New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-06-04
A Good Chess Anecdotc.

ularized throughout the whole length and breadth
of the United States. On every hand we hear Of
great and growing interest being taken in chess
Clubs have sprung up, like Jonahis gourd all over
the country. Inobscnre and distant places we are
daily learning of the existence of chess circles
numbering in their midst some aold Trojan an
emigrant from some of the European clubs.
traveller in our Western wilds would be picked
up Often and where he least expected it, if he sci
himself up az an Achilles at the game. Z
We have an amusing story, in point, told Of our
friend DIR. Raphael, Of Louisville, KY, Gone Of the
prize bearers In the American Chess Congress)
growing out Of en- assumption Of this kind. He
was travelling onfhe Upper Mississippi, when he
observed the passengers absorbed over chess
board. OF course be looked over the game.
Ait it's close the victor gazed around, like Alex
ander or Morphy. ia quest or new worlds to con
quer. As the stranger had already vanqnshed
some half dozen competitors, he began to a feel
his oats, and asked the Doctor TO play, remark
ing, at the same time, that he-the stranger-was
an excellent player, and unless the Doctor was q
proficient Il was hardly worth his while to demol-
ish him. The Doctor waggishly said that the game
might be eqnalized by taking the odds Of Queen.
This being agreed upon, the Doctor won, but with
apparent difficulty. The stranger fdgeted in his
seat, declared that he was not in his usual way,
and thought queen was most too great odds, but
that q rock would make it easy work for him. AT
II they went again, and another game was scored
to the Doctor, but with the sembiance Of greater
labor than before. Then came the stereotyped
excuses Hadn't played with q good player for
long time, had spoiit his play by previous en-
counters with weaker players etc., etc. The
Doctor mildly suggested that perhaps with q
knight he might have better success. So the
knight was given, but with similar result Then
the stranger declared he couldn't understand it
" he didn't play with anything like his usual
force etc, etc. The Doctor aoquiesced in these
opinions, and blandly said that pawn and two"
would be about the thing.
The issue was as before, when the stranger re-
marked that he was not in the habit Of playing at
odds, but that at even play he thought himself a
match for most anybody, The Doctor said he had
little hope OF winning, but that, emboldened by
success, he would try an even game This time
the Doctor gave him a touch of the bishops gam
bit and finished his opponent in mastery style.
Then came the Doctors turn to propose odds, and
he offered to give +" pawn and move Just for the
fun Of the thing He Jared as before, when the
Doctor gave, with like success, the pawn and
two then the knight, the rock, and finally the
queen
This all occupied the leisure of several days, and
served I'd beguile the monotony of the passage,
ending by making quite lion of the Doctor, and
butt Of the pretentious stranger, among their fel-
low passengers.
The truth is that chess is q dangerous game to
boast Aaout, not only for nele preteMlsr, but
even for a tolerably fair player. Infinite in its
combinations and Misunderstanding in these the
calculations Of mathematics so vast and compre-
hensiye in its nature that unlike the exact Sciences
the human mind cannot wholly grasp or fathom it,
(even the pInmmet Of Merpby's intellect cannot
sound It's lowest depths) nothing verities better
than chess, the Spanish adage, that g strength is
relative The Ajax Of one country on locality
may be a comparative tyro in another.
fSpirit of the Times