readers who would wish to witness this exhibition of mental skill, can obtain tickets of admission by applying to the Honorary Secretary, Mr. T. Thompson, 21 Stock Orchard Villas, Holloway, or at the Athenæum itself. Blindfold Chess seems to be very much in vogue just now, and we see that Herr Zukertort has lately been giving two or three performances of this character in Ireland. The last of which we have any information took place at the Dublin Aquarium and Skating Rink, where he played ten games, but not with his wonted success, if, as we understand, he won 5, lost 3, and drew 2. Presumably he had a tough team to deal with.

Seventeen problems have been contributed to the Holloway Press Lowenthal Tourney, under the following mottoes-No. 1. "Proud setter up and puller down of kings." Nos. 2 and 3. "As clay in the hands of the Potter." No. 4. "Palmam qui meruit ferat." No. 5. "Cochon de lait." No. 6. "Accipe hoc." Nos. 7 and 8. "Kaleidoscope." Nos. 9 and 10. "The vacated chair." No. 11. "Festina lente." Nos. 12 and 13. "Utrum horum mavis accipe." Nos. 14 and 15. "Perseverando." No. 16. "Quite a young thing too." No. 17. "Almora."

The Rev. A. Cyril Pearson writes to us respecting the problem reproduced in the margin, the same being No. 7 of his collection lately published. It appears to have been stated elsewhere that this composition admits of four solutions, the idea being that B to K 6, or to Kt 7, or R 6, would yield mates. But as Mr. Pearson points out, Kt takes P would be a conclusive answer to each of those moves. We willingly publish the problem at Mr. Pearson's request, for it is undoubtedly a very superior production, whether regard be had to beauty or difficulty. We can easily understand anyone coming to the conclusion that B to K6 would be an unanswerable "cook." That, in fact, is a trap laid for solvers, and therefore one of the features of the problem.

At a committee meeting of the British Chess Problem Association, lately held under the presidency of Professor Tomlinson, F.R.S., it was resolved that the annual tourney should close this year on September 30. The rules are as before, and particulars of the prizes will be announced shortly. Professor Tomlinson gives an extra prize of £2 for the best problem, irrespective of the number of moves, and this may be taken in addition to another prize. We understand that Mr. R. A. Proctor, F.R.A.S., was elected a vice president of the Association White to play, and mate in two moves. in conjunction with Mr. H. J. C. Andrews. Judging by a synchronal lack of correspondence and information, not much that is noteworthy seems to have occurred in the provinces during the past month. However, we see by the Glasgow Herald that the West of Scotland challenge cup has now become the absolute property of Mr. Hunter. He was the first holder of this trophy, but it was afterwards wrested from him by Mr. Sheriff Spens. The latter, though he obtained possession of the cup three times, did not succeed in fulfilling the condition of winning it twice successively; nor did that good fortune fall to the lot of any competitor, though Mr. Hunter won it a second time, while Mr. W. Scott and Mr. W. Crum each gained it twice, as appears of record on the prize itself. In January, 1877, Mr. Hunter a third time won the cup, since when he has held it undisturbed, no competitor being found bold enough to challenge his possession thereof. Our Scotch contemporary adds that there are sufficient funds to purchase another cup, so we may expect to see an active competition for the West of Scotland championship, the more so that Mr. Hunter has come to reside in London.

It would be strange if the Derbyshire Advertiser, which carries its torch far and wide, frizzling as it goes the beards of many Chessists, should not be able to make a bonfire in Derby. It would, indeed, be a case of a prophet having no honour in his own country, if Fred Thompson could not stir up his own city. As a matter of fact, Derby has not been inactive, for, on the 19th of February, the Midland Railway Institute Chess Club and the Christchurch British Workman Chess Club tried a fall together, the crown of victory being adjudged to the former by six games to three, with one draw. In a return match which took place on the 6th of March, the Midland again won, and this time by an increased majority, the score-sheet showing seven to one in its favour, three other games being drawn. The Midland, however, were not so fortunate when fighting against its old opponents, the Trinity Church Institute, of Burton, for the latter won by a majority of two games. This was not, however, a complete revenge for a defeat sustained by Burton a short time previously, when it only won three games to eleven.

A Chess Club has been formed at Bath, and it already numbers forty members, which auspicious circum

stance is no doubt due to the smallness of the subscription, viz., 5s. per annum. The president is Mr. C. H. Hathaway; Vice-President, Mr. J. E. Sturges; Hon. Secretary, Mr. Jas. Horne; and Committee, Messrs. Duck, Gilby, Highfield, Hill, and Stair.

If our information be correct, a very important Chess event is about to be inaugurated in the provinces; no less than a match by telegraph between Liverpool and Calcutta. The initiative in this behalf has been taken by Mr. R. Steel, who is now on a visit to this country. Before he went to India he was one of the strongest members of the Liverpool Chess Club. Indeed, if we remember aright, he was at that time considered rather superior to Mr. Burn, and we speak of a period precedent by but a short interval to the arrival of Mr. Burn in London, when the latter very shortly made good his claim to rank as an English player of the first class. If the match comes off, and we understand that the Liverpool Chess Club has shown itself favourably disposed towards the project, it is to be commenced on the arrival of Mr. Steel in India upon his return journey, that is to say about October next. The first idea that strikes the mind concerning the proposed contest is that it can scarcely be practically possible, having regard to ways and means; but we must suppose that Mr. Steel, and those who are with him, have not left such considerations out of their minds, and perhaps the telegraph companies, whose wires would have to be used, would show themselves more liberally disposed than the parties to whom the City of London Club applied at the time of the London and Vienna match, for their ears were very deaf to all charmings having in view a reduction of fares. In Australia, we believe, telegraph companies have been found generous enough to lend their wires gratuitously for the purposes of inter-colonial Chess matches, and if Mr. Steel could bring about an imitation of this high-minded disinterestedness for the benefit of Liverpool and Calcutta, the question will arise whether the millennium is not sufficiently near for long leases to be granted no more.

The American branch of the Chess tree continues no less vigorous than heretofore, and is covered with green leaves. Among the latest grafts is "Living Chess." Two or three months since a gorgeous game of this kind was played at Sewickley, Pa. This affair somehow kept out of the reach of our pen, which was a pity, for we could have told of handsome maidens, dressed in red and gold, who were ranged opposite no less lovely beings attired in silver and white. These were the Pawns. The Queens were also young ladies, whose appearance was most regal in their crowns of gold and silver, while the other pieces were young men wearing appropriate costumes. The feelings of a susceptible Knight or a blushing Bishop as he was being captured by some beautiful Pawn can be very easily imagined, and therefore need not be described. Well, this kind of thing is becoming the fashion over the way, and we suppose no one will wonder at that. We see by our American exchanges that games with living Chessmen have been played at Redbank (New Jersey), Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh. All these exhibitions were got up in a most brilliant style, and evidently they created much interest in their respective localities, for we are informed that at Pittsburgh there were 5,000 spectators, and 4,000 at Cincinnati, the ladies and gentlemen who acted as Chessmen, being composed of the élite of those cities. An exhibition of this kind is now announced, which, from a Chessplayer's point of view, will bear a more important character, this being a game with living pieces, which is to be played at New York under the auspices of the Manhattan Chess Club, on the 16th inst. The Academy of Music is to be the scene of action, and the players will be Captain Mackenzie and Eugene Delmar. As honour ought always to be paid to whom it is due, we must not omit to mention that the moving spirit in this matter is Mr. Frere, a zealous amateur, of New York.

The Turf Field and Farm informs us that the most enjoyable event of the season was the annual banquet of the Manhattan Chess Club, which took place in the large saloon of the Café Logeling, on Saturday, the 22nd of February. Fifty gentlemen, including many of the best known players of New York, were present, among them being Captain Mackenzie and Messrs. Delmar, Barnes, Frere, Kunkle, and others. The president, Mr. L. H. Hellwitz, was in the chair. In reading the report of this reunion, with its toasts, speeches and songs, we are strongly reminded of the City dinners, and, indeed, Mouflet's must look to its laurels, for, in the festival-making way, the Manhattan Club is evidently a dangerous rival to the City of London. Our contemporary states that "The Press " was ably represented by Mr. Kunkle, of Forest and Stream, who, however, basely tried to impose the duty assigned to him upon a helpless representative of Turf Field and Farm, who sat beside him. We wonder now who could have been the said representative. There were present not long ago at a London banquet three eminent M's. Two of them were found possessed of Carlylian gold, but the other was very rich in silver. This, of course, is a perfectly irrelevant digression. During the course of the evening the four victors of the tourney, which had just been concluded, were presented with their prizes. These were Mr. Charles Mohle, first; Mr. Leon Block, second; Mr. D. Graham Baird, third; and Mr. J. W. Baird, fourth. Among various other items of interest supplied by our transatlantic exchanges, we have only space to allude to a curious match which has been arranged between Mr. Max Judd and eight of the best amateurs of St. Louis. He is to give each of them a Knight. Their names are Messrs. Holman, Moody, Merrill, Rabuske, Dixon, Nelson, Foster, and "Amateur." In case any of them should be prevented from playing by sickness or business, Messrs. Dougherty, Hazard and McMair are to act as substitutes. The St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat goes for the amateurs, and will be very much disappointed should they not give Mr. Judd an overwhelming defeat. He is to play three games with each. His tussle with Mr. Holman, who led off, shows an indecisive result, each having scored 1.

Going by what the Toronto Globe, the Canadian Spectator, and L'Opinion Publique have to tell us, we should not imagine that Chess is very alarmingly active in the Dominion. However, we note that a telegraphic Chess match has taken place between the Toronto and Ottawa Clubs. The latter was victorious by reason of its representative, Mr. White, having defeated Mr. Maddison, of the Toronto Club. There were four other games, but they not being finished were counted as drawn. We notice that some difference of opinion seems to prevail as to which side had the advantage in these four games. Of the Canadian Associations, the Toronto Club shows the most life, for we observe that one member offers a silver medal for the best three mover, to be contributed to the Globe during the ensuing three months; while another member has promised a beautiful gold medal to the winner of the tourney then going on at the Club. The Canadian Spectator would like to see something of this kind of spirit in the Montreal Club.

Glancing towards the Antipodes we find that Mr. Wisker has been playing blindfold at Toowoomba, in Queensland. He had six opponents, two of whom he defeated; but he lost to three and drew with the sixth. Time three and a half hours.

The Brisbane Handicap has come to an end with the following result:-Anderson 1st, Bourne 2nd, Miller 3rd. Another tournament was to be started immediately. There was talk of having a Whist Club in connection with the Brisbane Chess Club and the Week, which is edited by Mr. Wisker, advocated the idea. We should say either have two different clubs or else different nights for the two games. The latter would seem feasible enough, but Chess and Whist on the same evenings would mean the ultimate survival of the stronger, viz., Whist.

In New Zealand a telegraphic Chess match has been played between Wellington and Christchurch, with twelve players on each side, whereby we understand that there were twelve games. Five of these not being finished were left to be decided by the two captains, Messrs. Benbow and Hookham. It was thought that the final score would show a win for Christchurch. The Town and Country Journal, from whose pages we take this intelligence, says that a match for the championship of New Zealand is likely to be played at Christchurch in September, and that the competition between Messrs. Benbow and Hookham will excite great interest The Town and Country informs us of the death of Mr. John Charlick, of the Adelaide Chess Club, on the 15th of January, at the early age of 25. The deceased was a fine composer and strong player, and he won prizes in both characters. As long ago as 1870, when but sixteen years of age, he won the first prize of five guineas in the Melbourne Leader Problem Tourney, in which were twenty-one competing sets.

On Saturday, the 29th ultimo, Mr. Blackburne played blindfold against eight members of the Excelsior Chess Club at Camberwell Hall. His opponents were Messrs. Wilson, V. C. Peyer, McLeod, Keene, Gortley, Holme Farenholtz and Beer, a strong team. Mr. Blackburne lost to Mr. Keene, drew with Messrs. Wilson, McLeod and Beer, and defeated the four others. He would probably have won one of the draws had time permitted, but had to finish at 11 p.m.

TABLE OF METROPOLITAN CLUB MATCHES.

The following drawn matches have also taken place-viz., on Feb. 19th, St. John's v. St. Pancras ; on Feb. 19th, Ibis v. Kentish Town; on March 5th, St. John's v. Kentish Town; and on March 13th, Belsize v. Morphy. This was scarcely a fair defeat, for the Eclectic brought down seven representatives, and only found five opponents for them.

There is a three-halfpence-a-line man infesting the Chess world just now, whose lucubrations upon the subjects of Chess and Chess players would be entertaining if they were not offensive. The Echo (of the 28th ultimo) "hears that Mr. Jacob G. Ascher, who recently defeated Captain Mackenzie in a Chess tournament at Montreal, will be entertained at dinner by one of the London clubs on the occasion of his visiting London. Mr. Ascher is a Jew." Considering the mendacious character of this precious piece of information, most people will be inclined to think that the "informer" of the Echo is also a member of the only community of persons that ever attempted to make bricks without straw, and that the paragraph is a few d' esprit prompted by esprit Few corps. But we do not think so. The thing seems to us to be a currish snap at a gentleman by some loafing Gentile, whose characteristics are too contemptible to be described in a phrase or an epithet. During his recent visit to Montreal Captain Mackenzie played a very large number of off-hand games, occasionally a dozen or so concurrently, and lost, of course, "in the clustering battle" one or two; but he was defeated, in the Chess player's sense, by no one, so pass that "informer" on, Mr. Passmore Edwardes. The same person, we should imagine, furnished the Times with a masterpiece of ignorant buffoonery in the guise of an obituary notice of the late Herr Anderssen's career. It occupied about twenty lines, and the corrections it provoked required just about as many, in the subsequent issues of the Thunderer. American papers please copy.