236 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[Oct. 12, 1883. 



purely by the relative chess skill of the players. We believe that 

 a strange influence of mind over mind is also exercised on some 

 rare occasions, and that this influence materijjly affects the result 

 of a game. 



A common kind of influence has frequently been experienced by 

 many Chess players. Who has not met an opponent whose peculiar 

 play or personality influenced the result of a game played with 

 him ? If yon happen to meet an opponent who is all smiles and 

 compliments, and of such extreme modesty as to hold up your own 

 play as being beyond praise, while he evinces a corresponding con- 

 tempt for his o\vn weakness, then be very careful lest you be 

 beguiled into believing him and taking it easy, for you are sure to 

 lose. Another person, who may be a dull and cautious player, will 

 tire you out and thus win a proportion of games quite beyond his 

 Chess strength. Again, there is something irritating in the style of 

 some players, which prevents you doing justice to yourself. We 

 were much amused on one occasion when one day playing both a 

 father and his son, we found the son to be a better player than his 

 father. Our surprise was, therefore, great on learning that the son 

 received the odds of a Knight from his father, and that the latter 

 often won. In all these cases the influence admits of a natural 

 explanation. We are conscious that our senses are affected, as in 

 the above instances, by being either beguiled, wearied, elated by a 

 firm belief in our own superiority, &c. This we will call a conscious 

 or natural influence. 



There is, however, another and more powerful influence exercised 

 upon us on rare occasions, which apparently does not operate 

 through the medium of our senses, but in an unconscious manner, 

 which as yet admits of no natm'al explanation. 



This supernattu-al,* or extraordinary influence of one mind over 

 the other might perhaps be traced in the match between Steinitz 

 and Blackburne. The latter, one of the foremost players of our 

 time, and who has subsequently proved himself nearly the equal of 

 his opponent, as is well known lost seven games without winning or 

 drawing any, in spite of having had several won games in hand. 

 Here we are confronted with a problem which admits of do other 

 plausible solution but that the seriousness and intensity of match 

 play had called forth some influencing power which hopelessly con- 

 quered an opponent, who, in the less serious encounters of tourna- 

 ment play, was quite capable of holding his own against the same 

 adversary. 



From our own experience we have reason to believe that in some 

 positions an intense desire or will that yom- opponent may not play 

 a certain move will sometimes unexpectedly be rewarded with 

 success. Only on this theory can we explain the weakness of some 

 players at a critical moment, who will deliberately make the only 

 possible move in a game which avoids winning. The following 

 examples, from actual play, will better illustrate our meaning. 



The result of a game recently played was of the greatest impor- 

 tance to Black, who had a bad game, and strained every nerve to 

 avoid the impending defeat. In the annexed position Black clearly 

 saw that he was lost. White like- 

 wise perceived the winning line of 

 play, which was as follows : — 

 Kt'to K7 (ch) Q takes Kt (best) 

 R takes B (ch) Q takes E 

 y to KS (ch) K to E2 (best) 

 1! takes Q (ch) K takes R 

 Q takes B, and White has a 

 winning advantage. 



In spite of clearly seeing this, 

 some strange influence caused 

 ^Vhite to play Kt to B4, which 

 enabled his opponent to win his 

 Queen by E to E3. White of 

 course perceived that he had 

 made a blunder at the very point 

 ^VniiE. of winning. The game then con- 



tinued as follows : — 

 E takes B (ch) K to R sq. (best) 



E (Kt7) to Kto, with the intention of playing E (Kt sq.) 

 to Kt3, followed by E to E3, which would win (if Black played 

 B takes Q (ch). White would xiltimately remain with a piece ahead). 

 K to R2 (best) 

 R to Kt7 (ch) K to E sq. 



E to Kt5 K to R2 



Black offered a draw. White, having missed an obvious win — 

 making a blunder instead — shoidd have been well satisfied with the 

 chance of drawing, and not have proceeded with a hopeless game. 

 Incredible as it may seem. White refused the draw — why we cajinot 

 tell — and lost. 



-\n_vlli;i:g bcirg brvoiid the known laws of nature. 



Whitb. 



The following is also a remark- 

 able instance how a game can be 

 l(jst. In this position of an impor- 

 tant game, Black found himself 

 with a hopelessly lost game. If 

 the Black B retires to Kt3, the 

 White KEF ^viil go on to Queen ; 

 or if B takes BP, White will like- 

 ^vise play P to E6, compelling 

 U to Kt sq., and thus winning the 

 B. Applying himself intensely to 

 the position, Black made a despe- 

 rate effort and succeeded in saving 

 a game in which the chances 

 were at least ten to one agsiinst 

 him. Black played : — 

 P to K5 

 P takes P (E takes B would win) 



P to Q5 

 P takes P (again missing E takes B) 

 B toKS 

 Kt to B sq. (weak) P to Kt6 (ch) 



P takes P B takes P (ch) 



K to E3 E to K6 



R to K2 B to B.5 (ch) 



R takes R B takes E 



Now in this position, the game which Black may be said to have 

 pulled out of the fire, ought to have been drawn by correct play, 

 but, as in the foregoing example, it was not to be drawn, for 

 apparently Black had made up his mind to win. White played 

 P takes P, upon which, of course, followed B takes Kt, and White 

 resigned. 



We do not wish to be misunderstood as saying that one man has 

 it in his power to win a game by the mere exertion of his will. We 

 merely have cited a few out of many remarkable examples how in 

 extreme cases defeat has been turned into victory, and where play 

 on one side has been so obviously and persistently bad as to exclude 

 an explanation of momentary weakness or oversight. We there- 

 fore feel justified in suggesting as a plausible cause of some of 

 these surprising results the influence of mind over mind, or the 

 power of will. But this strange influence is as yet an vmsolved 

 mystery to the wisest, and we do not hope nor attempt to convince 

 where better men have gained naught but sneers and disbelief. 



AXSWEES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 *«* Please address Chess Editor. 



Stettin. — Solution incorrect. 



W. Furnival. — .Solutions correct. Please use English notation. 



Alpha. — 1. Article " How to Construct a Problem," was published 

 in Xo. 52, of October 18S2 ; you can obtain it by applying to the 

 publishers. 2. Miss Beechey's Chess. 



Blossoms. — Solution incorrect. 



Squire.— In Problem 101, If 1. B takes P, P takes Kt, and there 

 is no mate. 



Problems received with thanks from Borrow and E. X. Frank- 

 enstein. 



C. Bennett. — See reply to Squire. 



E. F. B. — If R to B2 and B6, then the KP takes E, and there is 

 no mate. 



Xo. 101. — By E. Champ, Berrow, Squiie. The Arabian by W. 



Contents op No. 101. 



PAGE 



British Association Scraps 209 



The Birth and Growth of Mvth. 



XTII. By Edward Clodd ...'. 210 



The Elements. By Dr. Gladstone... 211 

 Two-speed Tricycles. By John 



Browning 212 



Sea - Anemones. T. The Daisv 



(,contiiiued) . By Thomas Kimber 214 

 Trulh and Poker. By Kichard A. 



Proctor 215 



Evolution of Condtict. By John 

 Fiske 215 



Belief of Sea-Sickness 215 



Pleasant Hours with the Microscope. 

 (Illut.) By H. J. Slack 216 



Editorial Gossip 217 



CoEBESPO>l>EXCB : HtUl-down Ship 

 (iZ?u».)— Totemism, ic 219 



Ou -- ■ 



Ou 



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