Chess History And Reminiscences
as ever.
The interest felt in the associations of Simpson's, have in fact
continued unabated from the days of the supremacy of La
Bourdonnais, Staunton, and Morphy, to the time of Steinitz's
appearance in 1862, and, to the triumphs of Blackburne, Cap.
Mackenzie and Gunsberg in our own days, and Bird the winner of the
Tournament just held there, who has frequented the room for
forty-five years, still plays the game, with a vigour equal to that
displayed against the greatest foreign players in 1852, and with
scarcely less success. The transactions in chess connected with
Simpson's for the last quarter of a century, would fill a good size
volume, only including events of the greatest interest to chess
players. The lapse of the British Chess Association of 1862, and
the wane of the less successful B.C.A. of 1885, during a period
when chess has been making such rapid strides that clubs have
more than doubled, is a very remarkable feature in modern chess
play and its management. The seven years operations and
accounts of the present British Chess Association, though it had
the advantage of such names as Tennyson, Ruskin, Churchill and
Peel, on its presidential list, have not resulted in one half the
patronage, accorded to the Tournaments of 1851 and 1883, mainly
promoted by one single club, (the St. Georges') at times when no
Association of a public kind, ostensibly for the support,
improvement, and extension of worthy chess existed.
The eminent masters of the art of chess, registered in the list
of the British Chess Association of 1862, numbered 30, now there
are but 10, such has been the effect of the management of a game
yearly and daily increasing in favourable estimation, and the
practice of which, judging from the increase of chess clubs, press
notice and favour, sale of chess equipages of all kinds, and other
indications conclusively prove, must have increased at least
ten-fold in the present generation.
Simpson's has done most to assist in cultivating force and style
in chess, and to prevent it becoming the idle amusement which
at least one great philosopher has told us it is not, and ought not
to be, and the only three recognized new masters which have risen
up in the Metropolis during the present generation, can be
directly traced to its opportunities and influence. This same
period has witnessed the rise and fall of two chess clubs, the
Westminster formed in 1867, at Covent Garden, and the West
End in Coventry St., in 1875, both (wonderfully successful at
first), having lamentably failed through the predominating card
influence and lack of undivided fealty and devotion to their
legitimate and avowed objects, viz., the chivalrous practice and
earnest cultivation of the noble and royal game of chess. Cards
and social pleasures (so called) cliquism, with the principles of
mutual admiration so strongly in force there, have already
seriously undermined the constitution of the British Chess Club,
or the British Club as it is now more properly called, and the fate
of this third combination from its original avowed point of view
that is for chess purposes, may be considered as virtually sealed,
unless chess be at once restored to something nearer approaching
its acknowledged true position.
At Simpson's of our own countrymen, A. McDonnell in 1829,
and Howard Staunton in 1842, each first in fame of his time, and
the two greatest British chess players who ever lived mostly
practiced.
Steinitz admits that his pre-eminency in chess is greatly due to
the facilities of Simpson's, and the courtesies of his early
opponents. The luxurious couches, tables, and mirrors, (NOTE. When
Bird first visited Simpson's and was playing his first game, he
became uneasy at finding so great a mirror at his back, and was
greatly troubled at the bare possibility of his coming in contact
with it. He was however completely reassured by John, who solemnly
informed him that the glass was thicker than his head, and much
less likely to crack.) with the splendid light afforded, tempted
many visitors who played not chess, to resort there for pleasing
converse, combined with ease and comfort, and a record of the
distinguished men who have been seen in the Divan, would make an
illustrious list. H. T. Buckle (already referred to as most eminent
of amateur players) in his chess references, calls Simpson's a
favourite half holiday resort, for an occasional change and
striking relief in a game of chess, so different from his usual
meditative pursuits, and the arena and play of chess, has been so
regarded by eminent men of all grades and branches of knowledge.
Among other English chess players of the past and present generation,
that have come into front rank there, are Boden and Bird, the
most successful of the young rising players during Staunton's ten
years chess reign. No games on record seem to have occasioned more
interest than the contests between these two favourite opponents,
unfortunately neither made any practice of recording games, which
is rather a subject of regret, for they were much in request by
chess editors in England as well as in America and Germany. The
few on record owe their preservation mostly to lookers on, who took
them down. Boden and Bird were never known to play for a stake, not
even for the time honored and customary shilling. In 1852 Barnes,
and a few years later Cap. Mackenzie, the Rev. G. A. MacDonnell,
and Cecil de Vere, began to adorn the first class chess circle, in
1862 our unsurpassed Blackburne appeared to the front almost
simultaneously with Steinitz, and ten years later the amiable Dr.
Zukertort (the winner of the Paris International of 1878, and the
great London "Criterion" Tournament of 1883), came to this
country, and was destined to create nearly as much sensation in
chess circles as Paul Morphy (who appeared 14 years before him,
and 4 before Steinitz and Blackburne) had done, and it may be
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