Chess

C H E S S WlTH NUMEROUS DIAGRAMS - PREFACE - STI ICT s L pe Y al iing, this is not a Prologue, as intimated by the heading, but an Epilogue. Entrusted with the editorship of the Chess article for tlie Book of Card and Table Gmes, the article has assumed dimensions far beyond the scope aud the space which the editor originally intended to devote to Chess. In order to make the treatise on Chess mort easily accessiblo to the Chess community and students, it was coniidered advisable to sever it frum the Book, and to publish it separatelyas it forms a complete treatise on the game-in bc olr form. The matter contained in this volume is necersarilr compressed, as it had to form part of the larger work but if liberty had been given to extend the useful information, which had bo Le frequently iarowdetl into footnotes, i a u lfdcr m a bulk7 rol tame. The elementary principles of the game have been exhnustiaely glven the most useful openings havo been selected by the author, a practical player of ex erience, for the us5 of those who wish to become practical players themselves, and also to supply Fome useful information to t5e advanced student-the aim, the1 efore, has been a juste miliev between too elementary and too advanced. Tht. dethod adopted in treating the Openings is that of a teacher givmg a lecture to the p11l il ovt t the chess-board. The pirit of the Opening is lucidly explained, a bound model game is generally selected for analysis, the positious are copic iisly illustrated by diagrams at short intervals, arid tl moves interspersed with notes, suitable to tn . understanding oi the student. The rnirmr variations, less exliaustively treated, follow with footnotes. To the recognizedOpenings a great deal of atten. tion has been devoted, whilst the Openings which have merely a historical value have only been ainted at, or entirely omitled, in order not to unnecessarily encumber the memory of the student, or to deter the would-be chess-player at the 01 tset by placing before him, in addition to indispensable matter, Openings rarely in use, and, therefore, a qzladiti nbglkgeable. Thus from the Opening games those constantly in use have been thoroughly dissected the necessary Gambits, such as the Bishops Gambit and the Kings Knights Gambit, are suitably treated whilst from the Close Openings, the French Defelzce and the Xicilian Defelzce have been singled out for thorough examination. The End game is represented by twenty-sh diagrams giving the well-known classical endinge awl all the positions which may occur in actual play. All through, where opportune, the principles oi the game are set forth a good and sound style i advocated, and with that aim in view the model games have been selected. In many instauces the author has deviated from the general rule, viz. instead of giving a game won by White or Black through an obvious mistake or weak move on either side, and then pointing out the mistake, he has at once given games without mistakes, and pointed out whdt the consequences might havs been htld White or Black, as the case may be, made a weak move. Tliis method is more logical. It woultl never occur to a drawing-master to show the pupil a drawing of a horse with three legs oniy, and then point out in note a that, as a general rule, horses have four legs. A chief merit of the present treatise is that it i free from printers errors. The proofs have been carefully readtwice with the aid of the chessboard, the author knowing from experience that, othing is more irksome to the player and dis. heartening to the student than, after lahoriously reading through two-thirds of a game. he conleu to stop throngh a printers error. ILk Ul hpV5 CONTENTS . TEE CRESS-BOARD ... ... ... ... THE MEN ... ... ... ... .....