Chess History And Reminiscences
contradict the assumption that it is impossible to do two things at
once. Some say they cannot play chess before dinner, others
not after dinner. Too much dinner is considered a fair excuse
for losing at chess, but no dinner at all is not a valid plea.
According to the Rev. A. B. Skipworth, who should be an
authority on the subject, professional chess players are not
supposed to dine at all, but our great friend, the genial Mars,
dissents from this view. Staunton, Boden, Steinitz, Mars and
Skipworth himself are essentially diners, and Bird has been
accused of a tendency that way.
The professionals so called are very few, compared with former
years, yet they find the beef for many a Chess Editor, who barely
supplies the salt.
It is not a desirable thing in England like it was in India,
Arabia and Sweden to have the reputation of being great in
chess, nor is it supposed now, as it was in the Arabian manuscript,
the Treasure of the Sciences, and Olaus Magnus' work to imply
any particular proof of wisdom and discretion or evidence of fitness
for other things and one is not likely to secure a patron, or a
post, much less a wife by it. An example of how professional chess
players are regarded and can be treated now-a-days is afforded
by the gradual extinction of the class, and absence of the only
two young masters from their native country. The British
Chess Magazine managers are not ignorant of the significance of
the course which they have and are still taking against chess
masters. The Rev. W. Wayte and the Rev. J. Owen, both of whom
have known for forty years, were captains of the respective
teams in a proposed monster match North v. South which took place
at the Great Western Hotel, Birmingham, on the 28th of January
last, the inception of which shows how enthusiasm and ability
can be treated by those who assume the management and control
of these contests. At the very outset before any disposition or
inclination of any kind in the matter was evinced by the masters
the self-appointed inceptors took upon themselves the very
superfluous and invidious task of barring all professionals, and the
Chairman who seems to have joined it recently, is the same
chess patron who would not support my proposal for the Jubilee
Tournament of 1887 (successfully carried out with the aid of the
Times) on the ground "that it was not within the province of
any player, however eminent and enthusiastic to usurp the
functions of the executive appointed for the purpose (whether
paid executive chose to take action or not). May we ask are the
parties who agitated this monster tournament, those who were
specially appointed for any such purpose. Who first thought of
the happy idea of covering amateurs' expenses, and of excluding
just those players likely to furnish the best and most instructive
and amusing games, such in fact as the public most like to see.
Does this abundance of contests answer one good end, does it
even divert attention from the fact that it is absorbing the funds,
if not strictly taking the place of the 1892 International Chess
Tournament which we are under engagement to our own public
and still more to foreign chess players to provide in return for
Breslau, Amsterdam and Dresden hospitality and meetings.
To return to dinners, next to them, headaches, stomach aches,
and indigestion often explain the loss of a game, whilst an acute
attack of gout is considered rather advantageous than otherwise.
------
LOOKERS ON
I know players who have looked on at chess for years that
have never been seen to engage in a game. Occasionally the
occupiers of the earliest seats carry cigar cases, but more
frequently they do not. Some talk over the game obtrusively
which is not always convenient.
Such a one noticing that no money ever passed when Boden
and Bird played, patronizingly said to the former, "Mr. Boden, I
am so glad to find you do not care for 'filthy lucre.'" B. replied,
"It is not to the `filthy lucre' I object, but to the `filthy
looker on.'"
It is bad form for spectators to remove the pieces from the
board without the consent of the players, even if it be done for
the purpose of demonstrating more forcibly what move should be
made.
One who never remained a spectator more than five minutes,
observed, all he desired was to get a birds-eye view of Bird's
position.
------
EXCUSES
Boden and Bird were favourite opponents for 25 years and
though very opposite in styles were, in the long run, singularly
even in their series. It was the practice of both to resign
at the proper moment. Bird, once it was thought, gave up too
early. "Oh, it is hopeless," said he. "I have my misgivings,
I cannot contend against such forebodings, one Boden is too much,
for me."
One player, who rarely scored a game, was likened to a very
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