228 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[Sept. 12, 1884. 



^ur CftfSsi Column* 



By Mephisto. 



PROBLEM No. 127. 



EXDING FROM ACTUAL PLAT. 



Amateur. 



Blacz. 



"Whitb. 



Mr. Robey. 



White to play and win. 



Xo. 128. 



By Clakence. 



Black. 



White. 

 White to play and mate in two moves. 



GAMBIT DECLINED. 



Of all the openings the Gambits lead to the most Uvely games. 

 By advancing 2. P to KB4, on the second move, White temporarily 

 abandons this P, bnt he is compensated for the sacrifice by obtain- 

 ing a speedy development of his pieces, and a correspondingly 

 strong attack. It is nndoubtedly true that, both for recreation 

 and study, Gambits are invaluable sources of enjoyment and in- 

 stmction. Nevertheless, occasions may occur when it wiU be 

 found desirable to decline the Gambit, as that course nndoubtedly 

 leads to a safer and easier line of play ; as, for example, when 

 meeting a stronger player or when receiving odds. In the latter 

 case, especially, it is desirable to avoid Gambits, for, as we have 

 shown some time ago, it is positively suicidal to accept certain 

 Gambles when receiving the odds of QKt. 



After 1. P to K4, P to K4, 2. P to KB4, Black can decline the 

 Gambit by playing 2. P to Q4 at once, or as follows : — 2. P x P. 

 3. Kt to KB3, P to Q4. White would not gain any advantage by 

 playing 4. P to K5, as Black could defend his P by P to KKt4, 

 and White could never bring the KB to bear upon KB7, the chief 

 support of the Gambit attack. If, on the other hand, 4. P x P, 

 Black can now play 4. B to Q3, which will give him an even and 

 safe game, or he may play 4. Q x P. 5. Kt to B3. Here the tyro 

 is exposed to a danger which he ought to know, in order to be 



Blace. 



able to avoid it. If now 5. Q to K3 (ch), K to B2, White now 

 threatens to win the Q by playing B to Kto (ch), followed by 

 R to Ksq. Black, of course, can prevent this by plaving B to Q2 

 or Q to Kt3, but in either case he will have a difficult game to play, 

 while White will soon bring his R to K sq. and K to Kt sq. Instead 

 of the (ch) ivith the Q after 5. Kt to B3, Black will do better to 

 reply with .5, Q to Q sq. Whatever White does. Black ought to be 

 able to hold his own. If 6. P to Q4, B to Q3, G. B to B4. 



The position now requires a little attention. Of course, 6. Q to 

 K2 (ch) for Black would not be good, on account of K to B2 



threatening E to K sq., or if 6. 

 Kt to B3, then 7. Q to K2 (ch), 

 if Q interferes. White takes the 

 Black Q, compelling the K to 

 retake, with an tmfavonrable posi- 

 tion. 6. Kt to K2 would be worse 

 still, for White would immediately 

 play 7. Kt to K5, Castles. 8. 

 Q to E5, with a won game. Bnt 

 Black may play 6. P to KE3. 7. 

 Castles. Kt to K2. 8. Kt to K2, 

 P to KKt4, with a good game. 



Although this is, in reality, an 

 accepted Gambit, yet it avoids all 

 the well-known Gambit attacks, 

 and Black plays P to KKt4 under 

 more favourable conditions. Black 

 must nowseek to develop hisgame; 

 for that purpose the following moves may serve : — B to KKt5, 

 P to QB4, Q to Kt3, &c. Castling on the Q's side would give Black 

 a great advantage. 



(To he continued.) 



i 



Whitb. 



Through Farringdon-street Junction of the Metropolitan Bail- 

 way 1,800 trains pass in twenty-three hours every day. There are 

 four lines of rails, used by the Metropolitan, Great Northern, 

 Midland, London, Chatham, and Dover, and Metropolitan Exten- 

 sion Companies. The total number of passengers conveyed over 

 our railways in 18S3, exclusive of season-ticket holders, was — first- 

 class, 36,387,177; second-class, 66,096,784; third-class, 581,233,476: 

 total, 683,718,137; and season-ticket holders, 180,000,000. Of 

 minerals there were conveyed 189,485,612 tons ; of general mer- 

 chandise, 76,897,356 tons; number of miles run by passenger 

 trains, 139,545,464 ; number of miles run by goods and mineral 

 trains, 129,351,774 ; total miles run, 268,897,236 ; miles of railways, 

 18,668 ; number of persons employed, 367,660. 



Contents op No. 149. 



FACE 



Oar Two Brains. Bj" Richard A. 



Proctor 189 



Dreams. Vni. By Edward Clodd 190 

 The Westinghouse Brake. By 



" Trevithick " 192 



More About Sunflowers. By Grant 



Allen 193 



The Earth's Shape and Motions : 



IT. Determining the Shape of 



the Earth (Illm.) By B. A. 



Proctor 194 



An Address to the British Associa- 

 tion 196 



The Electric Light in the Mecher- 



nich Mines 197 



Optical Becreation. (i7/M«.) By 



F.E.A.S 198 



How American Carp are Destroyed, 



(/?;«..) 199 



Other Worlds than Oars. By M. 

 de Fontenelle. With Notes by 



Eichard A. Proctor 200 



Muscular Contraction after Death 201 

 International Health Exhibition. 



XIII. (/»!«.) 202 



Editorial Gossip 203 



EeTJews 20* 



Miscellanea 205 



Correspondence 205 



Car Chess Column 308 



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