ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. CHESS. I. O. H. T.-Thanks for letter and problem; we are always glad to hear from you. We have had your suggestion in view for some time past, and only await a fitting opportunity to carry the matter into execution. H. P. FREDERICK.-Your problem shall be examined, and reported upon next month. W. COATES.-Your letter duly to hand; thanks for the problem, and promised information. G. J. SLATER. We appreciate your kindness in sending us the problems; they are very acceptable. H. KEHDE. It would be well, as a matter of precaution, in future communications, to say, "I cannot solve it," in the place of "this problem cannot be done." However, we are very glad to include you amongst our solvers, and trust to hear from you again. D. DALY (New York).-Your problem can, unfortunately, be solved on the second move, thus: 2 B to Q B 2, 2 Aught, 3 Mates. J. N. K. (Cambridge).-Please accept our best thanks for your last communication. T. H. S. (Brompton).-If we received such inquiries, we should, of course, reply to them. It may be news to you that most of the replies referred to were given years ago, in the same terms, to other correspondents, in the columns of the Era. J. L. (Potter's Bar).-We are much obliged for the information. Of course we rely, to some extent, upon readers assisting us in such matters. J. C. ROMEYN.-We will deal with your letter, and the whole subject, next month. WHIST. THATCHED HOUSE CLUB.-I, original leader, lead a deuce of trumps. My partner wins with the Qn, and having Kg and two other trumps in his hand, does not return the trump, but opens another suit, and he alleges that this is correct play; and that in such a position, with such trumps, he would always wait for his partner to get in and lead again. Your opinion is requested on the point.--Ans. In our judgment an original lead of a trump 2 should be invariably returned, whatever trumps third hand has got. S. S.-The trump card must always be taken into consideration in a lead of trumps. You must assume that the leader does so, and take care that you are not misled by this; e.g. with Q turned to our left, if we had to lead from Kg, Kv, 10, we should lead the Kv in preference to the 10, on the chance of the second or third player having the Ace. If the second has it, he will probably put it on. If third hand has it, he will not put it on. A. O. M. (Calcutta.)—In our answer to a question in our last number, we wrote under the impression that the writer led up to an honour, instead of through an honour. This was a justification of A. O. M.'s play, and we cannot conceive any one finding fault with him for so playing, although, personally, we would not have so played. N. O. V. (New deal.)—If any card, except the last, be faced, there must be a new deal. CARD LITERATURE. (Whist Pamphlets.)-The new edition of Cavendish has not yet reached us. We believe Cavendish is engaged on a book on round games, which will appear before Christmas. The Blenheim laws of Loo have been printed for private circulation, and a set of laws on Vingt-et-un have been agreed upon by the Editors of Bell's Life and Field. An article of considerable interest on Odds appeared in the English Mechanic of Friday, the 13th ult., by Mr. Richard A. Proctor, who, we take it, is a careful student of our Papers. The writer has taken from these columns a number of curiosities, and then has shown the odds against such events happening, and the modus operandi for calculating such chances. MAJOR (Leading out of Turn-Penalty for so doing.)-The dealer leads, out of turn, Spade King. The proper leader leads Heart King and Heart Ace, calling the Spade King each time. The dealer, before the Spade King is played, gets in, and the adversaries propose to call a suit. Objection made that the penalty has been elected, and cannot be changed. Reply then, we get no penalty at all.-Ans. A similar case was submitted to us in May 1870. The following is the case, and our reply:"A leads out of turn, Z leads and calls the exposed card. He continues calling the exposed card for three tricks, when B, A's partner, gets in, Z then claims to call a suit. The exposed card has not been played, A having followed suit every time. Can Z still call a suit?-Ans. No, we think not. There is a choice of penalties. Z might call either the exposed card or a suit, when B got in. He has chosen to call the exposed card, and can continue to call, but, having called, although it did not come, he cannot change his tactics, and now call a suit." In consequence of a doubt being raised on the subject, we conferred with several leading players on the subject, and they all agree that this is the law, whilst, admitting as a rule, that it would be better that the law should be altered, so as to give a real penalty for such a serious offence. The rule has been understood as we decided for a number of years, and, in practice, it has been invariably acted upon. It would be well for players to be a little more cautious in exacting the penalty, for it appears to us that when the card is on the table the opponents mechanically call the card, when they know perfectly well that the player has one of the suit, and the call should be left to the player who can take the greatest advantage of the error. CODRINGTON PAW (Dummy).-Dummy's partner won the game by five by cards out of his own hand. When he called the game, there were two cards left in each players' hand, and 3 in Dummy's, Dummy's partner having omitted to play a card to a trick. He gained no advantage by not doing so, having 4 by honors in his hand, with other leading cards. Can Dummy's partner score the game? Ans. The question is not quite clear, but we think it means Dummy's partner leads a winning card, and he does not take a card from Dummy's hand. There is no penalty for this. The cards may be replayed; Dummy cannot revoke, because all the players can see what he is doing as well as Dummy's partner. Dummy is entitled to game if the pack was perfect. P. S. N.-At Dummy, A leads a suit. Dummy 4th player. B, Dummy's partner, and second hand, plays a card from Dummy's hand before playing from his own hand. Can he, B, second hand, be called on to win or pass the trick.-Ans. B cannot be called on to win or pass the trick. Dummy being blind and deaf, his partner is not liable to any penalty for an error whence he can gain no advantage. Your former letter never reached us, or it would have been answered, of course. P. C. C.-It is a revoke, because your partner has played again. E. D. (Gresham Club.)-If the dealer, whilst dealing, raises his hand so as to enable his adversary to see the bottom card, the adversary demand a fresh hand?-Ans. No. adversary suffers no disadvantage by seeing the trump card; on the contrary, he may gain by the information, in the event of the dealer exposing a card. 66 J. P. R. (Boston, U. S.)—(Revoke.)—A, X, B, and Z are playing Whist-- Spade led. B trumps. A, his partner, takes the cards in hand, lifts them from the table, but, before laying on the pack says, no Spades, partner?" B says, "hold on, yes." X and Z claim a revoke. A and B say, "No, the trick was not quitted." B had not led. Will you please decide.-Ans. The revoke is not complete until the trick is turned and quitted, or A or his partner has played again. (2).—Hearts led-third hand trumps, fourth over-trumps, and leads quickly. First hand of previous trick, before playing to the lead, says, to third hand, "no hearts?" andhe answers 66 "yes." The cards have not been taken from the table. Is it a revoke?-Ans. No. The previous answer explains the law. CRIBBAGE. W. G. H.-The score of B is correct. The sequence counts, no matter how many cards it consists of, or how played. The Westminster Papers. IST JANUARY 1875. THE CHESS WORLD. "The whisperings of our petty burgh.” THE most important event of the past month is the publication of Mr. Wormald's long-looked for book, the contents of which we shall fully review in our next number. These awful mysteries, the Openings, are subjects much too solemn for idle whisperings, but we may be permitted to express here our conviction that Chess players, in every clime, will give a cordial welcome to the latest work of the most accomplished of the English brotherhood. The work is published by Morgan, 67 Barbican, and, in all externals, is the handsomest Chess book we have ever seen. Yet another bonne bouche is in store for Chess players; to all lovers of genuine humour it will be welcome news that Captain Kennedy is engaged in preparing for the press a new and enlarged edition of his Waifs and Strays from the Chess Board. The mere intimation of the fact reminded us that we had not read it more than a hundred times, so forthwith, for the hundred and first, we "did laugh an hour by the dial" over the "Fasciculus of Chess wrinkles," and the pictures of the "Divan in the Strand," in that remote period when the Chess room was the pleasantest club in all London. We predict for Captain Kennedy's Waifs a speedy harbourage. The irrepressible Gossip "has the floor" again. He has written a letter to the Queen, complaining, as is his custom of an afternoon, of an unfavourable review of his book which appeared in that paper. Among other statements, he alleges that he has played two games with Mr. Wormald, and that each player scored one. Mr. Wormald "sees that and goes two better." We have his authority for stating that he never played Mr. Gossip, and that, to the best of his knowledge, he has never even seen him. Mr. Gossip has also renewed his oft-accepted challenge to Mr. Bird, this time with the proviso that the games shall be played in a room, from which certain well-known critics can be excluded. This is a notable device for evading criticism, but why not play the match on the top of Mont Blanc ? or, if that is too far away, the Monument on Fish-street-hill, or the Cross of Saint Paul's might either of them serve the purpose in view. The match between Messrs. Macdonnell and Wisker terminated some weeks since, and was won by the latter. This was not the first occasion upon which the players had met to test their strength over the chequered board; and as it may prove interesting to our readers we propose to record briefly their past achievements, and give the result of their hand-to-hand encounters. In 1862 Mr. Macdonnell first distinguished himself, by winning the fourth prize in the London International Tournament, Anderssen, Paulsen, Owen, Dubois, and Steinitz being the other successful competitors, in the order here assigned to their names. In 1868 he was beaten in the Challenge Cup Tourney, by Mr. Wisker, but made a much higher total score than that gentleman. In the same year he won the first prize in the Glowworm Tourney, defeating all his opponents; at the same time he also won the Mongredien prize, for which Mr. Wisker and many of the best English players contended. In 1870 Mr. Wisker won the Challenge Cup; on that occasion Mr. Macdonnell did not play. In 1872 Mr. Wisker again won the Challenge Cup, and thereby became the possessor of it. This was his greatest triumph, as his victories were then obtained over Messrs. De Vere, Blackburne, Macdonnell, and other excellent players. That same year he lost his game with Mr. Macdonnell in the Grand Tourney. In 1873 Mr. Wisker challenged Mr. Macdonnell to play him a match at the Clifton meeting. They played four games; Mr. Wisker drew one, and lost three. The last game in that match is, in our opinion, the best ever played by Mr. Macdonnell, and incomparably superior to any of his late performances. Two months ago Mr. Wisker again challenged his "conqueror," and avenged his previous defeat by scoring seven to his opponent's four games, four being drawn. How Mr. Macdonnell managed to throw away won game after won game must seem almost miraculous to those who do not know that even the steadiest players are often injuriously affected by circumstances external to the game. Immediately after his late defeat Mr. Macdonnell challenged Mr. Wisker to a fresh match. That challenge Mr. Wisker personally accepted, and some of the conditions were arranged. After this, without any further communication with the challenger, Mr. Wisker announced in the Daily News that he was not about to play any (sic) match with Mr. Macdonnell. But as the score in their past matches at present stands even, giving nine games to each, we trust these players will soon commence another fight, and so decide the unsettled question of superiority. The sin of another prize winner of the B. C. A. problem tourney has found him out. One of the problems in the set, Why so, prithee? has been identified with a position published under Mr. Pavitt's name in the Illustrated London News on the 26th December 1868. The latter is a three move problem, and the only disguise attempted by the author of Why so, prithee? is to add a few Pawns and a move to the original, converting the conditions into a mate in four. Of course, now it is known that the author is the same in both these cases the offence is not so rank as it appeared at first. Nevertheless, we think that in a competition of this importance a composer if he is obliged to have recourse to his old "ideas" for new problems should show us some improvement in his method of working them out. The Committee of the British Chess Association have made their final award, and it is now decided that one of the problems contained in the set, Look after the Cáby, is the best "four mover" contributed to the problem tourney. Whatever faults may be found with the judgment, either in detail or as a whole, we believe the Chess world at large will be gratified that the affair has become a thing of the past. With neglect in the beginning, succeeded by an interregnum of mismanagement, there should be little wonder that the hurried finale is something like a muddle. But it would be very unfair to visit upon the gentlemen who have made the award the consequences of a responsibility rather forced upon than assumed by them. They are in the position of the survivors of a crew taken from a wreck in mid ocean. The ship was ill-found; possibly over laden, and the "man at the wheel" too strongly inclined to steer according to his own lights, instead of those provided by the owners. The result is known, and needs no further comment; but let us do justice to the acting committee, by acquitting them of blame. If they have failed to save the ship, they should not be held answerable for a disaster that was foretold in the action of the men who, seeing the true state of things, refused to sail in her out of harbour. The following is a complete list of the prize winners: IST PRIZE, £25.-Motto, "Look after the Cáby "-Lieutenant S. A. Sorensen, Copenhagen. 2ND PRIZE, 15.-Motto, "Ultima Thule"-Doctor Conrad Bayer, Olmütz. 3RD PRIZE, 10.-Motto, "Hoc ardua vincere docet "-J. H. Finlinson, Huddersfield. 4TH PRIZE, £5.-Motto, "Why so, prithee?"-W. S. Pavitt, 5TH PRIZE, £4.-Motto, "The best laid schemes of mice and 7TH PRIZE, £2.--Motto, "Auf wiedersehen "-C. Nadebaum, 8TH PRIZE, £2.-Motto, "Ludimus effigiem belli "-Captain Luigi Rossata, Milan, Italy. 9TH PRIZE, 1.-Motto, "Work for money, but think for honour"-H. Frei Schmidt, Honolulu, Hawaia. SPECIAL PRIZES. For the best four-move problem, £7.-Motto, "Look after the Cáby "-Lieutenant S. A. Sorensen, Copenhagen. For the best three-move problem, £5.-Motto, "Where's the master? Play the men "-F. Healey, London. For the best two-move problem, £3.-Motto, Imagine"J. Kling, London. 66 In the Problem Tourney of the Westminster Chess Club six sets have been thus far found to contain inaccurate problems. In this number, Problems Nos. 566 to 574, being considered correct, are selected from these sets, and, next month, we shall publish, although not in diagrams, one incorrect problem from each set, with, in each case, the examiner's analysis thereof. We adopt this course solely from a desire to inform the competitors of the reasons for their contributions being disqualified, and to give our Problem critics an opportunity of verifying the examiner's judgment. BLACK. There are few men who were so well known in the Chess world as Caleb Wright, who for the last 35 years managed the Divan. For true courtesy-for a sincere desire to please his customers he had no equal. He died on Tuesday, the 15th ult., to the great regret of all who knew what a kindly unselfish man he was. Probably few Chess players who observed in the obituary of the Times a few days ago an announcement of the death of Mr. William Bone recognised the name of a composer of Chess and draught problems. Yet, during the decade of years following 1837, Mr. Bone was a constant contributor to the Chess periodicals, and it may be said of his compositions that they at least take rank with those of any composer of his time. The majority of his Chess problems are "conditional," to mate with particular pieces, or on particular squares. In these he displayed a genius fully as subtle, although hardly so comprehensive, as his more famous contemporary, Bolton. But, in ordinary mates, he rarely soared beyond the construction of positions, which, from the overwhelming force allotted to Black, appear intended to serve no higher purpose than that of illustrating the advantage of "the move." In end games he was occasionally very happy, and, in memoriam, we reproduce a fair sample of his style in that branch of the art. Mr. Bone died in London on the 15th ult., in the 64th year of his age. WHITE. Mr. Brown's 50 move self mate, dedicated to Miron, and published in our last number, has received a terrible cropper from Messrs. Nash and Andrews. Some of our American contemporaries have discovered that mate can be effected in a less number of moves than Miron counts years, but our correspondents have bowled it over in 12! Mr. J. C. West sends a solution in the exact number of moves accorded by the author, a very meritorious performance indeed, and deserving our prize if we had designed it as a reward for industry only. But it was not so. The prize was offered for the best solution, and in Chess problems the best is always the briefest. Between the solutions furnished by Messrs. Nash and Andrews there is nothing to choose, but as that of Mr. Nash was the first received, he wins by a point, and we therefore award him the prize. The following is the solution, in which, as Black's moves are all forced, only White's are given: IQ to Q 3, 2 R to K 2, 3 R takes K P, 4 Q to Q 2, 5 Q to B sq, 6 Q to Kt 2, 7 Q to R sq, 8 R to B 5, 9 Q to Q B 3, 10 R to K 5, 11 Q to K 3, 12 Q to Kt 3, and Black must take Q with P, mating. The preliminaries of a match between Messrs. Zukertort and Wisker are under discussion, and it is probable that the tilt will come off soon after the holidays. The style of the players being essentially different, we may anticipate a highly interesting series of games from this encounter. A new Chess club has been established at 314 Euston-road, and Mr. Frank Healey installed as first President. The annual gathering of Chess players at the house of Mr. Gastineau, the late President, and one of the most esteemed members of the City of London Club, was held on Saturday, the 19th ult. We do not know how the inclemency of the weather affected other people, but we own to having succumbed to its terrors on that afternoon, and not even the anticipations of a hearty welcome and prodigal cheer could inspire us with courage to brave the pitiless storm of snow that reigned over London. We therefore contented ourselves with a few objurgatives directed against our luck, and a hope that there were plenty of bolder spirits than ourselves to form a merry crowd at Peckham. We have since been informed that our hope was most amply realized, and that henceforth Peckham, not Woolwich, must be considered the place to spend a happy day. We learn, from Sissa, that a Problem Tourney is set on foot by the Dutch Chess Association. The competitors to send in 3 problems, not less than 3, nor more than 5 moves; 3 prizes, 1st 40 florins, 2nd 20 florins, 3rd 12 florins. A special prize of 50 florins to the best problem of the winning set. The Problems to be sent in before 1st April 1875, to the secretary, B. Van Der Haak, Kuenteidijk, 4 te's Gravenhage. Sissa continues the publication of the games played by Mr. Blackburne during his visit to Holland last summer. The games are very elaborately annotated, and the other contents of the number are up to the usual standard. La Stratégie for December contains the usual number of well-selected games and fine problems. Among the items of news, we observe a notice of the death, at the ripe age of 81, of M. Carlini, an old opponent of Labourdonnais at the odds of the Knight. The editor informs us that the deceased veteran always possessed that "rare quality among Chess players, the power of bearing victory or defeat with equal good humour." The good old times, when a defeated Chess player knocked his adversary over the pate with the board are, of course, long passed, but even a display of temper over the game is only to be seen in England, at all events, among the people who know very little about it. Now-a-days no bones are broken, no blood is shed; the quarrelling for the most part runs to ink. The most important article in the Deutsche Schachzeitung is the review of Von der Linde's "History and Bibliography of Chess," and next in interest is Schwede's critical Review of Herren Kohtz and Kockelkorn's collection of Chess problems. We hope to review both these valuable contributions to Chess literature next month. The Deutsche also notices the publication of a Chess Catechism! "Milk for babes, dear boys; milk for babes." The Austrian Schachzeitung, besides the usual number of games from the Vienna Congress, contains some excellent problems by Willmers and Berger, and the annual report upon the finances of the Vienna Chess Club. From that interesting document all who read may learn what a fine thing it is for a club to have a Rothschild President. A contribution of 850 florins from Baron Albert converts an ugly looking deficit into a flourishing and handsome surplus. We welcome the Wiener Salonblatt once again among our exchanges. Ably edited by Dr. Gold, the problems in this paper are uniformly excellent. Our American exchanges, the Turf, Field and Farm, Clipper, Hartford Times, Philadelphia Record, Watertown Reunion, Middletown Sentinel, Bridgeport Farmer and Danbury News are, as usual, fresh and interesting alike in games, problems and gossip. The Detroit Evening News is a new candidate for Chess bays, and promises to well deserve the honour. The Dubuque Journal for December contains an agreeable melange of extracts from old books and contemporaries, and a very large quantity of original games and problems. The Maryland Review completed the first volume last month. We congratulate Mr. Hanshew upon the success which has attended his efforts to establish a good Chess organ in the South. The current number contains a contribution from Mr. Belden, of the Hartford Times, dedicated to the Chess players of Venus. The history of this and of a companion problem, which appears in the Hartford Times, has yet to be told, and we now propose to tell it, ben trovato. During her recent trip across the Sun, Venus, in one of her several capacities, goddess of beauty, mother of love, or queen of laughter, or all three combined, dropped in at Hartford, and putting up, as all eminent persons do, at Allyn House, strolled round to Main Street, for a chat with Belden. The goddess was in right merry mood, and enjoying her holiday with a zest, intensified by the circumstance that of late Olympus has been anything but a pleasant abiding place. Jupiter, emulous of Lord Hertford and Mr. Figott, has been very "troublesome" on the subject of skirts and bodices. Juno and Pallas have been "quite spiteful," Mercury has turned out a "prig," Mars a "bear," and Vulcan has been boring every one, beseeching the privilege of a private cloud for a proposed Chess match. So, said the sprightly goddess, I concluded to sling around in this direction, for a "bit of fun." Then ensued shrieks of laughter, which, heard distinctly at 294 Bowery, roused the pensive Mackenzie into sympathetic chuckles. The sound, gathering volume as it sped, rolled on to the Larches, in New Hampshire, awakening Miron junior, and, echoing at Dubuque, scared four and twenty harmless, necessary springers into untimeous labour and distress. There and then this lively pair concocted two problems, one in the shape of a V, to be dedicated to Venus herself, the other, representing a star, to the possible Chess players inhabiting the planet that bears her name. Although our informant insists upon it, we doubt if the goddess had much concern with the latter problem. There is an earthy flavour about it, and, like Man, it is fearfully and wonderfully made, but in the former can be discovered all the graces of the one composer combined with the fire and subtlety of the other. We give both these problems, assuring the reader that we place no trust in our informant, a New York reporter, whose story is, that happening to be under a cloud on the 8th of December, he caught Venus on her way into it, and interviewed her on the spot. We infinitely prefer to believe the author's own account, but for that, and many other matters of pith and moment, as well as mirth-moving, we refer our readers to the Hartford Times and the Maryland Review. Both papers bear witness to the fact that a little pleasant ideality is not inconsistent with a sincere desire to promote the cultivation of the game in its sterner aspects, and that an admixture of jest and earnest may be more effective in its teachings than the most rotund utterances of the most solemn prig. We observe that most of our American contemporaries have taken up the proposal of the City of London Magazine for a correspondence match between Mrs. J. W. Gilbert of Hartford, Connecticut, and Miss Rudge of Leominster. The Hartford Times apparently considers that there is no disinclination on Mrs. Gilbert's part to engage in the match, and matters having gone so far we shall hope that no difficulty will arise in England. We think, however, that the inferior atoms of creation on both sides of the water should be called upon to provide a trophy for the victrix in the contest. We do not hear much note of preparation for the Centennial Congress of 1876, but possibly the absence of "cry" denotes a plenteousness of wool. While upon this subject, we venture to express a hope that the Committee will not omit to include an International Problem Tourney in the scheme of the Congress. With such learned and accomplished critics as Gilberg, Carpenter, Hazeltine, and Cook for judges there need be no misgiving that the result of an American competition will be beneficial to the art and satisfactory to the entire Chess world. The New York Congress of 1857 brought prominently before the world a Morphy in one branch of the game, and a Loyd in the other. The fame of both, and the consequent renown of American Chess, now extends from shore to shore, from world to world. We trust the Philadelphia Committee will give History an opportunity to repeat itself in 1876, an opportunity for which, if there is any truth in tradition, the genius of history is ever on the watch. In our day it is a commonplace proceeding to put a girdle round about the earth in less than forty minutes, and, therefore, a step from the States to the Antipodes should not shock the mind of the slowest thinker. In the Australian Colonies the game has advocates and exponents lacking neither in ability nor enthusiasm, and their several "organs," as a distinguished foreigner of our acquaintance designates the Chesscolumns, furnish ample evidence of its flourishing condition. |