I HAVE a friend, who ne'er forsakes, In poverty or sorrow,

Love to my wife who never makes,

And never wants to borrow.

Through chequer'd scenes and lengthened strife
His face was always shining;

His friendship claims not fork and knife,
Costs no expensive wine-ing.

How well he wears! thongh sixty-four
When first we came acquainted,
Almost as fresh as when of yore
His open face seem'd painted.
His youth departed, many a score
Now melancholy musters;
Hail to the age that scorns to bore,
Or groan at vanish'd lustres !
No trace is there of trials told,
Of aggravating losses;
Vicissitude-that in his fold
Even a Bishop crosses.

Neither a white man, nor a black,

Nor negro, nor mulatto,

Half black, half white, with color'd back,
Gay as a card of Chatto,

He stays within a noted square,
Essential for position,

Where play and parties banish care,
And puzzle the physician.

His speculations, day by day,
Depend on his deposit ;

While Stockmar wit secured-they say-
Admission to the Closet.

Not separated by decree,

Yet hapless in his matches,

His countenance-on scrutiny-
Betrays some tell-tale scratches.

No truckling in his plain address,
No bitterness offending,

He's straight and true-no more, no less-
In character unbending.

My friend has all his deeds at home,
More than five dozen houses;
And many a field wherein to roam,
Yet ne'er with draughts carouses.

No crabbed, grasping, greed for pelf,
His genial nature fetters,
Content to lie upon the shelf,

And make way for his betters.
Willing to wait, without a fuss,
On sudden friends in-looking
A composition to discuss,

And lend a hand in cooking,

His rank's retained without a slur.
The opposition thwarting,
He is a cabinet minister

For progress sound supporting.
More dull, yet softer to the eye,
Time but his virtue mellows,
Whose civil service doth supply

Fine openings for good fellows.
CHRISTMAS 1874.

Philosophy his crown has Milled,

No taking down resenting;

Though with hard lines his sphere be filled,
No heartless cut lamenting.

Stale is his taste-example Bright,
And excellency crowning
Sticking to the "remains" of White,
Blackie, and even Browning.
Appearing wooden-quite a flat-
Yet no one takes a rise, Sir;
(The searching insight lurks so pat,)
From him, he's far too wise, Sir.
Knowledge of men, of every set,
He's gained experimental;
With royalty has daily met,

With poor men and with gentle;

Knows how some fall through luckless knocks,
Some lie by sloth corroded;

How some are in a horrid box,
With insides over-loaded;

How these are apt to lose a head,
And those to miss their footing;
Which bony democrats, dyed red,
An end to kings for putting;
Who, steady students of the books,
Start forth like arm'd Minervas;
And who, too careless of their rooks,
Are wretched game preservers;
How taking off, on this world's stage,
Facilitates on getting;

And setting up-life's war to wage-
Must follow an upsetting.

My friend is down to every move,
How faithful each reflection!
O! how his upright columns prove,
The value of inspection!

He offers, masterly, a piece
Of serious information;
From silly sacrifices-cease,
Learn timely-resignation:

For contemplation fitly framed,
And amicable wrangle,

An Isaac Walton might be named,
So perfect at the angle.

One fault, alas! his fame doth wreck,
(Too common to be funny ;)
Though always ready with his check,
He's never with his money.

Strange mingling here of saint and sin!
So dull was ne'er so able;

No mortal ever was so thin,

Or pleasanter at table.

Friend! of all other friends the lord,
Most generous and great, Sir;
Shall Norfolk man reject his board,
If nothing's paid for 'mate,'* Sir?
No, my old Board! through well and ill,
Long years and various weather,
I've cherished thee-shall cherish still-
And we'll break up together.

I. O. HOWARD TAYLOR.

13 P takes P (d)

14 P to Q3

15 B takes P

16 Kt to K 5 ch

17 P takes P

18 K to K 2

19 QR to KB sq (h)

20 P to K Kt 4

21 P to Kt 5

22 B takes Kt

23 R takes B ch

24 P to Kt 6

25 Q takes Kt 26 B to Kt 7 (k)

27 P to Q 4

28 P to Q5

29 P takes P

30 Kt to K4

31 R to Q sq

32 Q takes R

33 R takes B (0)

34 K to K 3 (p)

35 Q takes Q ch (q)

36 K to B 4

37 K to Kt 5

Black. The Allies.

1 P to K 4

2 P takes P

3 P to Q 4

4 Q to R 5 ch

5 P to K Kt 4 (a)

6 Kt to K 2 (b)

7 Q to R 4

8 P to KR3

9 Q takes B

10 Q to B 3

11 K to Q sq

12 K to Q 2

13 Q to R 3 ch

14 R to R 2 (e)

15 Q to K3 (1)

16 K to Q sq
17 Q to K B3
18 B to K 3 (g)

19 Q to R sq

20 Kt to Q 2

21 Kt takes Kt

22 Q to Kt sq

23 Q takes R

24 Kt takes P

25 Q to Kt sq (i)

26 K to Q 2

27 P to B 3

28 P takes P

29 R to K sq (1)

30 B takes P (m)

31 R takes Kt ch (n) 32 K to B 3

33 Q takes R

34 K to Q 3

35 K takes Q

36 K to K3

37 K to B 2

GAMES.

Noted by J. H. ZUKERTORT.

by retiring the Bishop to B 2. The proposed move would lead to very complicated variations, which, however, all result in a clear won game for White, e.g.

31 Q to B 5 ch

30 B to B 2

31 K to Q 8q

a very sound style, and obtains now a sufficient force of Pawns on the King's side to win, even in an end game, with Bishops of different colours.

(e) This injudicious move leads to the exchange of Queens, which Black should have to deal here with one of those rare cases where Bishops of different colours are of no import

Bishop at K 5.

32 B to B 6 ch

33 B to K 5 ch

If 33 K to Kt 3, White

32 K to B 2

33 K to Q sq

forces the mate in few

moves, beginning with 34 Q to B 2 ch.

34 Q to B 6 ch

34 K to B sq

If 34 K to Q 2, or R to K 2, White mates accordingly in two or three

35 Kt to Q 6 ch

36 Kt takes B

moves.

35 K to Q 2

36 Q to Kt 7 ch

If 36 Q or R takes Kt, White mates in three moves.

Club.

And the allies resigned.

GAME 297.

8 P to Q 4

9 Kt to B 3 (c)

10 B to Kt 5 ch (d)

P, followed up by the check) was first tried, more than twenty years ago, by Dufresne against Anderssen. It was then taken up again in 1862, by Steinitz against Dubois, and Anderssen against Paulsen. In these games, however, as also in the match games between B. Suble and Anderssen (played 1864), Black continued by 5 P to QB 3, a very inferior move, which drives the adverse Bishop on a far more favourable square than Q 5, and tampers the development of the Q Kt.

(b) The only correct move at this stage is 6 B to Kt 2. The move in the text was for a long time considered the best; its incorrectness was first pointed out by a correspondent of the Neue Berliner Schachzeilung, in the beginning of 1870. -See also note (c).

(c) This sacrifice was first practically tried in this consultation game.

(d) The simplest course was 13 Kt takes R, 13 Q takes Kt, 14 P takes P, but the continuation chosen hele favours the development of White's game, whilst Black is forced to lose important time to save the exchange.

(e) If 14 R to Kt Bq, White wins at once by 15 P takes P, and 16 P to R 7.

(f) Necessary, to force the development of

the pieces on the Queen's side.

(g) If 18 Q takes B, White wins by 19 Q R to KB sq, 19 Q takes R P, 20 Q takes Q, 20 B takes Q, 21 R takes B.

(h) White has now all his pieces in action, and four Pawns for the sacrificed Bishop.

(i) If 25 B to Kt sq, White replies 26 Kt to Q 5, if 25 R to B 2, 26 P to R 7.

(k) The game is now clearly decided, by numerical superiority, in favour of White; but the exposed position of both Kings renders the final skirmish interesting.

3 P to K Kt 4

4 P to Kt 5

5 Kt to K B 3 (a)

6 P to Q4

7 B to Q 3 (b)

8 Kt to R 4

9 Q to K 2

10 P to B3

11 P takes P

12 Q to K 3 13 B takes Kt 14 Q to K 2 15 K to B sq (e) 16 B takes Kt 17 Q takes P (g) 18 Q takes B 19 K to Kt 2 (b) 20 K to Kt sq 21 Kt to Q2 (i) 22 K to Kt 2

23 Q to Kt 3

24 K to Kt sq Resigns.

(a) This defence is now-a-days often called Morphy's Defence; in fact, it is a very old one, and was recommended by Philidor.

(b) The Handbuch prefers Dr. M. Lange's move, 7 B to Kt 2.

(c) The favourite continuation of Morphy and Steinitz; Anderssen usually played here

9 Castles.

(d) The first move of a fine combination, which was invented, twelve years ago, by Steinitz, and first played by him against Deacon. (e) The Handbuch recommends 15 Q takes B, 16 Kt takes Q, 16 K takes Kt, which course is certainly better, because the move in the text, leads to a lost position.

(f) An interesting novelty; Steinitz played here 17 P takes B, 17 Q takes P ch, 18 Q to K2, 18 Q takes B, 19 B takes P.

(g) Suicidal; Black's game is, under any circumstances, very difficult, and the only move

moves, when Black resigned.

(a) I prefer here P to K 3 or Q 3.

(b) 11 R to B sq was the better move, I think. (c) 12 P takes Kt, 13 P takes P would be evidently in favour of White.

(d) White played the first part of the game in

17 B to K Kt 2.

(h) If 19 Q to K sq, White forces the mate by 20 R takes P ch, 20 K to Kt 2, 21 Q to B 6 ch, 21 K to Kt sq, 22 R takes P ch, 122 B takes R

28 B to R 6.

(i) If 21 Q to K sq, 22 R takes P ch, and 23 B to R 6.