PROBLEMS.

To the following pair of Problems under the motto of “Speculum," has been awarded the First Prize in the Northumberland and Durham Chess Association Tourney, subject to their accuracy being confirmed.

THE MORAL OF A CHESS BOARD.

FROM Pope Innocent to Franklin the 'morals' of our philosophic folly have had many exponents, and all the cardinal virtues have been ascribed to the skilful manoeuvring of a bishop.

We are told that 'life is a kind of chess' in which all mankind are competitors or adversaries and that certain qualities of the mind, necessary to the attainment of success in the world, are to be acquired by directing the movements of inanimate images upon a painted board. It is the peculiar mission of the theorist to find "Sermons in stones and good,"—even in wooden chess-men; but we, who are not of the elect, may hope to be excused if we look at the question from another point of view.

In the first place, we do not admit that a game of chess is a fair picture of life. It has been more aptly described as a representation of war-for all the phases and incidents peculiar to the clash of immortal squadrons in the field, are on a smaller scale paralleled in the varied fortunes of a well-fought game. With the chess-player, too, as with the General, caution, perseverance, and self-control in the pursuit of the most trivial objects, are mental attributes indispensable to success.

Even here, however, the parallel is incomplete in one important particular. Chess lacks that element of personal danger which ennobles war and the actors in it, and wanting a high purpose it is possible, if not probable, that the very qualities of the mind, for the habitual exercise of which the game has been lauded, may be used in what is called 'life' in pursuit of the meanest ends.

One illustration is worth a hundred arguments. Let us suppose the case of an impecunious chessplayer who is desirous of borrowing a crown. If all his actions are guided by the habits he is said to acquire by incessant practice of the game, he will, in all probability, commence his financial operation by inquiring of an acquaintance if he has got "change for a sovereign." It will be at once seen that the second player in this little game irretrievably weakens his position if he owns that he has any change in his possession, for by such admission he has, as it were, "burnt the bridge" most commonly used for escaping from the loss contingent upon complying with the coming petition. Yet this is precisely what he will do if he be ignorant of the game he is unconsciously playing.

It is, we believe, universally acknowledged, that within certain well-defined limits "all is fair in war," but the true soldier when he welcomes "piping-peace," puts aside his plots and stratagems with his sword, and honest frankness is then his distinguishing characteristic. And so the chess-player, when he has played his game, should avoid practising the traps and tricks that are excusable, and perhaps necessary at the board, but, so far from being aids to success in the world, form impassable barriers to his advancement. It has been the destiny of some men to exalt chess by their genius and virtues, as it has been that of others to degrade it by cunning and chicanery; and we are not without living instances. of chess-players who have consecrated the game to Minerva rather than to Mars.

But can it, therefore, be said that these are the teachings of the Royal Games which kings have studied and philosophers praised? We do not think so. We believe on the contrary that the only influence of chess upon the character is to create an enthusiasm for itself that has rendered many players unfit for serious occupation, and that no man ever extracted from a chess-board more of good or evil than he naturally possessed before he saw one.

Who has not known fine chess-players who, absent from the board, betrayed a "plentiful lack" of all the qualities supposed to accompany skill in the game There are men,-whose caution in play is proverbial, who, in other affairs are utterly reckless and improvident; and some, whose self-control in the conduct of a difficult game is the admiration of beholders, who exhibit none of it in conversation or argument.

What, then, appears to be the true moral of chess and chess-playing?

"Dans l'Empire des echecs il y a beaucoup de Rois, mais deux fois plus de Fous."

GAMES.

N.B.-None of the following Chess Games have hitherto been published.

The following interesting game was won by the late Mr. Buckle, author of "The History of Civilization," he giving a knight to an Amateur, who now occupies a distinguished position as a chess-player:—

(b) Weak he should have played B to Kt 3.
(c) A beautiful ending, observe, Black has sacrificed all his pieces but those co-operate in the mate.

Game played at the "St. George's Chess Club," between Herr Lowenthal and the eminen

amateur "Alter."

(a) So far the game is very carefully and steadily conducted on both sides. (b) A last move, disastrous enough to Black.

(c) The finish is finely hit off by Herr Lowenthal.

GAME III.

On the occasion of the memorable Manchester Chess Tournament (when Lowenthal carried of a set of prize chess-men of inestimable value), there was fought, in by-times and spare hours, many a batch of sharp skirmishes between players who, amid less conviviality and hospitality, would probably have only played one or two careful games at a sitting. Amongst others was a rencontre betwixt Messrs. Anderssen and Boden, in which certain amusing parties were contested, whereof the redoubtable Prussian, as is usual with him, gained a majority. Of these "skrimmages," however, the only one which was taken down at the time, so far as we know, was the following, not hitherto printed :

Professor Anderssen.

White.

I. P. to K. 4.

2. P. to K. B. 4.

3. Kt. to K. B. 3. 4. B. to Q. B. 4. 5. P. to Q. 3. 6. P. to Q. B. 3. 7. Q. to K. 2. 8. P. to K. B. 5. 9. Q. Kt. to Q. 2. 10. Q. Kt. to K. B. II. P. to Q. Kt. 4. 12. K. B. takes Kt. P. 13. P. takes K. Kt. P. 14. P. to K. R. 3. (c.) 15. B. takes B. 16. Q. Kt. to K. 3. 17. Q. Kt. to Q. 5. 18. Q. to Q. Kt. 2.

Mr. BODEN.
Black.

I. P. to K. 4.

2. B. to Q. B. 4. (a.)

3. P. to Q. 3.
4. Kt. to K. B. 3.
5. Q. to K. 2.
6. P. to Q. R. 4.
7. P. to K. R. 3.
8. Kt. to Q. B. 3.
9. Q. B. to Q. 2.
10. P. to Q. R. 5.

II. P. takes P. (en pass.)
12. P. to K. Kt. 3.
13. K. B. P. takes P.
14. Q. B. to K. 3.
15. Q. takes B.
16. K. Kt. to R. 4.
17. K. to Q. 2.

PROFESSOR ANDERSSEN.

White.

19. K. R. to R. 2.
20. Q. B. to K. 3.
21. Q. Kt. takes B.
22. P. to K. Kt. 4.
23. Castles Q. R. (c.)
24. Q. to Q. Kt.
25. P. to Q. 4.
26. Q. B. P. takes P.
27. K. R. to Q. Kt. 2.
28. K. takes R.
29. P. to Q. R. 3.
30. P. to Q. 5.
31. K. to Q. Kt. 3.
32. K. Kt. to Q. 4.

33. K. takes R. (d.)
34. Q. to Q. R. sq. (e.)
Resigns.

MR. BODEN.

Black.

19. P. to K. Kt. 4.
20. B. takes B.
21. K. Kt. to K. R. 4.
22. K. Kt. to K. B. 5.
23. Q. R. to Q. R. 3.
24. K. R. to Q. R.
25. P. takes Q. P.
26. Q. R. to Kt. 3.
27. R. takes R.
28. Q. Kt. to Q. Kt. 5.
29. R. to R. 5.
30. Q. to K. B. 3. (ch.)
31. K. Kt. to K. 7.
32. K. Kt. takes K. Kt.
(ch.)

33. Q. Kt. to. R. 3.
34. P. to Q. Kt. 4. (ch.)

18. K. Kt. to K. Kt. 6. (a) The best mode, probably, of declining the gambit. (b) White's situation is now, as is generally the case when the gambit is refused, a trifle superior to the second player's, but there is nothing at all decisive in it. (c) This looks rather hazardous; but it was observed by Mr. Horwitz who was looking on, that the next two or three moves were "beautifully played" by Mr. Anderssen. (d) It is fair to state that at this juncture there passed through the room a smart maiden belonging to the establishment wherein the festival was held; whereat the gallant Professor, who had never before been known to utter a word of English, raised his eyes from the board, and exclaimed with much fervour, "O, pretty girl!" Immediately afterwards he made the move which lost his Queen. (e) If White play R. to K. B., the reply is Q. to K., and Black, we believe, can win by force.

GAME IV.

Played between Dr. Lindehn, undoubtedly the best Swedish player, and the Rev. G. A. MacDonnell. (King's Bishops' Gambit.)

Mr. MACDONNELL.
Black.

I. P. to K. 4.

2. P. takes P.

3. P. to Q. 4.

(the safest defence.)
4. Q. to K. R. 5. (ch.)

5. B. to Q. 3.
6. Q. to K. R. 4.
7. Kt. to K. 2.
8. B. to K. Kt. 5.
9. P. takes Kt.
10. Q. Kt. to Q. 2.
II. Castles K. R.
12. B. takes B.
13. P. to K. Kt. 4.
14. P. to Kt. 5.
15. P. takes Kt.

DR. LINDEHN.
White.

20. B. takes Kt.
21. R. to K. Kt.

22. Q. to Q. B. 2.
23. K. to K. R.
24. Q. to Q. B. 3. (ch.)
25. Q to Q. Kt. 4.
26. Q. takes Q. P.
27. Q. to Q B. 7.

28. Q. R. to K. (pretty.)
29. R. takes Q.
30. K. to Kt. 2.
31. Q. to K. B.
32. K. to R. 3.

33. P. to Q. 6.

7.

MR. MACDONNELL.
Black.

20. Q. takes Kt.
21. K. to R.
22. Q. R. to K.
23. B. to K. B. 4.
24. P. to K. B. 3.
25. Q. R. to K. 7.
26. K. R. to K.
27. Q. R. to K. 2.
28. Q. takes R. (best reply.)
29. R. takes R. (ch.)

30. B. takes Q. P. at Q. 3.
31. R. to K. Kt. (ch)
32. P. to K. R. 3.

(to prevent perpetual check.) 33 R. to K. R. 8.

34. Q. takes K. B. P. (ch.) 34. K. to R 2
35. Q. to K. B. 4. (forced.) 35. Q. R. to K. Kt. 8.
36. P. to Q. 7. (ingenious) 36. Q. R. to Kt. 2.
37. P. to Q. B. 5.
37. R. takes Q. P.

16. Q. to K. R. 5 (ch.)
17. Q. to Q. 5 (ch.)
18. Kt. to K. B. 4.
19. Kt. to K. R. 5. (ch.)
(As the White Bishop threat-
ened to make himself disagree 39. P. to Q.
able, Black did wisely in thus 40. P. to Q. Kt. 5.
forcing the exchange.)
41. P. to B. 6.

(he cannot save the pawn.)
38. P. to Q. Kt. 4.

R. 4.

38. Q. R. to Kt. 2.

39. Q. R. to Kt. 4.
40. B. to Kt. 3.
41. B. to K.

Resigns.

7

OUR CRADLE.

JOHN, tell the nurse to bring in the Baby!

Many of our readers, doubtless, there are who, with true English instincts, divide their leisure hours. between the masculine enjoyments of the dinner table and the softer after-dinner pleasures which, to fond parents, arrive with the entrance of the Baby.

Readers, such is our position. Our Baby is the Westminster Chess Club. After having revelled in the thought of the Inauguration Dinner-whose Barmecidal luxuries, from the acrid nature of this brochure, it will at once be seen have but turned our stomachs-we glide, with parental fondness, to embrace the heir of our hopes and fortunes, and, in examining its features, to endeavour to trace the beloved lineaments of its true progenitors.

How like its father!! His very image! And Dame Deborah Suum-cuique enlarges on the reflected features of the proud candidate for parental honours, and establishes the fact of its infantile parentage by the covert satire that to its father it owes its name. But alas for our mundane morals! A well known adage, not without reason, assumes that wisdom on the part of our innocents is indeed established by the knowledge of their paternity.

Dear Readers,-our Baby is here; and from the arms of its nurses, with crowing smile, the little bouncer stretches forth its arms to you, while we, its nurses, with the loquacity of such our occupation, (popularly attributed to be incident to Geneva and weak good-nature,) beg you to listen to the circumstances attaching to its birth and growth to its present chubby proportions,

'Twas on a sultry day in the year 1866, that two men might have been seen engaged in deep converse. The one was tall, the other short; the latter dark, the former fair.

The scene the Grand Divan, Strand. Numerous were the objurgatives that proceeded from the mouths of the speakers as, whilst wiping their manly brows, in mournful accents they spoke of the approaching close of the Divan, and the banishment of themselves and kindred spirits to the foreign shores of a close and narrow room up a "three-pair back."

The result of the conversation, dear Readers, was the WESTMINSTER CHESS CLUB. It is not our purpose to enter into details of the zeal, energy, and exertions of the original promoters; though, in our prefatory notice, we assert that no windy trouble will be spared in blowing our own brazen trumpets. Suffice it to say that those promoters were Messrs. Alexander, Boden, Duffy, DeVere, Macdonnell, and Hewitt and their efforts resulted in an invitation being given to Messrs. Bird, Burden, Staunton, Wormald, and others of our leading Chess Amateurs, kindly to lend their shoulders to the wheel.

Accordingly on Friday, the 8th June, 1866, a Meeting of leading Chess-players was held, at Mr. Hewitt's rooms in the Temple, to consider the expediency of organizing the New Chess Club, and amongst other resolutions the following were unanimously carried.

Ist. Proposed by Mr. Hewitt, and seconded by Mr. Bird

"That as a Metropolitan Chess Club which will fairly represent and promote the interests of British Chess-play, has long been needed, and as the present moment seems peculiarly favourable for the establishment of such a society, immediate measures be taken to form a new Chess Club under the title of "The Westminster Chess Club."

2nd. Proposed by Mr. Morris, seconded by Mr. DeVere

"That Messrs. Barnes, H. E. Bird, S. S. Boden, J. Brown, Q.C., F. Burden, P. T. Duffy, T. Hewitt, Dr. Ingleby, H. Staunton, and C. Walsh, be requested to act on the committee of the new Club." Such was the history of the birth.

It is unnecessary that we should follow the first struggles of our infant; how it was in leading strings. at the Gordon Hotel, Covent Garden; how it toddled to Haxell's Hotel, Strand; or how, finally, it took up its present location at the Inns of Court Hotel.

We purpose in future numbers, from time to time, to publish bulletins from "Our Cradle," containing such information (of course of a public nature) affecting London Chess Circles, as may interest our readers both in Town and Country.