Chess History And Reminiscences
professional players, will not feel highly complimented to hear,
for the first time, that their excellence arises from twenty years
hard labour; and that inferentially their capacity, otherwise, is
but common. Memory, a quality not mentioned by the Reviewer or
by Mr. Buckle, must be essential in the playing of chess for hours
without sight of board or men; it must be also advantageous in
the ordinary game, when many variations have to be worked out;
or the earlier combinations might be forgotten when the latter
are maturing.
Steinitz is now residing in New York, (this fact might well
have been stated) and the attacks upon him in his absence,
moreover, can hardly interest or gratify chess readers. These
attacks are in the worst possible taste; being calculated to lead
to controversy with his friends and supporters, who are still
numerous, both here and abroad. They will arouse a well merited
and just sense of indignation for despite his faults of temper and
a disposition, at times, prone to be touchy and contentious, Steinitz
is a true artist, a painstaking, careful, conscientious, and
impartial annotator, whilst as a describer of play he is unrivalled.
Willing, at all times, to render full justice to the skill, style,
and play of others, he has been frequently heard to observe that the
"difference in force between the six leading chess-players
is so slight, that the result of a contest between two of them would
be always uncertain."
As a chess-player he is far from lacking modesty. No "head
and shoulders" comparison or claim of superiority has ever been
made by Steinitz. He is exceedingly courteous to young aspirants,
and fairly communicative to all; he is, when vexed, as likely, (or
more so), to offend his best friends as strangers. With all his
shortcomings, however, it is doubtful whether any real admirer of
chess from its highest aspect will feel aught but regret at the
remarks applied to him; the space devoted to these attacks
(exceeding that allotted to all the English players) might well have
been devoted to chess in its social aspect, to its advantages and
prospects, or to some more agreeable phase of it than extreme
personality. Even another page or two of chess-players' jokes
and eccentricities would have been less objectionable.
The personalities and lack of impartiality in the article cannot
but be regarded as a very serious drawback; it is not written in a
tone which is likely to benefit chess or advance its cause; and it is
to be feared, that it will afford but little instruction or lasting
interest and pleasure to its readers.
NATIONAL CHESS.
CHESS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
BELFAST, (THE MOST RECENT MEETING).
As the events of the day or of the hour generally command
the most immediate interest in chess (as in many more important
things), we may commence notice of National Chess with the
memorable event which has most recently engaged public chess
attention, viz., the North of Ireland Chess Congress just
concluded in the City of Belfast. The history of First Class
Modern Chess Competition upon an emulatory scale in our country
may be almost said to begin with Ireland. We know that a little
band of chess enthusiasts assembled regularly in Dublin so early
as 1819, and that the knowledge of it had a material influence on
the advance of chess practice at the time, and so far as we can
gather the letter from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1850, was the
suggestion which first led to discussions which resulted in the
World's International Chess Tournament, (the first on record)
held in London in the succeeding year. There is little doubt
moreover among old chess players, and probably will be with
observant young ones either, that from the appearance of the
courteous and chivalrous A. McDonnell, of Belfast, in 1828,
may be dated the origin of genuine first class chess rivalry. It
was McDonnell's skill, courage, perseverance and gallant stand
against the famous Louis de La Bourdonnais, of France, in 1834,
and his successes against all the other competitors he met with,
and the encouragement that his example inspired, which first
established British claims to ability in chess, and an equal
reputation with the best of other countries in the exposition
of the game.
>From Greco's debut in Paris in 1626 to Philidor's first
appearance at London in 1746, (about 120 years) forms the first
of three previous epochs of chess progress; Philidor's own
distinguished career to 1795, a second, and the next quarter of a
century, to the first great correspondence match between Edinburgh
and London, when books on the game, literature, and the formation of
chess clubs first became conspicuous, marks the third epoch, from
Queen Elizabeth's time when probably chess first became the subject
of any considerable notice, or indication of approach to more
general practice and appreciation.
NOTE. The extent to which the 1851 and 1883 Tournaments were
aided by Indian feeling and support is another great and pleasing
feature. The names of Cochrane and Minchin stand foremost in
memory among the inceptors.
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The wonderful Evans Gambit attack which has ever in its
manifold branches continued so intensely popular, had been
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