to a more general class of readers than is contemplated by us, nevertheless, never ceases to bestow the greatest possible attention upon that portion of its pages which is devoted to Chess; while, upon various occasions, it has displayed very great energy in obtaining the latest news of important events-as in the instance of the late Vienna Chess Congress. Secondly, we shall publish, every month, a varied selection of games, by the finest players of the day, and which will be annotated by some of the most competent of living authorities. Our problems will be by British and foreign composers of the highest standing; while our Chess intelligence will be, as far as unsparing effort and untiring energy can make it so, a succinct but complete résumé of all the doings in our petty burgh;" and we intend taking especial pains to collect for that purpose all kinds of interesting and useful information. We shall also publish analyses of the openings, in which the most recent discoveries will be elucidated; and it is our intention, from time to time, to give a few useful hints to the receivers of odds, whereby they may avoid many of the pitfalls into which they are accustomed to fall. Thirdly, the Magazine will be published at a cheap price, so as to be within the reach of the humblest income. It would seem desirable to add that our purposes are not in any way local, or even merely Metropolitan; on the contrary, we aspire to be, if possible, the organ of all English Chess circles, and, therefore, shall hope for the generous support of the provincial, as well as of the London players. Now, this being our programme, the question arises, whether it affords any fair grounds for expecting the countenance of the Chess public, and here a preliminary question of great interest presents itself, namely, whether the Chess-playing portion of the community are sufficiently numerous to merit any such specific designation. In the last census, through a reprehensible carelessness on the part of the governing powers, no means were taken whereby a certain conclusion upon this important point might have been arrived at, and this being so, any estimate upon the subject must be, to a certain extent, guesswork. However, we can scarcely, we think, be accused of exaggeration, if we fix the number of Chess players in the United Kingdom at about 100,000. Assuming this figure, or even, out of deference to pessimists, dividing it by two, it is clear that the amount of Chess provender at present provided for such an important body is altogether insufficient; and the force of this consideration is strengthened by the fact that the Chess player, unlike his brother of the cue, requires a great amount of literary nourishment. He may be a clever sort of fellow enough in his way, but if unlearned in the science of the game, any studious neophyte can put him to shame. Another important fact is that Chess players, as a body, belong to the middle and upper classes; and there must be few among them to whom such a small subscription as that charged for this journal can be any object whatever. Happy indeed would the greater number of them be if their annual expenses in Christmas boxes could be kept within the same limit; probably a large proportion would have to admit that their cigar lights cost them as much per annum. We are amongst those who would be glad to see the ancient game burst through the barriers of social rank and gladden every walk of life, so that the handicraftsman and the labourer, after the day's toil, might find pleasure in a recreation which would give them no headache next day, and would leave their pockets in a satisfactory condition against the gude wife's matutinal inspection. We do not despair of such an era coming to pass, let scoffers laugh as they may; but, however, this is beside the mark. Still it is a fact, and this more concerns our present object, that Chess, as a game, is becoming extensively practised, and is making gigantic strides in the public esteem; so much so, that it has upon more than one notable occasion of late aroused the general attention of society, and compelled the not very willingly accorded ministrations of the daily press. It is a curious concomitant circumstance, and one not necessarily to have been expected, that the level of Chess strength has correspondingly risen, greatly to the discomfiture of those who remain of the fiddle-faddle, oughts and crosses players of a now receding generation. It is comical to watch a Chess playing Rip Van Winkle struggling in the grasp of some stripling, innocent altogether of facial vegetables. Amusing, but painful, is the contrast presented by the aimless wanderings, feeble little dodges, and blind gropings of the one, in comparison with the scientific precision, ingeniously conceived combinations, and clear-eyed foresight of the other. No fact is more obvious to the observing mind, than that we of this generation shall find ourselves sorely tried ere long by the young knights who are now putting on their armour. We have now put forward our programme, and have stated what are the bases of our hopes. If this journal fulfils its baptismal vows, and does all those things which we, its sponsors, have promised on its behalf, is there any possibility of our failing to meet with the spirited and generous support of the Chess-playing community? Is there any chance that those to whose interests we have exclusively devoted ourselves, and for whose recreative instruction we shall be constantly labouring, will not respond with hearty unanimity? We shall not believe it. There are some, we are aware, who have croaked dismally, and have prophesied for us inevitable failure. According to them, Chess Magazines never have succeeded, and therefore never will; all have met with an untimely end, and ours will experience a like fate. We hope however for better things, and will await the verdict of the future.. It boots not to enquire what were the causes of the ill success which attended former Chess periodicals. One obvious explanation is, that the game was formerly confined to a small class-we might have said clique-whose numbers remained almost stationary; whereas now its ever-increasing popularity is manifest. Never in former days could it have been possible for an association of Chess players to be found numbering, like the City of London Chess Club at the present time, over 350 members; or for an event to have called together such a large body of spectators as upon the occasion of the inter-University match last year, when there were present from 600 to 800 persons. Something, perhaps, of former lack of good fortune may be attributed to want of firmness, or undue complaisance, upon the part of editors, whereby inferior games and problems found their way into circulation, a fault we shall be careful to avoid. What we have to say to all Cassandras is, that we expect the great law of quid pro quo to prevail in this as in all other instances. If we keep a good article, we shall expect customers; whereas, if we try to palm off rubbish, of course it will be necessary for us very soon to put up the shutters. In conclusion, we submit that there is ample justification for a journal like the " City of London Chess Magazine," as likewise good grounds for anticipating its ultimate success; and we shall rejoice if, through our means, the ancient pastime should obtain that pre-eminence which is its due. Chess, we feel, is deserving of something better than an undistinguished place in the Pantheon of recreations. Therefore, let the Whist player trump, and the Billiard player make his canons, we have nothing to say in depreciation of either; on the contrary, we admit much in their favour, but the noble and glorious game, which flourished centuries before cards or cues were thought of, shall now have its own especial shrine, and in that behalf we invoke the aid of all true Chess players. ANALYTICAL EXCURSIONS. By J. H. ZUKERTORT. I. THE GIUOCO PIANO. THE first Italian Chess writers gave to all Openings without any sacrificeexcluding therefore all Gambits-the name "Giuoco Piano," but in a short time the jurisdiction of the "slow game" was very much limited, and the name became the special property of the most practised line of play, viz. : WHITE. 1 P to K 4 2 Kt to K B 3 BLACK. Following this example of pars pro toto, some German Chess authors use the name "Giuoco Piano" only for the chief variation of the Italian partie. 4 P to QB 3 Black has many answers at his disposal, as 4 Q to K 2, 4 Q to B 3, 4 B to Kt 3, 4 P to B 4, 4 P to Q 3, 4 Kt to K B 3. The first four are by no means satisfactory, and may be considered as obsolete; the fifth, P to Q 3, may be perfectly safe, but it does not lead to an even game, as thereby the command of the board player, through his well-established centre, as Jaenisch proved The variations resulting from the best answer. 6 P takes P 9 P to B 4 review. A very weak continuation is 5 P to Q3 which Anderssen calls, in jest, giuoco pianissimo. L. Paulsen adopted it in the tournament at Baden against De Vere, who replied 5 P to Q 4 losing by it a piece, but winning 7 B to Kt 3 9 Q to Q2 (best) De Vere played the inferior move 9 Q to K 3; if Black play 9 Q to Q sq, White wins by 10 P to B 5, followed, if Kt takes P, by 11 Q to R 4 ch. 10 P to B 5 If, instead of this move, White plays P to Kt 5, Black retires the Kt to K 2, and White's Pawns on his Queen's side are in a very bad position, nor can he take the K P on account of the reply Q to Q 5. 11 P takes B 10 Kt takes P If 11 Kt takes P, Black obtains a greatly superior game by 11 Q to Q 5 or K 2. 11 Kt takes P ch 12 K to B sq If 12 K to K 2 Black wins by P to K 5, followed by Q to Q 5, &c. 13 Kt to K sq 14 Kt takes Kt 12 P to K 5 13 Q to Q 5 Better than 14 P takes Kt, to which White would reply, 15 Q to K sq ch, and 16 Q or Kt to B 3. 15 Q to R 4 ch 16 Q takes K P ch 15 P to QB 3 17 Kt to B 5 I do not think that White has here a better move, being forced to protect or to move his Q Kt. 18 Kt to Q B 3 19 Q takes Q 20 K to K sq 21 K Kt to K 4 17 Q takes P 18 Q to B 5 ch White dare not take the Pawn, as the end of a game will show, in which two consulting amateurs at Berlin conducted White against me two years ago: e.g., 21 Kt takes P, K to Q 2, 22 B to B 4 (to rescue the captive Knight), R to R 8 ch, 23 Kt to Q sq, B to Kt 6, 24 K to Q 2, K R to Q R sq,* forcing the game : 22 K to Q 2 (Checking with Kt is clearly bad) 21 R to R 8 leaving Black with a fine position, and also a superiority in force, he having a Rook and three passed Pawns against two Knights. Nevertheless, I do not consider the reply, 5 P to Q 4 as perfectly sound; White dare not play to win a piece, but he may choose a simple line, which wins a Pawn : 6 P takes P 7 P to Q Kt 4 8 P to Kt 5 : There is no better move at Black's command. 9 Kt takes P 6 Kt takes P 7 B to Kt 3 8 Kt to R 4 and White is able to maintain the Pawn, because if 9 Kt takes B, he replies 10 P takes Kt. Therefore I can only recommend for Black. 5 P to Q 3 leading, in any case, to a perfectly even game. White can obtain here a position, resulting from a variation of the Evans' Gambit declined, by 6 P to Q Kt 4 7 P to Q R 4 8 P to KR 3 6 B to Kt 3 7 P to Q R 3 8 P to K R 3 This precaution against the pinning of the Knights is necessary, because both sides intend to Castle on the King's side. Now-a-days, it is not discreditable for the reputation of a first-rate player to move his R P, as it was ten, or even six years ago. 9 Castles 10 Kt to R 3 11 B to R 2 12 Kt to B 4 9 Castles 11 Kt to Kt 3 The more usual continuation for White is (see the Diagram) It is evident that B to Kt 3 is bad, on account of White's moves of P takes K P, followed by Q to Q 5. 6 P takes P. The variation, 6 P to K 5, P to Q 4, 7 B to Kt 5, Kt to K 5, may be omitted, there being nothing in it which could not be found in the books. 6 B to Kt 5 ch Black must give this check, in order at once to break up White's centre. 7 B to K 2. Greco's ingenious variation, 7 Kt to B 3, is quite unsound, as was demonstrated a long time ago. [To be continued in the next Number]. As *The numbered moves are White's, and the unnumbered are Black's. a similar manner of rendering the notation will be adopted from time to time, I give an example of how the same should be construed: - 21 Kt takes P 22 B to B 4 23 Kt to Q sq 21 K to Q 2 22 R to R 8 ch 23 B to Kt 6 21 KR to QR sq. |