THE attention of English Chess players, during the past month, has been transferred from the metropolis to the country. In London, save a blindfold assault by Mr. Blackburne upon ten members of the City of London Chess Club, some matches at the minor clubs, and the progress of the match between Mr. Potter and Mr. Fenton, nothing has occurred to break the even tenour of the Chess player's way. The blindfold séance calls for little remark, Mr. Blackburne's prowess in these peculiar performances having long ago exhausted our stock of superlatives, so that the varying fortunes of Messrs. Potter and Fenton have been the main topics of metropolitan Chess during the last few weeks.

Some little discussion has also arisen regarding the resignation of Mr. Bird from the committee of the City of London Chess Club, chiefly, it is said, because he is opposed to the infliction of an annual fine upon some prominent members whose contributions are necessary to the complete success of the Universities' Chess Match. Mr. Bird's consideration for these gentlemen does not appear to be shared by his colleagues, but as we know nothing of the opinions held by the persons most nearly interested, we have not formed any of our own on the subject of controversy. We think it is much to be regretted, however, that a Chess player of Mr. Bird's eminence should have retired from the only representative Chess Club we have now in London.

In styling the City Club representative, we must not forget the claims of many excellent Chess associations scattered over London, whose members, without any desire for public repute, are doing good service in extending a knowledge of the game. Among these, a new society, quite recently formed, at Brixton, bids fair to take a very prominent place. Since the 22nd March, when the Endeavour Club contested and won its first public match against the Gresham, its members have successively defeated the Knight Class of the City Club, the strongest players of the Bedford, and, finally, a picked team of the old established Bermondsey. Of the latter performance-a most creditable one for a young association-we have been favoured with the particulars, and we give, at length, the names of the players who took part in it, and their respective scores :

Two Chess Meetings of importance have been held in the provinces, one on the 17th ult., at Liverpool, the other on the 24th, at Sheffield, and both appear to have been eminently successful. The meeting at Liverpool was the result of a challenge proceeding from the Club of that City to the Manchester Club, but the cartel was subsequently extended to all the players of Manchester, and the members of the Union Club of that City were "counted in" in the fight. The players assembled at the Palatine Restaurant, in Cable Street, and the match, which was continued from three o'clock in the afternoon until ten at night resulted in a decisive victory for the Liver-pudlians. Thirteen players on each side took part in the Tourney, and the following is the full score:

The combatants were selected according to supposed approximate equality of play. Most of the games were very closely contested, and were played with great skill and care on either side. In all, twenty-five games were played, of which Liverpool won thirteen, Manchester eight, and four were drawn. The games throughout were watched with great interest, especially the one between Mr.Steinkuhler, the honorary secretary of the Manchester club, and Mr. Burn, which, after lasting four hours, terminated in favour of the Liverpool player, who, towards the close, formed a combination which ended the game brilliantly in his favour. A return match will be played in Manchester on some future day, when the Liverpool club will have to fight warily and well if it is to reap fresh laurels from its worthy antagonists.

The gathering at Sheffield was the twentieth annual meeting of the West Yorkshire Chess Association, and was held at the Imperial Hotel, under the auspices of the Sheffield Athenæum Chess Club. Between fifty and sixty members of the Association attended, and tournaments having been arranged, and the players divided into classes, play commenced at noon. An entrance fee of half-a-crown from each player formed the prizes, but to these the Sheffield Club added four guineas for the first, and two guineas each for the second and third classes. The prizes varied in amount from £3 10s to five shillings. During the progress of the various matches an adjournment was made, and the players and visitors sat down to a substantial "tea" under the presidency of Dr. J. C. Hall of Sheffield. Dr. Hall, who is president of the Athenæum Chess Club, gave a hearty welcome to the visitors on behalf of the members of his Club, and congratulated the meeting on the presence of Mr. Thorold and Mr. Blackburne. Mr. T. W. Field said he had been deputed by the members of the Halifax Chess Club to invite the Association to that town, on the occasion of their next meeting, and the invitation having been cordially accepted, the play was resumed, after a vote of thanks to the Chairman. The following is the result of the matches in the several classes for which, as well as other particulars, we are indebted to the kindness of Mr. Watkinson of Huddersfield, and Mr. White of Leeds.

FIRST CLASS.--Mr. Finlinson beat Mr. Cockayne; Mr. Thorold beat Mr. Godwin. In the second round Mr. Thorold beat Mr. Finlinson, who divided the first and second prizes.

SECOND CLASS. Mr. White beat Mr. Cockman; Mr. Robinson beat Mr. Walton; Mr. Marks beat Mr. Champion; Mr. Stokoe beat Mr. E. Brown. In the second round Mr. Marks beat Mr. Robinson, and Mr. White defeated Mr. Stokoe. The prizes were divided between Messrs. Marks and White.

THIRD CLASS.-Mr. Craven beat Mr. Field; Mr. Walton beat Mr. Brearley; Mr. Bennett beat Mr. Pickard. The game to have taken place between Messrs. Gaunt and Taylor was withdrawn. In the second round Mr. Craven beat Mr. Walton, and now the game will be concluded by Messrs. Craven, Bennett and Taylor playing off in Leeds, as they had not time to play longer n Sheffield.

FOURTH CLASS.-Mr. Ash beat Mr. Trickett; Mr. T. Brown beat Mr. Shaw; Mr. Davy beat Mr. Dunne; Mr. Dyson beat Mr. Grace. In the second round Mr. Dyson defeated Mr. Davy, and Mr. Ash, Mr. T. Brown. In the third round Mr. Ash beat Mr. Dyson.

We direct the special attention of readers interested in problems to the article by Herr Berger in the present number. It has hitherto been too much the fashion to ignore such complaints as these when they appeared in foreign publications, but notwithstanding that we are fully sensible the reproduction of this article

* The second of these games was left unfinished by Mr. Schull, and by mutual agreement was finished by Mr. Burn on his behalf.

+ Mr. Burnett did not arrive in time for the first game with Mr. Allaire, and his place was taken by Mr. Wood.

PROBLEM. No. 650.

BLACK.

can do little towards rectifying the mistakes of the past, we cannot allow such an indictment as Herr Berger presents against our national sense of fairness to pass without attention. We can at least protest to our foreign brethren that any favouritism in awarding the prizes in an English tourney would be repudiated by the great body of English Chess players. We fully believe for our own part that on this occasion there existed no desire to show favour, but we cannot wonder that the extraordinary blunders brought to light since the adjudication, for which not the slightest regret has to this moment been officially expressed, should have begotten a want of confidence in the minds of foreign competitors to whom the members of the committee are mere names. If the award has been made without a sufficient examination of all the problems, or without previous compliance with the regulation providing for their publication, let the mistake be admitted, and whatever may be thought of our capacity for conducting problem tourneys there can be no blot upon the traditional reputation of Englishmen for fair play.

Our review of the Kohtz and Kockelkorn collection is crowded out this month from unusual pressure on our space. In referring to this work we take occasion to correct a blunder, through which, in last month's number, a problem by Herr Kockelkorn was included in Herr Kohtz's set.

Our readers will please substitute the problem in the margin for No. 623, and our reviewers will kindly take notice that it is included in the solution and review competition.

WHITE.

White to play and mate in five moves.

As all our problem contributors and solvers read the "Chess World," we may say here that the award of prizes for the past twelve months' Solution and Review Tourney will be made in our next number, and we may also set forth our programme for the next competition of this kind. After careful consideration of the suggestions we have received from correspondents, regarding a modification of our plan of conducting these tourneys, we have decided to adopt those made by Mr. Nash, to the extent of giving more prizes, and reducing the period over which the competition shall extend from twelve to six months. We will also, as Mr. Nash desires, state briefly the standard points upon which our judgment of the merit of these Reviews is based. In the first place, as regards sound problems, the solution of the problem under review should be complete in the principal variations, and all the possible modes of play for the attack should be indicated in a way to show that the position has been analysed, and not merely solved according to the conditions. The review founded upon this analysis should be consistent with it, and be an entirely fair comment upon the composer's work, according due notice to the novelty of the idea, or the ingenious rendering of an old one, and, of course, the reverse where the problem provokes it. The construction of a problem is, we think, of less importance than the idea, when the idea is a great one, either from its novelty or its beauty; but as problems of that kind are not common, to say the least of it, the construction should be considered with reference to the necessity, or otherwise, for the number and power of the pieces employed.

In reviewing unsound problems, one solution differing from the author's, or, as it may be, an analysis showing the impossibility of the solution required by the conditions, will be sufficient; but in the case of double solutions, the author's own should be set forth by the reviewer, in order that he may earn the full marks. To sum up the foregoing, the points considered are these:-1. Thorough analysis of the position. 2. Fair comment upon the composer's work. 3. The soundness of the critic's judgment upon the construction of the problem. 4. The discovery of unsound problems, and completeness of proof that such inaccuracies exist.

For the best solutions and reviews, in accordance with the foregoing standard, of the problems published in the WESTMINSTER PAPERS from the 1st May to the 1st November next inclusive, we offer the following prizes, or in each case, other Chess Books of equivalent value. 1st prize. Any four volumes of the WESTMINSTER PAPERS. 2nd. A copy of Mr. Wormald's Chess Openings, containing a selection of the Author's problems. 3rd.-A copy of Messrs. Pierce's Collection of Problems, with the Supplement thereto. 4th.-A copy of Mr. Long's Key to the Chess Openings; and 5th.-A copy of Mr. Cook's Synopsis of the Openings.

The first edition of the last-named book is, we understand, nearly all sold, so that all who are desirous of securing a copy of an excellent and popular little treatise should apply to the publisher without delay.

THE BRITISH PROBLEM TOURNEY.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF J. BERGER of Grätz.

SINCE the appearance of my first article on this Tourney (See WESTMINSTER PAPERS Dec. 1874) the special prizes have been awarded by the judges, and the names of the lucky winners have been published. By adopting this course, the judges have shown a determination to adhere to the ninth rule of the programme, which provides that the publication of their decision shall place that decision beyond appeal; and the Tourney may consequently be regarded as at an end. Such a determination can be easily accounted for under the circumstances. The judges appear incapable of such a noble action as resigning their offices in favour of others, more competent and industrious, and have therefore resolved to meet the attacks of criticism with an appeal to the rule referred to above.

I may, however, continue my comments, even in the face of accomplished facts, and I regret to say that further consideration of this award has not induced me to mitigate the censure it has already provoked.

Generally speaking, Herr C. Schwede's well-founded judgment cannot be impugned. I should myself have awarded the first prize to the set, "Look after the Cáby," if my choice had been restricted to the eight sets which obtained prizes, but I cannot help saying that an "International" tourney is very poor wherein offences against the laws of beauty and even naturalness can be ascribed to problems deemed worthy of the first place. No. 3 of this set affects one disagreeably from the imperfections in the main variation, from a piece unnecessary at the end, and from the presence of a White Bishop to be accounted for only by the promotion of a Pawn. In No. 5 White captures the Bishop, and afterwards two Pawns, before the elegance indispensable to prize problems is developed, and finally the finest problem of the set, No. 4, strongly reminds me in the main variation of a prize theme in the Rhenish Tourney of 1863, so that even in this perfectly constructed problem there is some fault to be found.

These defects are to be regretted, because in this set there is manifested great variety of ideas, skill in construction, and much care as regards accuracy.

The famous author of the set, "Ultima Thule," undoubtedly displayed the greatest mastership in the working of the materials he selected, and the most striking feeling for beauty of any of his eight competitors. But probably being aware of the advantage of correct work on this occasion, he has come forward with things much too simple, and too generally known, leaving them without ornamental variations of any importance. Under such circumstances I do not wonder that the judges have given the preference to "Look after the Cáby," and I think, moreover, they might have placed "Why so, prithee?" before "Ultima Thule." "Why so, prithee?" in fact, contains more originalities, although beauty appears to have been less considered, and Nos. 2 and 5 of that set must be pronounced almost perfect. I am convinced, from my own experience, and from the opinions of two problem masters of standing in Austria, that No. 5 is very difficult, and I must defend No. 2 against Herr Schwede's judgment, which, in this case only, differs from my own. The reproach that the main variation, being alone interesting, the idea is out of proportion with the pieces employed, would be justified only in cases where a solution is effected by "threatening" moves. But here we have to deal with a series of quiet moves very skilfully conceived, a forced mate accomplished without any "threatening" whatever, and all involving a beautiful variety of ideas. Compositions of this kind are very uncommon, and they are at the top of the art in our days. The force of both attack and defence must necessarily be minutely calculated in such problems as these, and they are the very opposite in problem art to such unaesthetic bravura pieces as Nos. 1 and 3 of "Hoc ardua."

To ask for the employment of all the officers in the mate position of problems which execute in three moves a forced mate full of variations would really be demanding too much, but for all that I fancy the composer in this case would have gladly dispensed with the Pawns at K R 2 (White) and K R 6 (Black), and placed a White Bishop on K square if the move 1 K to R 3 had not thereby been left open to the defence. A review of this problem from the above stand-point might, I think, convince Herr Schwede, as well as other connoisseurs, that I do not oppose a tout prix, but that I am justified in seeing special qualities in this problem. No. 4 of this set calls for no observation, being similar to the others in style, but simpler, and of less elegance.

As regards the other sets, I give the preference to "Auf wiedersehen," before "The best laid schemes,' although the latter includes a two and three move problem, each very difficult, and both of great merit.

The author of "Auf wiedersehen" has well considered the laws of elegance and beauty, while these have been, in some degree, at all events, ignored by the author of "The best laid schemes." I can conclude this review when I say that the White R at QB 8 in No. 5 of "Alls well that ends well" is superfluous, because, after the moves 1 R to Q R 5, Kt takes R; 2 Kt to B7, K to Q 5; 3 Q takes B P ch, K moves; 4 Q to K 5 ch, K to B 3; White needs not the R on account of 5 Kt to Q 8 mate.

After careful reflection, and assuming for this purpose all the problems to be correct, I should place them as follows: