JtrwK 23, 1882.] 



• KNOWLEDGE • 



63 



throw by which money was won. Withont deciding at once that 

 we were being cheated, we should watch somewhat carefully to see 

 in what proportion aces appeared thereafter. So it is when, at 

 card games, a player secures more frequently than probability 

 warrants some favourable "hand." There must be players who 

 eeem lucty on occasion, and there vmst be some who appear 

 exceptionally lucky for years. But this should not cause the player 

 to blind himself to the antecedent improbability of definite runs of 

 luck, and therefore he should not overlook the necessity for watch- 

 fulness when they have occurred. And lastly, in those affairs of 

 ordinary life in which chance plays a more or less prominent part, 

 but conduct yet counts for something, we are justified in inferring 

 skilful conduct where good fortune is long continued and strongly 

 marked. '• In the conduct of life," says the great mathematician 

 Laplace, " good fortune is a proof of skill which should induce us 

 to prefer placing our confidence in those who appear thus lucky." 



(Bur Cf)cs(5 Column. 



By Mephisto. 



THE VIENNA IXTERXATIOXAL TOURNAMENT. 



THIS week will see the finish of the Tournament, as on WcdtiCiJay , 

 probably, the last game will have been played, and then the 

 Chess world may devote itself to the task of honourin? the \ictor 

 AVho this would be formed the subject of conjecture and conversation 

 in London Chess circles. Steinitz, who had been doing badly in the 

 beginning, gradually crept to the front, till on the twenty-siTth 

 round he came out ahead of all other competitors. The public like 

 to pin their faith to tried men, and it was generally then taken for 

 granted that Steinitz would come out as chief winner. This belief 

 was, however, dispelled by the news that arrived from Vienm, 

 which showed that Steinitz had relapsed into bad luck, w hile Mason 

 was doing wonderfully well and carrying everything before him 

 According to telegraphic information received in London on Thurs- 

 day, Mason was at the head of the list with 20, while Steinitz 

 stood at 19i. It was then generally believed that Mason would win 

 first prize, and bets were freely made on that expectation. We hope 

 to be able to publish telegraphic information, before going to press, 

 as to the actual result. 



According to a telegram in the Daily Telegraph, of Monday, the 

 following was the state of the score on Saturday night, Juno 17, 

 after the conclnsion of the Slst round : — Mackenzie, Steinitz, and 

 Winawer, 214; Mason, 21; Zukertort, 20^; Blackbume, ISJ ; 

 EngUsch, 17J ; Paulsen, 16i ; Wittek, 16 ; Hruby, 141 ; Weiss, 14 ; 

 Schwarz, 131 ; Bird and Tschigorin, 12; Meitner, llj ; Ware, 10. 

 The committee have thought fit to alter the order of the play on 

 Thursday last ; we cannot therefore properly estimate Mason's score, 

 as it is quite possible that in spite of his being half a game behind, 

 his position might be as good as that of any other man. The close- 

 ness of the five first men makes the finish a very e.\citing one. 



On Monday Zukertort beat Weiss, Paulsen beat Ware, Hruby 

 beat Mackenzie, Steinitz v. Bird drew. Mason was engaged with 

 Englisch, and Winawer with Meitner. 



Problem Xo. 4-5 

 l!v I!. 0. Laws. 



80LDTI0NS. 

 Problem Xo. 42 by J. A. Miles, p. CI 5. 



Bv J. Licence, p. IG. 

 No. 43. No. 44. 



1. Kt to K4 K to Q4 I 1. P to K8 B K to K3 



2. P to Kt8 R K to K4 2. R to B6 (mate) 



3. R to Kt5 (mate) 



The fmm^ pr(xced^d th ^ — 



WUIIE. BLACK. 



R takes Kt 

 B takes R KtloQ7lch) 



R takes Kt U takes R 



R to Qsq B takes P 



BloB2 R takes P(ch) 



K to Bs(| H to Ktsq 



Q to E-i ; and here BlackbDme 

 made one of his ma^ificent coups. He 

 answered R to Kt8(ch). Of course, the 

 K Tras bound to take, and then followed 

 Q to QKt4(ch) , and White's Q wa« lost. 

 The came broke down soon afterwards, 

 and Winawer resigned on the .'>2nd move, 

 after oi houra* plar. 



«apoB 



"4^ 



In the position pren in the i 

 White plaved Q to R3. Sleinili~< 

 pletelv t.Terlooked the ineenioaa derice, 

 and answered R to 

 Blaekburne won the Q. bjr R to 

 Of course, Steinili was bou " 

 for mate was threatened 

 KtProh), and the Maek Q iraa there- 

 fore lost bv Kt to R6(rb). The proper 

 answrr for Itlaek in the position eiven 

 was Kt to K4, with the view of fianx 

 himself at Qft, even if While attacked 

 the R by Kl to Qii. Black would have 

 bad a fa'ir game then at the cost of the 

 exchan^'e for a pawn. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 »,* Please address Chess-Editor. 



W. I<. Lambert v. Edward Wilson. 



Novice. — We cannot find any fault with our score of game p. 033. 

 There is no Queen's Pawn to take White's Knight or liishop, as the 

 Queen's Pawn has been captured by White "iii pass" on his third 

 move. Move IR, p. 634, it ought to"be Q takes Kt. 



Correct solutions of Problem received : No. 42, by Berrow ; Nob. 

 43 and 4t. by C. S. Bright, Genoa, Brenton, J. Russell (something). 



S. M. — It "is not so. 



J. Tilbe. — To castle after check has been given, is allowed. 



%\Tiite to play and mate in three mores. 



A RVP.iRT (just issued, Imt dated Oct. 21, 1881) on the incao- 

 dcjcent lamps exhibited at the Pnri.^ Exhibition (1881), has beoH 

 Iircpcntcd by Professor W. Crookes and O. F. Barker, who wore 

 appointed a 'sub-committee for the purpose. The testa have l>ocn 

 carried out in an exhnnstive manner, and it will bo ninttor for 

 very groat regret if a similar rop<irt is not issued on tho moro 

 i-ecent exhibition, as it is certain that great improvements have 

 been recently made, more particularly in the Swan and Lnno-Fox 

 lamps. 



The case of "the United Telephone Comp.iny (Limited) vfrtu* 

 Iliirrison, Cox-Walker. & Co." has terminated almost ontin-ly in 

 fiivmirof tho United Company, who sustain their patents for tho 

 (iowor-Hell receiver, but aro defeated in the nintter of tho Kdistm 

 trnnsinittor. They intend to bring tho latter (|nestion Iwforo tho 

 Curt of Api>0Rl,'and if they gain the d.iy. th.-y w.ll hold almost 

 exclusive sway in matters telephonic. Professor Sylvnnus Thompstm, 

 writing to the Times, asserts, however, that the IVilboiir system, so 

 nblv iKscrilied bv Professor Dolbear himself b«»foro tho Society of 

 Torogrnph Engiiieors, a few weeks since, is tinnfTectcd by tho dooi- 

 sion. The principles differ considembly from those of tho ITnitod 

 Company's apparatus. 



