REVIEWS.

No. XXII. Decidedly easy, the necessity for pinning the Kt and mating with B is obvious from the first. Moves one to five are almost self-evident, and the remainder soon discovered. East Marden.--This may please the solver, but is hardly calculated to puzzle him. Compared with some of the brilliants in the tourney, this is but paste. Mercutio.-Neat and pretty, notwithstanding the weakness of the first move. J. G. C.-Very elegant and intricate. The mode of leading the B round to mate is excellent. J. A. M.

No. XXIV. Extremely elegant, but the absence of waiting moves is a drawback and makes the solution easy. J. A. M.-The checks and sacrifices, unbroken by a single coup de repos, are superficially pretty, but of true strategy, there is little in this problem, which can lay claim to accuracy only as a decidedly meritorious feature. The solution is easily seen through. Mercutio.Very neat, but devoid of difficulty. J. G. C.-Neat and pleasing, but decidedly easy. White's first two moves are almost compulsory, and the mating position to be aimed at, is easily seen. East Marden.

White to play and mate in five moves. White to play and sui-mate in ten moves.

The British Chess Magazine.

JUNE, 1885.

THOUGHT SUGGESTED BY A FINE CHESS PROBLEM. SONNET.

"Tis cunningly devis'd. The key to find
Opening its secret wards were labour hard
And yet not fruitless: for to win regard,
This work were fain from e'en the master mind ;
So fair and yet so wondrously design'd

It well might foil the wisest all unmarr'd

:

Its clear-cut beauty-as a casket, starr'd

With gems whose seven-hued brilliance seems to blind,
When access once is found.

If this the way,

With man's so slight device,-to him who knows
Because he loves, how full the common day,
Its secret found, with glorious meaning glows;
And our poor lives, death-wrapt in sad decay,
Uuseal'd, eternal loveliness disclose.

J. PIERCE.

COUNTIES CHESS ASSOCIATION.

We received the Programme of this Association's forthcoming annual meeting at Hereford just too late for notice in our last issue.

The meeting will be opened by the President for this year, C. Anthony, Esq., on Monday evening, August 3rd, at the Assembly Rooms of the Green Dragon Hotel, and play in the various classes will begin immediately afterwards. Owing to the liberality of Mr. Anthony, and the great efforts which the local Committee and Mr. Skipworth have made on this occasion to mark the 20th anniversary of the Society, a new feature appears in the

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