The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-12-06
The Game OF Chess.

following historical sketch from the Cincin-
natl Times, interesting to the reader.
The game is very ancient one, and it is
now quite uncertain from whence it was
primitively derived The most favorable
opinion is, that it was the gradual growth
of centuries that it began in some very
simple moves. of few leading pieces, and
was brought to its present state of perfec-
ton by successive additions and improve
ments !; the handiwork, or the head work,
rather of the many cunning players through
whose hands it passed in the course of sew
eral hundred years. Certain it is that the
game is known to all but the really barbar-
GUS nations of the globe and even some OF
these are in possession of analogous games,
whose moves indicate relation to those pc
| culiar to chess Commodore Perry found
the japanese playing a game very much re-
oe1nbling it, and evidently derived from the
same beginning.
The celebrated Greek Princess, of Con-
stantinople, Anna Comnena, makes men
ton of the game, and says that it was de-
rived by the early Greeks from the Baby
lonians. She also relates that her father,
the Emperor Alexius, who was skillful and
accustomed player, obtained information of
conspiracy against him from friend
with whom, late one night he sat playing
chess. 1t is very easy to comprehend how
| from the Persians and Greeks, the game
may have readily and rapidly spread
among the nations with whom these enter
prising people were in so frequent communi-
cation. The Spaniards are able to show an
early national acquaintance with the game,
and it is from them probably that it spread
into France and Italy, and then European
countries That the game is of eastern
origin is Indicated by the fact that the Per-
slams show that they have known it from a
very ancient period, and by the further fact
that the words check, check-mate, rook, and
some others connected with the play areevi-
IDENTIFY of Persian origin. 1t does not follow
from this, however, that the Persians in
vented the game.
1t is not at all probable that they did so.
Indeed their writers do not claim to have
! originated it; but distinctly admit that they
| received it from the Hindoos, somewhere
about the year A. d. BOO. There is then
| corroborative testimony that the game may
he more directly and clearly traced to the
liindoos than to any other nation. The
earliest recorded alluSion to the game is
found in the Koran; where it is stated that
Nushiran, a Persian Prince, obtained it
from HindOo priest, who communicated it
to the Princes physician. a'.
The Chinese date its introduction into
that empire in the reign of Nouti, which
began A. ID. 537. One thing is we'll estab-
lished that earlier than this period there is
| no historical record OF the game in any
country tits written in the Brahmin ira
ditionary chronicles that fhe game in
vented by Sissa, or Nassir, priest, for the
| amusement of King Behram. 1t is very
properly thought, however, as we have al
ready suggested, that il had quite an indif-
ferent beginning, being subsequently i'm
proved, first by the Hndoos and then by
the Persians, and still later by the ingenious
experts of Europe
The Hindoos accepted the Persian modi-
fcations, and indeed all with which they
afterwards became acquainted, and they have
for long time played the game about as
we play it ourselves Lieut. Moore, of the
British army in India, related in 1894, that
| he played chess with some high Bralimins
and that they used the Persian words Shah
mat, and roe, with their usual European
Specification. The Hollanders have game
called Malay draughts, said to have been i'm
ported from the East India Islands, which
much resembles chess, aud which doubtless
had the same origin lin this Malay game
the pawns move diagonally and take
straight forward. The crowned pieces take
backward and forward This game seems
to be intermediate between draughts and
chess as we now play it, 1t certainly indi-
| Gates the progressive developement of the
game, 50 evidently suggested by its history
Chess has been the favorite amusement
and study, for it certainly is entitled to be
considered an intellectual study, of crowned
heads, and the learned and distinguished of
all civilized nations for over a thousand
years; and it has not yet attained its celeb
rity and glory. The early metrcal romances
ascribe great proficiency IN the practice Of
the game to the knights OF King Arthur, and
the paladfns and chevaliers of Charlemagne.
According to Mr.. Tuiss, wi bose book on chess
is not sufficiently known, the first writer of
| modern times, who describes this game was
De Casolis, a Dominican Friar, who wrote in
the year El20a and composed a treatise of
twenty-four chapters in relation to the ori-
gin and mysteries of the game. This work
was written in Latin and was translated
into French in 1890, by John De Vagnay, n
monk OF the same order; and this version
was afterwards translated into English; and
is famous for being the first book published
in metal types 10y the CaXtons in l474. The
first author who wrote analytically Of the
game with view to facilitate its acquire
ments and to promote its study, was Por-
| tuguese physician by the name of Damina.
He wrote the work in nSpanish and Italian,
and it was printed at Barcelona and at
Venice He was followed IT 1861 by Ruy
Lopez Spanish Priest OF Cara, whose
nunc is attached 10 a peculiar opening
of some repite in chess literature. Both of
these writers were inferior in their knowl-
| edge OF the game To Salyio, a Neapoitan,
who published historical and anecdotial
account ot the game in 1904. Salvio was
IA perfect Morphy of his period, and travelled
about to exhibit his skill and challenge COM
petition.
He visited Rome in 1874, and, engaging
with Ray-Lopez and Leonardo, ii leading
Roman player, beat them both Leonardo,
however subs eauently beat Salyio ia
match game played IN presence Of Philip
IT, of Spain, who made the conqueror "a
/ handsome present. Since the period Of Sal
VIC, works upon Chess, historical aud prac-
teal, have rapidly succeeded each other.
Among the most valuable and celebrated OF
them is the book of g. Chess Problems pub
lished by King, at Strashurg, in 1902 The
work of Philider, published some sixty