. MILES.-"This Problem would be better as a three mover," F. S. E.-"The point of this problem is in placing the Q en prise of the adverse Q and Kt. It is pretty, but not difficult," O. D. D.-"Neat, but obvious after the first move," J. N. K. No. 235, by G. E. BARBIER.- -"Class A, very good," J. A. M. -"Very elegant," F. S. E.- "A beautiful problem," O. D. D. "A perfect position," J. N. K.-C. W. M. Dale has not played the best defence to the attack he suggests. No. 236, by W. T. PIERCE.- "Class A, good," J. A. M. -"Too many second moves for White," F. S. E.-"Rather difficult, but like many problems similar in construction, disappointing in the result," J. N. K. No. 237, by A. C. PEARSON." In aiming at so many variations in a two move problem the author has let it drop into Class B," J. A. M.-"One of the most difficult two move problems I ever saw," F. S. E.-"A nice two mover," O. D. D.-"Not very neat, and easy for a two move problem," J. N. K.-"Very pretty indeed," C. W. D. No. 238, by J. MENZIES.- "Class B, very faulty. White is far too powerful. Problem 221 in March number, by the same author, is far better, being in Class A, fine," J. A. M.-"Too easy," F. S. E.-"A fine problem, but rendered easy through the check threatened by Black; had this been averted, it would rank very high among two move problems," O. D. D.— "Obvious at once," J. N. K. "Very neat, although the threatened check from the Black R gives the clue to the solution," C. W. M. D. No. 239, by D. W. CLARK.-"Class B, a very good and difficult problem," J. A. M.- "Very pretty, and not easy," F. S. E.-"A very pretty problem," O. D. D.—“A pretty problem, though easy," J. N. K. 66 No. 240, by I. O. HOWARD TAYLOR.-"Dual moves place the problem in Class B, but it is a very good one," J. A. M."Below its composer's standard," F. S. E.-"An excellent problem, the variations of which are all good," O. D. D. -"Easy," J. N. K.-"Some of the variations are good," C. W. M. D. No. 241, by J. W. ABBOTT.- "Class A," J. A. M."Below its composer's standard," F. S. E. 'A very crowded position, and not difficult of solution," O. D. D."Neat, but hardly up to Mr. Abbott's standard," C. W. M. D. No. 242, by J. PIERCE.-"Class A, good," J. A. M."The idea is old," F. S. E.-" A very easy problem," O. D. D. No. 243, by the late T. SMITH.- "Class A, very fine; reminds me of Mendheim," J. A M.- Excellent, as an end game from actual play; perhaps it is," F. S. E. [It is.-Ed.] The solution is the only method by which White can even save the game," O. D. D. No. 244, by C. W. (Sunbury). -"Class A, good," J. A. M. -"A second rate problem, by a first rate composer," F. S. E. No. 245, by W. COATES.- "Class A, but, like all suicidal problems, in my opinion, valueless," J. A. M.-"Self evident but good," F. S. E. "Very neat, but decidedly easy,' O. D. D. T. R. Howard has solved all the problems, save No. 244, but has not "reviewed" any of them. Q to K 7 2 B to B 7 3 Q takes B mate |