Chess History And Reminiscences
professional. It is a kind of voucher to mark the score.
Professor Ruskin and others who have referred to this question,
saw no objection to the time-honoured stake, and it has been the
rule at the greatest clubs, for, by fixing a custom, it was hoped
to keep the stakes within prescribed limit. It must be admitted
that the difference between one shilling and 25 pounds, 50 pounds
or 100 pounds on a game is far too large.
Since the growth of the foreign demands for stakes, not thought
of in the days of Philidor, La Bourdonnais, McDonnell, Staunton
and Morphy, squaring between players, has been asserted, viz.--
in 1878, 1885, and 1887, besides which it has always seemed to
me that as the stakes go up the play goes down, and it certainly
would be difficult to name a match in which so few interesting
games took place as that between Steinitz and Zukertort for 400
pounds a side, played in the United States at New York, St. Louis
and New Orleans in 1886.
A sedate and rather severe looking stranger challenged Bird to
a game of chess once, just when Bird had finished a long sitting
with a strong player, and was in rather a lively mood. "A stake,
I suppose," said Bird. "No, I don't like stakes," said the stranger.
"Then suppose we say a chop, or even a basin of soup, fried sole,
or box of cigars." The stranger looked awful for a moment but
dismayed by the good temper of his vis a vis, suddenly relaxed
and conformed to the usual rule, and as the love tales conclude
was happy ever afterwards.
It is best to understand that the stake on each game is a
shilling, not to say simply we play for a shilling. Once, after an
eight hours sitting, a countryman after losing twenty games
blandly handed Mr. F. one shilling for the sitting, and could not
be induced to part with more.
Stakes at chess must not be confounded with the favourite
"Comestible." Missing Word calls it by that name. Meat is
sometimes pronounced by some we know almost like mate. An
Irishman addressing the cook instead of the mate once on board
of a vessel, said, " Are you the mate?" and was met with the
reply, "No, I am the man what cooks the mate." It was
remarked after a game that many checks were given without any
mate being obtained.
Another says, "The Queen in chess does all the work, yet the
King gets all the checks."
Mr. C. B., the well-known enthusiast, but not always successful
chess player dining with a friend at Simpson's one day, the latter
recurred to the changes which had taken place there and
expressed regret that the Grand chess Divan had been
transformed into a dining room. "Faix," said Mr. C. B. as he took
up a toothpick," It's the first time in my life that I ever felt
disposed to say grace after mate in this room."
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SLOW PLAY
Some players are very slow, hence one was called the
"Telegraph" and others by appropriate names of which I
recollect best "West Australian" and the "Flying Dutchman."
About forty years ago there were eight young and rising players
nearly approaching first class, they were S. S. Boden, the Rev.
W. Audrey, Captain Cunningham, G. W. Medley, J. Medley,
C. T. Smith, A. Simons and H. E. Bird. Three of these,
remarkable for ingenuity and sudden surprises had familiar
appellations. One was termed "The Snake," another that
"Old Serpent," I was "The enemy of the human race." A well known
looker on who used to lean over the board and talk a great deal
was called "The Coroner" because it was said he not only held
an inquest on the board, but also sat upon the body.
One wrote--
"I saw them sitting at a board
Like statues at a show,
And I myself was also bored
To find them move too slow."
Paulsen once after an hour's reflection moved his King one
square only, a lady observed "that it seemed a great time for
such a little move."
Three consultation games were played at one of the County
meetings which lasted together 48 hours, two were drawn and one
adjourned.
Some games in matches between Staunton and Williams, and
Paulsen and Kolisch about forty years ago were unduly protracted.
Against Medley the last named (Kolisch) took two hours for three
moves and this had much to do with the initiation of the time limit
with the encumbrances of sand glasses and clocks which the
majority of players still approve of.
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DINNER AND CHESS
At Purssell's, people used to eat chops, smoke cigars or pipes,
play chess, and talk cricket all at the same time, which seems to
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