Nov. 23, 1883.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



325 



liave been bad Whist — taking the score into consideration. I refer 

 you to the notes upon the game. Frederic H. Lewis. 



Y. The Hands. B. 



Hearts— 10, 5. 

 Spades — K, 10, 5. 

 Diamonds— Kn,10,9,5 

 Clubs— 8, 7, 5, 2 



A. 



Hearts— 9,0,4,3,2. 

 .Spades— A, 8, 6, 3, 2, 

 Diamonds — 7, 2. 

 Olubs— A. 



A Y 





Heart..,-- 8, 7. 

 Spades — Q, 9. 

 Diamonds— K, 8, 6, 4,3. 

 Clubs— Kn, 9, G, 4. 



Z. 

 Hearts— A, K, Q, Kn. 

 Spades— Kn, 7, 4. 

 Diamonds — A, Q. 

 Clubs— K, Q, 10, 3. 



LEWIS'S NOTES. 





* 



* 4- 



4* 4- 





♦ ♦ 



10 7 9 



O 



o o 





o o 



tliat a player ondcavoii 

 win the game. 



trick, and card belo 



1. A treats the suit as if it were 

 not headed by the Ace, and leads 

 the penultimate. Z, with his grand 

 hand, commences a signal. 



2. B, who can open nothing to 

 advantage, returns the suit in the 

 hope of making a small trump. Z 

 completes his signal. 



3. A develops the penultimate 

 upon the third round, leaving his 

 partner to draw the proper in- 

 ference. 



4. The lead through the signal 

 is here forced. A must have nu-- 

 merical strength in trumps to play 

 as he did. A knows by the play of 

 the Eight that B has no other 

 trump. A echoes notwithstanding 

 the weak lead of trumps and the 

 signal. 



5. Z clears his suit before con- 

 tinuing trumps. The game seems 

 to him a certainty. 



G. A leads a trump to draw two 

 for one. B is in some difficulty 

 about the discard as Z has declared 

 strength in trumps, but prefers to 

 discard a Club as A must have 

 also numerical strength in trumps. 

 Z by the fall of the cards can 

 count three trumps and two Spades 

 in A's hand. 



7. Trifling with the game. He 

 should here have led the two best 

 trumps, and leaving A with the 

 long trump, then have played C Q, 

 in which event ho must have won 

 the game. 



8. A cannot risk playing another 

 trump. If the trumps are both in 

 Z's hand, A can never get the lenil 

 again. Ho therefore proceeds with 

 his Spado suit. 1" discards a Club 

 to inform his partner ho has not 

 the Knave. Z takes advantage of 

 this information and refuses to 

 trump, trying, though in vain, to 

 recover his position. 



0. A continues with the last 

 spade, and as Y discards another 

 Club, Z knows the position of tlu' 

 Knave, and discards C 10, hoping 

 to tompt A to load a Diamond. 



10. A, of course, plays the losing 

 trump and tlirows the lead into 

 Z's hand, aiul H m.akes his 1) K. 

 A and U make two by cards and 

 the game, a result which would 

 have been absolutely impossible if 

 either one or other of tho conven- 

 tional leads hail been adopted. The 

 ganu> is another instance of what 

 so fre(pii'nlly occurs at Whist, — 

 e more l^ricks than are necessary to 



SIGNALS AT WHIST. 



Is there not something antipodean in the question as to signalling 

 in dispute between "Australia" and "Cavendish"? The former, 

 apparently, would play to win, the latter certainly insists on the 

 mental exercise. Accordingly, Australia would minimise, while 

 Cavendish (to coin a word) maximises, the advantage given to 

 quick observation, exact memory, and acute inference. 



Given the original element of chance in the deal, the "signal- 

 ling" system tends to make all the rest a trial of skill, and thus, 

 surely, to add greatly to the interest of the game. In a game 

 where nothing could be known (as in the imaginary case of n hands 

 played simultaneously, taking n as the limit of memory) there could 

 bo no interest at all ; the tricks might as well be thrown for on dice. 



Q. T. V. 



0m- Cl)f£is; Column. 



By Mephisto. 



One Hundred Chess Problems. By the Rev. A. Cyril Peabson, 

 M.A. Third Edition. (Civil Service Printing Company.) 



This little volume, neatly got up, contains "a selection from those 

 problems" composed by tho author "which have stood the test of 

 publication." The only additions to the third edition are four 

 problems. The first was a highly successful competitor in the late 

 Chess Monflily Problem Tourney, it being pronounced by the judges 

 to be the finest problem in this important competition. "The problem 

 ably exemplifies a fine piece of strategy, and will bear favourable 

 comparison with the first masterpieces of the English school. It 

 reminds one of those exquisite gems by Grimshaw, the theme, 

 which is both piquant and original, being not very unlike the style 

 of this English master. This problem .and No. 91 in the first series 

 are undoubtedly the two finest conceptions of the Rev. composer. 



The second problem is a three-mover. It has a pretty idea, and 

 is remarkable for a few close shaves to second solutions. The 

 composition is rather barren for want of variety. 



The third problem is a two-mover, the apparent novelty being 

 that the White King moves from a position where he cannot be 

 disturbed to a square where Black can administer six checks. So 

 far the idea is good, but there being no ingenuity displayed in 

 the method of averting the counter-checks and the number of 

 inactive White pieces, I don't like it. 



The fourth and last is a little amusing study after the American 

 school ; indeed, it can very ajipropriately be dubbed a Yankee 

 trick. It is a sort of walking-up-stairs arrangement, perhaps 

 intended as a classical illustration of a treadmill ! 



In the body of the work there are a few corrections made to 

 the faulty positions which appeared in the first editions. Among 

 the choicest of these are Nos. 33 and 49. No. 49 was a com- 

 petitor in one of the "Westminster Papers" tourneys. No. 33 

 has a sweetly pretty conceit. 



No. 33. No. 49. 



Black. Black. 



.Male in three. 



Warn. 

 Mate in three. 



B. G. L. 



SOLUTION. 

 Prohlem, No. 104, by B. G. Laws, p. 290. 



1. K takes Kt 



2. P to K4 (oh) B takes P 



3. B to Kt3, mate 

 It 2. K takes P 



3. B to B3, mate 



3. B to B3, mate. 



1. Kt to Q,-> P tkesKt, orl 



2. Q to KBG P toQ5 



3. q to QG, mate 



If 2. K to KG 

 3. Q to B4, mate 



If 1. B to Q6. 2. P takes B (ch), K takes Kt 

 If any other move, 2. Kt to BG, mate. 



In reference to this problem, wo have to acknowledge an error in 



