It is right to state that when the game between Messrs. Barry and Pim had reached a stage presenting all the appearances of a "draw," the players applied for permission to relinquish the contest, and divide the prize money; and that when they found such an arrangement to be contrary to the principle, and calculated to defeat the object of the tourney, it was decided by lot between them which should formally resign to the other, for the purpose of bringing about a legitimate conclusion.

The result showed itself in Mr. Pim's obtaining first place, and Mr. Barry second, the prize money being divided between them.

This was the first tourney of its kind in Ireland. The players being all Irish, and the moves (with the exception of a few posted in England and Scotland) transmitted through the Irish post offices. It was one of a few well-directed efforts to foster chess in Ireland made some time ago, when there were too many counteracting influences at work, but which would at another time have been attended with material success. Is it not a source of regret, in considering the effects of this tourney, to find that the few players it brought, for the first time, into prominence have since relapsed into obscurity and perhaps inactivity.

We learn with pleasure that an interesting little match is taking place between Dynari and Lintscrawl, two well-known Dubliners, from the games of which we hope to be able to select a few for publication next month.

THE BRITISH CHESS ASSOCIATION DINNER.

To the Editor of the WESTMINSTER PAPERS.

SIR,-As there appears to be a misunderstanding relative to the postponement of the dinner at the late Congress of the British Chess Association, a few words in explanation seem necessary. The noble President's letter, announcing his inability to take the chair, did not arrive until a few days before the time fixed for the dinner. It was impossible, under the circumstances, to convene a General Meeting of the Committee, but the few members of that body who could be found most readily were asked their opinion as to the best course to be adopted in the emergency. It being certain that the most influential members of the Chess circle could not, by reason of their previous engagements, preside at so short a notice, a postponement, however much to be regretted, became indispensable.

With reference to some remarks made in a letter, published in your journal of last month, conveying the impression that there must have been some neglect on the part of the Manager of the British Chess Association, I shall feel it my duty to demand a strict investigation of my conduct by the General Committee, and will abide by their decision. I am, yours truly, JOHN J. LOWENTHAL.

3rd September 1872.

[We insert Herr Lowenthal's letter, but we cannot conceive who of the Committee saw the necessity for the postponement because Lord Lyttelton could not attend. When the subject was brought before the Committee, the members present were unanimous in condemning the course adopted. It was generally thought that, had we met to dine, the operation of electing a Chairman might have been accomplished without any superhuman effort. The idea of Herr Lowenthal clearly was, that Englishmen could not dine without a Lord in the chair. There is, no doubt, some truth in this view; but Englishmen prefer to dine without a Lord rather than go without their dinner, and this Herr Lowenthal failed to realise. However, we may all excuse Herr Lowenthal for one little mistake in consideration of his past services in the cause of Chess-services, be it said, involving great labour and anxiety, for which little, either in the shape of emolument or thanks, is paid by the Chess community; whilst, on the other hand, abuse is so freely given that, as a contributor lately truly said, "there was never a man so notoriously abused." The Committee of the Association have shown that they mean to be consulted on all matters that require discussion, and that they will not act the part of ornamental dummies. This is something to have achieved. Hitherto the Committee's attempt to reform some of the abuses of Chess have not met with the approval of their constituents; but it remains to be seen whether our later experience does not prove that the 20-move time limit may be safely carried. The effect of the movement has certainly been to make the play faster, and, we think, without any deterioration of the skill.--ED.]

SIR, I herewith send you for publication, if you should see fit, an original impression taken from the wall of a chamber in the palace of Medeenet-Abuh, at Thebes. Chapter 16 of "Alroy" begins :-"Two stout soldiers were playing Chess in a coffee-house," and M. Disraeli inserts on this the following note (80) :

:

"On the walls of the palace of Amenoph II., called Medeenet-Abuh, at Egyptian Thebes, the King is represented playing Chess with the Queen. This monarch reigned long before the Trojan war.'

In my last article on "Fossil Chess," which you did me the honour to publish, I quoted the above note, and expressed it as my opinion that there must be some mistake, as no foundation could exist for calling it a representation of Chess, at least as we at present play it. I had not then been in Egypt, but had seen Sir Gardner Wilkinson's small engraving of the subject in his full and able work, "A Popular Account of the Ancient Egyptians," and felt myself justified in questioning the correctness of Mr. Disraeli's statement.

I have since then been for several months in Egypt and Nubia, and have visited all the ruins of interest, from Cairo nearly to the blue Nile, and spent sufficient time at Thebes to satisfy myself on this, as well as on some other points. I think that an impartial reader will need nothing more than this accurate impression and, above all, Sir G. Wilkinson's text on the subject, which I here subjoin, to remove all doubt from his mind :

"The same, or even greater, antiquity may be claimed for the game of Draughts, or, as it has been erroneously called, Chess. As in the two former, the players sat on the ground or on chairs, and the pieces or men being ranged in line at either end of the table, moved on a chequered board as in our Chess and Draughts. The pieces were all of the same size and form, though they varied in different boards, some being small, others large, with round summits; some were surmounted by human heads, and many were of a lighter and neater shape, like nine pins, probably the most fashionable kind, since they were used in the palace of King Rameses. These last seem to have been about one inch in diameter, but some are only one inch-and-a-quarter in height and little more than half-an-inch broad at the lower end. Others have been found of ivory, one inch-and-six-eighths high, and one-and-an-eighth in diameter, with a small knob at the top, exactly like those represented at Beni Hassan and the tombs near the Pyramids. They were about equal in size upon the same board, one set black, the other white or red, or one with round, the other with flat heads standing on opposite sides; and each player, raising it with the finger and thumb, advanced his piece towards those of his opponent; but, though we are unable to say whether this was done in a direct or a diagonal line, there is reason to believe they could not take backwards as in the Polish game of Draughts, the men being mixed together on the board. It was an amusement common in the houses of the lower classes as in the mansions of the rich, and King Rameses is himself portrayed on the walls of his palace at Thebes, engaged in the game of Draughts with the ladies of his household."

This extract is from the work alluded to above, vol. I., p. 190. In the same work may be found some account of the paintings in the tombs at Beni Hassan, presumably the oldest in Egypt, dating from the time of Osirtasen I., twenty centuries before the Christian Era, and eight hundred years anterior to the reign of Rameses III., by whom the temple of Medeenet-Abuh was commenced, and who is the Rameses portrayed on its walls. An unaccountable error on Mr. Disraeli's part, in the same note, assigns its erection to Amenoph II., who lived 1414 B.C, Trusting these remarks may prove interesting to some of your readers.—I am, Sir, THE AUTHOR OF "FOSSIL CHESS."

MATCH BETWEEN STEINITZ AND ZUKERTORT.

3 B to K Kt 2

4 Kt to K B3

5 P to Q B4

6 Kt fr KB 3 to Q 2

7 B takes Kt

8 Castles

9 Kt takes B

10 P to KB3

11 R takes P

12 P to K 3

13 R to K B2

14 Kt to K 4 (b)

15 Q to R5 ch 16 Q to Q Kt 5

17 Q to K Kt 5

18 Kt to KB 6 ch

19 B to Q 2 20 B to B3

1st hour.

21 P to K 4 22 P to Q 5

23 QR to K B sq 24 P to Q R 3 (e) 25 Kt takes RP

26 Kt takes Q
27 B takes R
23 P takes P

20 P takes P (f)
30 R to K B7
31 Kt to K 6 ch
32 Kt to KB8
33 Kt takes Kt P
34 R to B6 ch
35 R takes B
36 R to K Kt 5 ch
2nd hour.

37 P to KR 1
38 Ptakes P

39 B to K Kt 7
40 K to B 2
41 K to K 3 (g)
42 P to KR 5
43 K to K 2 (h)

41 B takes Kt

45 P to RG
46 P to R 7
47 K to K3
3rd hour.

48 R to Kt 6 ch
49 R to Kt 5 ch
50 R to Kt 4 ch
51 P takes P
52 R to Q Kt 4
53 R takes P

1 P to K B4

2 Kt to K B 3

3 P to K 3

4 B to K 2

5 B to Q Kt 5 ch

6 Kt to K 5

7 P takes B

8 B takes Kt (a)

9 P to Q4

10 P takes KBP

11 Kt to QB3

12 Q to K 2

13 P takes P

14 B to Q 2

15 P to Kt 3

16 Q to Q Kt 5 (c)

17 Q to K 2
18 K to Q sq

1st hour.

19 K to B sq
20 R to KB sq