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CHESS 



the most valuable of the earlier masters. His 

 work, first published at Alcala in 1561, may be 

 said to have laid the foundation of the modern 

 theory of play, and the opening which bears his 

 name is that which modern analysis has shown 

 to be one of the soundest yet invented. Lopez's 

 treatise was republished in Venice in 1584, and 

 from this date the game seems to have left Spain to 

 find a home in Italy. Here should be mentioned 

 Paolo Boi, a native of Syracuse, who, finding no 

 worthy opponent in his own country, made a 

 lengthened tour through the then most civilised 

 part of Europe. He encountered and defeated 

 every master of the game, including the hitherto 

 invincible Ruy Lopez. His genius, added to a pre- 

 possessing appearance and a courteous demeanour, 

 gained for him general admiration ; he was pat- 

 ronised by Catharine de' Medici and by Sebastian, 

 king of Portugal, both of whom conferred high 

 favours upon him. The early Italian school, which 

 extended from about 1550 to 1620, is identified with 

 the names of Polerio (1590) and his followers, 

 Salvio, Greco, and others. It may claim to be the 

 most versatile and prolific yet founded, some of the 

 most brilliant openings having come down to us 

 from it. At its close, about the time of the Thirty 

 Years' War, the study of chess was somewhat 

 neglected, and there are no writers of note until 

 the middle of the 18th century. At this time, 

 however, two powerful, and to some extent rival, 

 schools sprang up the later Italian, led by Ercole 

 del Rio arid his commentators, Lolli and Ponziani, 

 and the Northern school of Philidor. The former 

 still confined itself to the study of openings and 

 end-games ; the latter turned its attention more to 

 the middle game, advocating what is now known 

 as ' play for position. ' Both schools, though opposed 

 in theory, were of the greatest practical benefit to 

 students ; their work was in a great measure com- 

 bined by Allgaier, of Eltern, in his well-known 

 treatise published at Vienna in 1795. 



Begun in 1745 by Stamina, a Syrian, and led so 

 powerfully by Philidor, the English school had, 

 during this period, been steadily gaming strength 

 and importance. Writers like Sarratt, Cochrane, 

 Lewis, and Walker were doing their best to popu- 

 larise the game, and they succeeded in giving it a 

 footing in Britain which it has never since lost. 

 Throughout northern Europe its study became 

 general ; in France, though there were few analyti- 

 cal writers Alexandre being the only one of import- 

 ance such players as Deschappelles, Boncourt, and 

 De la Bourdonnais earned for the Parisian school a 

 very high reputation ; the last-named player was 

 by far the strongest of his day. In Germany, then 

 as now, chief attention was given to theory ; there 

 were no very brilliant players, but the analytical 

 work of Bilguer and Von der Lasa still remains 

 the standard. England, however, continued to 

 maintain its supremacy. Some of the greatest 

 European players crossed the Channel and settled 

 in London, and Howard Staunton, who defeated 

 the French champion, St Amant, came to be re- 

 garded as the leading player in the world. Up to 

 this time America had produced no player of more 

 than local eminence ; but at the congress held at 

 New York in 1858, the first prize in the chief 

 tourney was won by a youth of twenty-one, Paul 

 Morphy (1837-84), of New Orleans. This player, 

 who from the age of ten had shown a remarkable 

 aptitude for the game, is admitted to be the 

 greatest chess genius that has yet appeared. After 

 his victory in New York he came over to Europe, 

 meeting and defeating in turn the strongest players 

 of London and Paris. It must always be a source 

 of regret that the world so soon lost his wonderful 

 power. After his visit to Europe he abandoned 

 the game in order to follow his profession, that of 



advocate. He only partially recovered from air 

 attack of insanity, and died at the age of forty- 

 seven. From this time the history of chess ceases- 

 to be that of a few celebrated players, and must be 

 gathered from the magazines and weekly news- 

 paper columns devoted to it in nearly every civil- 

 ised country. Public interest in it has of late 

 years increased with great rapidity, keeping pace, 

 it would seem, with the progress of intellectual 

 development. In England, where at one time or 

 other nearly every great modern player has resided, 

 the game has attained a dignity and importance 

 altogether beyond that of a mere pastime, and its 

 recognition by the state as a means of mental 

 training has been seriously demanded. Every 

 town and many villages have at least one club 

 London having upwards of twenty ; and such, 

 centres as Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, and Man- 

 chester, five or six. There are also numerous 

 county and district associations, holding periodical 

 meetings in different towns in their provinces, and 

 offering prizes for competition among their mem- 

 bers. The British Chess Association, the most 

 important federation of this kind, may fairly claim 

 to represent national chess. Having its admin- 

 istrative centre in London, it is governed by a 

 committee of the most eminent players through- 

 out the kingdom, and its masters' tournaments 

 attract the strongest players from the Continent 

 and America. In Germany, where almost equal 

 enthusiasm for chess prevails, every town has its 

 club ; there are many state and class associations ; 

 national tournaments are held at least once every 

 year, and international tournaments in turn with 

 other countries. One significant association is that 

 of the university and college chess clubs, which, 

 supported by many of the professors and more 

 advanced students, are already beginning to com- 

 pete with the lay clubs in their respective cities. 

 In France there are yet few provincial clubs, 

 though their number is now increasing. Paris is 

 the centre of a very strong circle of players, and 

 in the Cafe de la Regence possesses the most cele- 

 brated chess resort in Europe. The French govern- 

 ment has shown its regard for the game by pro- 

 viding prizes in more than one national tournament. 

 Among other European countries where chess is 

 studied, must be mentioned Austria and Italy. Of 

 the former it is sufficient to say that the metro- 

 politan club can produce ten players (the ordi- 

 nary match team ) who could probably defeat the 

 same number from any club in the world. In 

 Italy the game is played in every town, and the 

 Italian Chess Association holds an annual tourna- 

 ment. In the New World, the United States of 

 America is, as may be supposed, in advance of 

 all other countries. Besides numerous city clubs 

 (New York alone having nine), there are six state 

 associations, and a recently organised federation 

 of the university clubs. In Canada the game has 

 gained entrance into the public schools ; there 

 are clubs in nearly every town, and a national 

 association. In Australasia there are state 

 associations in Victoria, New South Wales, and 

 New Zealand. A national tournament has been 

 held with great success, and it is probable will 

 now take place annually in one or other of the 

 chief cities. 



Description. THE BOARD. Chess is played on 

 a square board divided by intersecting lines into 

 64 squares. To facilitate calculation, every alter- 

 nate square is black, or of a dark colour. The 

 board should be placed so that each player has a 

 white square at his right-hand corner. 



THE MEN. There are 32 men : 16 white, or 

 of light colour, and 16 black, or of dark colour. 

 Each player has 8 pieces (one king, one queen, two 

 rooks or castles, two bishops, and two knights). 



