b'ER 3, 1882.] 



* KNOWLEDGE 



309 



" Sj-nopsis of the Chesa Openings. " By William Cook. Third 

 Edition. (Ixindon : W. W. Morgan, 23, Great Qneen-street.) 



The author of this treatise, who is himself a strong chess player, 

 presents in this book the best forms of play according to latest 

 practice, i;i\-inR us the benefit of games played as late as 1880. 

 We ninst give Mr. Cook groat credit for his laborious collection of 

 the be.st openings. What makes this book specially T,aluable is 

 its practical tabular form. Every Chess player can at a glance 

 see the lino of play or variation he wishes to consult. 



We extract the following as specimens of style -. — 



Cook's Synopsis of the Openings. 

 Table LXXVI.— AUgaier Gambit. 



P. to K.4. 

 P. to K.4. 

 P. t o K.R.4 . 

 P. to Kt.5. 

 P. to Q .-t-C) 

 P. to Q.4. 

 B. takes P. 

 P. takes {'.{'■) 

 B.jto B.4.(oh.) 

 K. to Kt.L'. 

 Castles (') 

 Kt. toK.B..). 

 Q. to Q.2. 



P. takes P. 

 Kt. to Kt.5. 



Q. takes P.(ch.) 

 Q. takes Q. 

 KT takes Q. 

 B. to K.5. 



Kt. to K.B.3. 

 P. toXKtr4. 

 Kt. ta kes P. 

 K. takes Kt. 



B. to K.5.(ch .) 

 "^ Kt. to K.B.3. 

 Q. to Q. 2. 

 Kt. to B.3. 

 Q. to B.4.(<) 

 13. to Q.3. 

 Kt. to B.3. 

 Q. to K.2. 

 Kt. to Q.5. 



10. 



17. 



Kt. takes B. 



Q. takes Kt. 



R. to Rsq. 



Kt. to K.3. 



Q. to Q.3. + 

 (') Mr. Thorold's attack. 

 (-) If 8. B. to Kt.2. 0. Kt.toB.3. 9. 

 B.I.(ch.) 10. K. toKt.3. 11. Kt. toQ.5. 

 (') If 10. Kt. toB.3. 10. Kt. to K.B.3. 

 toQ.3. + . 



(') Mr. Preeborongh's variation. 



(') Mr. Potter's defence. 



(') If 13. B. to K.3. 13. Kt. toQ.R.4 + 



P. takes P. 10. B. to 

 11. Q. toQ.2. 11. B. 



Ending of an actual game played by Mcphisto, illustrating the 

 danirers to be shunned by weaker players. 



In t'jis position ■\VTiitopla.rcii. 



H. takes P. 

 Q. takes B.P.(ch.) 

 R. to K.S.(ch.) 

 B. toQ.5.(ch.) 

 B. takes R. mate. 



0- takes R. 

 R. takes Q. 

 R. to B.sq. 

 K. to R.sq. 



Another specimen of the Chess skill of tho late Mr. S. S. Boden 

 fieleet Reprint. — Bird's '• llasU'rpiecos," 66 (originally in Honvitz 



and Kling'a "Chess Player" ; atid played saon after 1851.) — From 



the Chess Players' Chrnnicle. 



Koten. 



C) Mr. Boden was p.irtial to this defence. It was a characteristic 

 of his style that he did not mind a close position to begin with ; he 

 was not easily to be hemmed in. 



('') White's opening, thoagh unscientific, is not without inge- 

 nuity. Ho intends of course, in answer to P. takes P., to sacrifice 

 the Kt. 



(') He should have taken with Queen, and played as best he 

 could for a draw. 



('') Not only preventing the advance of the Kt., but also. doubt- 

 less shrewdly divining that his opponent intends to Castle on Q. 

 side, and preparing a " concatenation accordingly," 



(■■) Winning a piece at least, if Wliite has by this time discovered 

 the danger to his King. This game has been selected as a specimen 

 of Mr. Boden's felicity of combination in his lighter encounters. 



*,* The notes are by the Rev. W. Wavte. 



A. J. Martin and J. P. — You are right; 1. K. to K.3. is the key 

 move to Problem 5. We answered from recollection only of the 

 problem, which was sent to us by Mephisto (with, of course, the 

 correct solution). On turning to the position, wo sec that if Black 

 checks with Bishop, R. covers, disclosing check ; and after King has 

 moved B mates, not R, as you suggest. In future, please address 

 Chess Editor. Wo have not had a moment to open a chess board 

 during the last three weeks, nor .spare brain energy to go through 

 games, or study positions without the boaixl. — En. 



E. H. J. — All your solutions right. — En. 



DUN.STABLE. — Correct. — Eu. 



W. GoDDEN. — No. 12 (wrongly called 11) is correctly given. — En. 



A. Macdoxnell. — All incorrect. — En. 



©ur WB]n&t Column. 



Bv "Five of Clubs." 



IT may now be convenient to sum up the various leads, in such a 

 form that they can be readily studied at a glance and easily 

 remembered. We would invite those who have tried to retain in their 

 recollection the multitudinous leads given in the books heretofore pub- 

 lished, to note how simple the whi.st leadsare when viewed as we have 

 presented them. We venture to say — indeed, we knoic, haviu" 

 tested the matter— that a more perfect knowledge of the leads at 

 whist can bo gained in a week by considering when to lead Ace, 

 King, Queen, and so forth, than in two months at least by the usual 

 method of considering what card to lend from each of the nume- 

 rous combinations which tho cards may present. Moreover it is 

 found in practice that a learner who has followed our method at 

 once picks up the habit of interpreting the loads of others, 

 whereas one who followed the other method is often a long time in 

 passing from a knowledge of what ho should lead to the ready 

 recognition (instant recognition, it should be, after a little practice) 

 of the meaning of any given lead. 



Synopsis ok the Leaps in Plain Suits. 

 Lead Ace, from Ace, with four or more others, not including King; 

 from Ace, Queen, Knave, with nur without others ; from Ace, two 

 others (not includint.' KineV if von have re.ison to believe that yonr 



