Chess History And Reminiscences
"It is called Fill, and sometimes Fitchell, to distinguish it
from Fall, another game on the Tables, which are called
Taibhle Fill.
"The origin of Fill in Ireland eludes the grasp of history."
The Chess King preserved by Dr. Petrie, L.L.D., bears no small
resemblance to those found in the Isle of Lewis, now in the
British Museum, and which have been graphically reported upon
by Sir F. Madden.
John O'Donovan, Esq., author of our best Irish Grammar, in
"Leabhar na'q Ceart, or the Book of Rights," 1847, from MS.
of 1390 to 1418, frequently refers to the game, and the
legacies of Cathaeir Mor, who reigned 118 to 148, contain,
among other remarkable bequests, thirteen of chess-boards.
Once a set of chess-men is specified--and, again, a chess-board
and white chess-men. The bequests of the said Cathaeir Mor are
also cited by O'Flaherty, who mentions to have seen the
testament in writing, and in Patrick O'Kelly's work, Dublin,
1844, "The History of Ireland, Ancient and Modern," taken from
the most authentic records, and dedicated to the Irish Brigade,
translated from the French of Abbe McGeoghegan (a work of
rather more than a century ago).
Col. Vallancey, in his "Collectanea de Reb. Hib.," seems to
insinuate that the Irish derived it with other arts from the
East. "Phil," says he, "is the Arabic name of chess, from Phil,
the Elephant, one of the principle figures on the table."
In the old Breton Laws we find that one tax levied by the
Monarch of Ireland in every province was to be paid in
chess-boards and complete sets of men, and that every Burgh (or
Inn-holder of the States) was obliged to furnish travellers with
salt provisions, lodging, and a chess-board, gratis. (NOTE. That
must have been very long ago.) In a description of Tamar or Tara
Hall, formerly the residence of the Monarch of Ireland--it stood
on a beautiful hill in the county of Meath during the Pagan
ages--lately discovered in the Seabright Collection,
Fidche-allaigh, or chess-players, appear amongst the officers
of the household.
"Langst ver der Erfindung," says Linde; and again, "Wenn die
ganze geschicte von Irland ein solches Lug-gund Truggewebe
ist, wie das Fidcill Gefasel ist sie wirklich Keltisch."
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THE GERMAN CHESS THEORISTS
Dr. A. Van der Linde's great work (Berlin, 1874), following
Weber, Berlin, 1872, Der Lasa and others, containing 1,118
pages, 540 diagrams, 4,098 names, and 2,500 catalogue items.
In Linde's book, no less than 500 of the 540 diagrams are on the
eight times eight square board, with the 32 pieces used in Modern
Chess (i.e., examples of the game with positions or problems
thereat as we understand it).
It is also curious as affecting Linde's consistency, that Al
Suli and Adali, whose problems he gives at chess as we now play
it, were dead before the time he assigns for the first knowledge
of the same. His own pet authority, Masudi, 890-959, gives the
story of Al Suli's chess, to which nothing could be compared
without declaring it to be any other game (pages 58 and 59).
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ITALY
Opposite Italienisch Linde has 1,348 to 1,358, but the story of
the rebuke of the Bishop of Florence by Cardinal Damianus, for
playing chess in a tavern when he should have been at prayers,
given by Forbes and repeated by Linde, is of earlier date
(1061), Buzecca's blindfold play at chess on the invitation of
Dante's patron, the Master of Ravenna, before a distinguished
company, is attributed to the year 1266.
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KRIEGSSPIEL
To Sanskrit Tschaturanza (column 1) under the head of
"Kriegsspiel," A.D. 954, is affixed to Arabisch (column 10),
the same year 954 appears. (NOTE. To this date of 954 I cannot
help adding for once a query mark like those in which Linde's
book abounds (!!).
To Persich (column 7) 1000 (!) Fransofitch 12 Jht, English 13
Jht, Spanisch 1283, Italien 1348-1358.
To Tschinesich, Japanisch, Siamesich, Birmesich, and Tibetisch,
under Aeltestes Datum Columns, 2 to 6 Unbekannt appears as
well as to Tschaturanga column 1, notwithstanding the date of
954 in another place. An the above are under the one head of
"Kriegsspiel."
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SCHACHSPIEL
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