The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-29

| play, was really truthful and adequate rea-
son for declining to play; but "why not say
this before? ;" say the critics. Because, on
practicing, as he doubtless did, in private, Mr..
Staunton discovered that his chess skill was
dulled to his own apprehension, his chess mus
cles had lost their wonted fire and lubricity in
the gdpbt. AH reste what stupid piece of
red republicanism it is, in the midst of the
nineteenth century, TO expect a king, even of
chess, to throw away his crown willingly, be-
fore an unknown cavalier, however preax!
In relation to the higher faculties which it
calls into exercise, chess affects less the pure
reasoning powers than is usually taken for
granted. Classed as division of mathematical
study, it belongs to the arithmetcal rather than
the transcendental department of mathematics
it is no higher than Formulation. All possible
moves of given number of pieces can be
summed up in an Ineligible line of figures
less than a yard long. The objection, there
fore, of the great scotch metaphysician to
mathematics, as a means Of mental develop
meut-that they lead to only positive results,
as in a grooved track-applies with double force
to chess, which calls into exercise one Of the
lower branches of mathematics only.
A great deal has been said about invention
IN relation TO chess-playing, and London
newspaper especially lauds the inventive genius
of Mr.. Morphy. If our view of his peculiar
vention in his play. All the possible combina-
tons of the moves before him appear to his
mind as clearly as X. p. to X. 4 to an ordinary
player; and from what he sees, he selects the
best play. 1t is about as much invention as is
exercised by natural arithmetician, in an
nouncing, in a minute, a difficult result in in
terest for days-no more. Besides this gentle
mantle very best of known living chess-play
ers--seems singularly deficient in even the
moderate degree of invention which can be
predicated of chess. We have the Evans Gam
bit, the Scotch Gambit, the Muzio Gambit &c,
&c, but we have not yet the Morphy Gambit,
nor Is there in print more than one very com
monplace problem by our modern chess king
But the problemsl Do not they require in
vention If they do, it is invention of no higher
character, and requiring no greater powers, than
to construct certain figures with Chinese pug
zle and a hrst-rate problem-composer is sell
dom, if ever, a frst-class player
These views of the status of chessplaying
receive confirmation from the fact that frst-class
chess players have seldom, if ever distinguished
themselves in the higher departments of thought
or invention. Mr.. Buckle, the author of "Civ-
ilizaton in England" may be adduced as an
exception he was, fifteen years ago, among the
most eminent chess-players in Europe; he sud
denly gave up chess-playing, betook himself
to study, and his admirable volume is the first
fruits of fifteen years of intense application.
Yet while he betrays an extent Of reading
wider than that so pompously announced by
Glbbon, and while strong common sense and
keen observation are abundantly manifest in
his work, there is lacking the bold grasp
and deep insight which we find in Hume and
Sir James Macintosh, and even in Dumas
Mr.. Buckle lets us into the secret of his short
comings moreover, in the following sentence:
" Whoever will take the pains fairly to estimate
the present condition of mental philosophy must
admit that, notwithstanding the influence it has
always exercised over some of the most power
full minds, and through them over society at
large, there is, nevertheless, other study which
has been so zealOusly prosecuted, so long con-
unued, and yet remains so barren of resttlts!"
Barren of results Shades of Locke, Male
branche, Berkeley, Dugald Stewart, Reid,
Brown, Cousin, and Sir William Hamiltoul
Of course, Mr.. Buckle is an ardent admirer of
4uguSte Compte, and fifteen years of purely
literary labor has not raised him above the in
t5ailsa4ael 1ayel of haichess board.
is better indoor entertainment than cards,
or dice, or lager-bier; it has been well said that
it does not lead to gambling. 1t has the posi-
tive merit Of improving the tone of manners
and of culhvating the power of attention. In
looking at Morphy and Paulsen, in 1857, We
were struck with the evident purity of both
these young men. Neither presented the
bleared eyes, shaking hands, nor nervous
tremOr, which fourhours sitting would betray
in nine-tenths Of our young men of the city,
they were plainly IN perfect physical condition,
and all their faculties were clear and in full
honest exercise. And so must the devotees of
chess keep themselves, or they will inevitably
lose rank as chess-p PLAYERS.