♦ KNOWLEDGE 



<!^ur Ct)fs!ss Column* 



By MErniSTO. 



THE CENTRE GAMBIT. 



ILLUSTEATIVE GAME NO. 9. 



WE give here a specimen of Black's defence of 4. P to KKt3 in 

 this Opening. It will be remembered that we gave pre- 

 ference to the defence of 4. Kt to B3. 



(«) Judging from experience gained in our previous games, we 

 may assume that in aU cases it is better for Black to play P to Q4 

 in this Opening, especially so when the Kt is on QB3, B on Q2, and 

 Q on K3. For that purpose it would have been better for Black to 

 play KKt to K2, followed by Castling, &c. 



(J) A very good move, and showing the importance of occupying 

 that square for Black. White makes room for his B on B3. Black 

 cannot take the Kt, for after P x Kt the Black QKt is driven out of 



(lO Black must make room for his Q, which is threatened with 

 Kt to B6. To play B x Kt would give Black a very awkward game. 



(d) Black should only have done this as a last resource. AVe do 

 not see any very great objection against P to QR3, except that 

 Black would not 'be able to dislodge the Kt any more by P to B3. 



(f ) An error which costs Black a piece. The Q only affords pre- 

 carious protection to the Kt : there are several ways of proceeding, 

 16. Kt to Kt5 followed by B to R3 looks tempting, but Black would 

 with 16. Kt X P. 



(/) Well played, with a 



o Kt to Kt5. 



(ff) A masterly conception, 

 and, as will be seen, perfectly 

 justified by the result. 



(A) If Kt to B3, White plavs 

 ]\t X Kt, followed by Q to R7 (ch), 



(0 It would be equally bad to 

 1 lav Kt to B3. 22. Kt x Kt, 

 r X Kt. 23. Q X P (ch), &c. 



(j) With the intention of play- 

 ing Q to K4 (ch), foUowed by 

 r, to K3 and B3 (ch), &c. 



(/i) Taking his last chance. 



(!) In reply to P to Kt3, White 

 plays Q X P. 



(m) An excellent move, Black 

 now cannot move either Rook, 

 and the P can go on to Queen. 



EXPERIMENTING IN SERIOUS GAMES. 



Two players sat down to play a game. The first player began 

 with 1. P to K4, the second player then lapsed into deep thought 

 and kept his opponent waiting for his reply. " Do you want to 

 invent a new move ? " asked A impatiently. " Yes I " replied B. 

 " Then," responded A, " I wish you would do it at home ! ' 



The same might be said to those players who jeopardi.se serious 

 games by trying experiments in the Opening. Nevertheless it is a 

 well-known fact that many players (and sometimes in spite of all 

 resolutions to the contrary) will test some fancied line of attack or 

 defence on important occasions, with the result that sometimes the 

 experiment brings them anything but profit. Thus Steinitz lost 

 several games through that reason in the London Tournament of 

 1883, as well as Zukertort, although the latter only kicked over the 



on the first prize. Winawer, 

 :s for himself unnecessary 

 1 recognised modes of play. 

 fate befalling- players experi- 



ade by Herr 



strong Chess 



- which the 



ir squares. 



The following remarkaii!' 

 Richard Schurig, Profoss,,! , . 



player. He says : ■ I 1,. 



reaches the enum 



7,.534,686,312,3i;i.-'.,.,-7.Mnn:„i., :„„,,„,,,,,,:;, ,1 HK),000,000 



Some idea of the wimulss ut liit-su Ut;un.h mav ue iorined from the 

 following comparison. Suppose we have to deal with microbes of 

 loW' of a millimfetie in size, therefore a cubic millimetre would con- 

 tain 1,000 millimetre of these microbes. A globe containing all the 

 microbes represented by these fifty-two figures, would have a 

 diameter of one-and-a-half times as large as the distance from the 

 earth to the sun. But if, in addition to this, we also take into 

 account the different positions which may be formed by the taking 

 of pieces till the Kings only remain on the board, then the above 

 comparison does not in the remotest degree suffice to give an 

 adequate idea of the vastness of the possible numbers. 



Mr. E. A. Proctor's Lecture Tour. 



Subjects: 



1. LIFE OP WORLDS 5. COMETS AND METEORS 



2. THE SUN 6. THE STAR DEPTHS 



3. THE MOON 7. VOLCANOES. 



4. THE UNIVERSE. 8. THE GREAT PYRAMID. 



Each Lecture is profusely illustrated. 



Arrangements are now being made for the delivery of Lectures 

 by Mr. Proctor. Communications respecting terms and vacant 

 dates should be addressed to the Manager of the Tour, Mr. JOHN 

 STUART, Royal Concert Hall, St. Leonards-on-Sea. 



Sept. 7, 9, 10, Scarborough ; Sept. 8, 11, 15, Y'ork ; Sept. 14, 16, 

 21, 22, Harrogate; Sept. 17, 18, Whitby; Sept. 23, 24, 25, Ilkley; 

 Sept. 28, 29, Derby. 



Oct. 2, Chester ; Oct. 3, 17, Malvern ; Oct. 6, 9, 12, 13, Ply- 

 mouth ; Oct. 7, 10, 14, 16, Torquay; Oct. 19, 22, 28, Salisbury; 

 Oct. 21, 26, 29, Southampton; Oct. 23, 27, 30, Winchester. Oct. 31, 

 Marlborough College. 



Nov. 2, Chester; Nov. 4, Burnley; Nov. 9, Stafford; Nov. 10, 

 Streathara ; Nov. 12, Middlesbrough ; Nov. 17, Darwen ; Nov. 19, 

 Saltaire; Nov. 25, 28, Bath; Nov. 20, 30, Clifton. 



Dec. 2, 5, Bath ; Dec. 4, Clifton ; Dec. 7, 8, 9, Croydon ; Dec. 11, 

 Chester; Dec. 16, 17, 18. 10, Leamington. 



Jan. 12, Hull ; Jan. 15, Stockton ; Jan. 20, Bradford. 



Feb. 3, Alexandria; Feb. 5, Chester; Feb. 6, 20, Malvern; 

 Feb. 9, 12, 19, Cheltenham; Feb. 10, Walsall; Feb. 15, Upper 

 Clapton; Feb. 18, 25, London Institution. Feb. 22, Sutton Cold- 

 field. 



March 1, 3, 5, Maidstone. 



Contents 



merioaniams. By H. A. Proctor... 17: 

 tTsteries and MoraHties. T. By 

 Edward Clodd 17: 



tntZ.) °b"h! J. Sl'ack""''"!'*.*' 17- 



inal Operations fortheEemoTaiof 



Flood Eock. illUa.) 171 



ricycles in 1885. {Illus.) By J. 



ace°oTthlfsky.'"By F-i 



? No. 200. 

 Qosaip. ByKichi 



181 I Our Whist Cok 



Part XLAT. (August, 



