Chess History And Reminiscences
precisely those I mentioned, viz., No. 18188 and No. 7724
preserved in the British Museum. At the same time I briefly
consulted some nine or ten other M.S.S. of the Shahnama in the
British Museum as well as Macan's printed edition, yea more, I
consulted the so called copy of great antiquity alluded to by
Alpha before it came to the Museum. Well, in all of these, with,
I believe, only one exception, the account of the moves does
occur exactly (!) as I have given them, always excepting or
rather excluding a couplet about two camels (die namliche nicht
in die Bude des Tachenspielers passten es weiter unten) Und nun
geht es echt fesuitisch weiter, Alpha denies the existence (!)
(A hat in Gegentheil Hyde I, p. 63 Citirt) of the account of
the moves in every copy of the Shahnama. I, on the other hand
pledge my truth and honour (!!) Linde), that the account of the
moves does occur in every one of the manuscripts as well as in
Macan's printed edition (Vgl. App. p. x. lin. 6 unt.). The
misconception on the part of Alpha arose from a very simple (:)
circumstance. In Firdausi's account of the game the story
happens to be interrupted (:) in the middle of the insertion of
two other long stories, as we often see in the Arabian nights.
"In matters of this sort it is only the truth that offends.
"(Man vergleiche hierzu noch seine Schnapserklurung der
Weisheit des Buzurdschmir, p. 54.)"
Forbes also adds p. 56. And I am quite ready to point out the
passage in all of them to any gentleman and scholar who may have
the least doubt on the matter.
Historians of the 7th, 8th and 9th centuries who lived before
Masudi, deemed the game worthy of notice and recommendation,
Razi and Firdausi thought so too, and Hippocrates and Galen
before them refer very favourably to its advantages, describing
it as beneficial in many ailments, and we may reasonably assume
that they at least, as well as the poets and philosophers before
them, back to the fifth century B.C. deemed the game passing in
their minds, and the invention of which they were wont to
speculate on, as one of some interest, beauty and significance
and worthy of appreciation then as it has been in succeeding
ages.
Once more, no example is given of his Kriegsspiel, Nerdspiel,
Wulfervierschach, Trictrac, or any Spiel or game implied under
the word Bretspiel, the last named being moreover a general
term for games played on a chess board, rather than a
distinctive appellation for a particular species of game or
indication of the pieces or value of forces employed in it.
------
NERDSPEIL
Masudi, born at Bagdad 870, died at Cairo in 959, is Linde's
great authority. Linde quotes or deduces from him the
following:
"Die alten Hindus wohlten einen Konig uber sich Burahman
Dieser regierte, bis er starb, 366 (sic) Jahre, Seine Nackkommen,
heisen Brahminen Sein Sohn et Bahbud unter dessen Regierung
das Nerdspiel (Gildermeister ubersetzt duodecim scriptorum ludus)
ein bloss auf Zufall und nicht auf Scharfsinn beruhendes
Gluckspiel erfinden wurde regierte loo Jahre, Andere sagen, dass
Azdeshir ibn Balek das Nerdspiel erfund."
Again "Ardashirer Ibn Balek, der Stammvater der letzten
persischen Dynastie, erfund das Nerdspiel, das daher nerdashir,
(also nerd Ardashirer) genanut wurde."
The copious Index of Linde's work of 4,098 items, also refers
Nerdspiel to page 6, but the word does not appear there and the
above is all he tells us about his Nerdspiel.
Among the 540 diagrams contained in his work of 1,118 pages,
as already observed, there is no representation of Nerdspiel.
The writer hopes to submit an analysis of these diagrams, and
of the contents and conclusions of Linde's work in a supplemental
pamphlet of 64 pages, price one shilling, in order to notice the
manifold inconsistencies contained in it, as well as the wholesale
aspersions upon the English historians.
Linde's Book. It includes notice of Hoyle's games, Complete
Gamesters, Magazines and trifling publications, down to A.B.C.
for a Lady and whatever we may think of the connexion of events
and lucidity of his arguments, it may be pronounced an
extraordinary monument and memorial of industry.
------
CHESS IN ITALY
Forbes thinks it probable that chess was known in Italy before
or during the ninth century, and suggests that it was probably
received there from the Saracens rather than the Greeks. The
story of Peter Damianus the Cardinal, (Ravenna) who lived 1007
to 1072, and his reproof of the Bishop for playing chess, is
given by both of the writers, Forbes and Linde.
NOTE. Swiss in vol. 11, page 77, on the authority of Verci, says
© 101ChessTips.com. All Rights Reserved.
