Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-12-30

tai, and, unless angels interposed it
is sad to relate that the demon usually
won
| Chess absorbs the mind as nothing else
on earth. Alfred de Musset, the French
| poet spent at least half his life at chess
| playing. One writer states that certain
old gentleman played chess from four in
the afternoon till ten at night every day
OF his life, for years. There are many
modern amateurs who would like to do
the same thing. Herr, German player,
and "a full-habited man. died in fit of
apoplexy after twelve hours meditation
over the chess problem White to play
and force the game in ten, moves"
| When ii is remembered how losing mt
chess affects the temper 1t is not TO be
| wondered at that medieval superstition
| ascribed the invention of chess to the
| devil. In point of fact, not the least
| strange of the mysteries attending chess is
that, of all known games, chess is the one
in which it is the most difficult for a man
to keep his temper after being beaten.
From time immemorial ii has been con-
coded that losing at chess is at once the
most intensely exasperating and the most
profoundly humiliating of all earthly cir
cumstanoes. Itputs the soul of man in
Conquerer, like most great warriors, was
exceedingly fond of chess, and once, being
checkmated by French Prince with
whom he was playing, was so enraged
that he seized the chess-board and Hung
ii at his opponents head. The incident
caused the two Princes TO be enemies ever
after.
Being game of skill entirely, and one
in which, unlike the game Of lite, the ele.
ment of chance does not enter at all, of
course TIE losing player is denied the con
venient and exquisite satisfaction of ours
ing his luck, and has not the shadow
of a peg to hang his misfortune upon out
side of himself and his own ignorance,
rashness or stupidity. Naturally he is
enraged in proportion. How his mind
runs hither and thither, like distracted
ant, trying to make another responsible
for his defeat. Somebody talked To him
and disturbed his mighty intellect, his
opponent didn't play fairly or he had
headache when he began to play; any
thing, In short, TO fix the responsibility
where II does not belong. In my time
have known players, beth men and
women, otherwise excallent-tempered
persons, on being beaten at. chess to upset
the chess board and hurl the unhappy
little chess. men across the room in a fury.
All flesh is grass, you see, when IL comes
To being beaten nc chess.
Bishop CLANS Magnus relates that in the
sixteenth century II was n custom among
the most lllustrlous Goths and Swedes to
test the dispositions of suitors who wished
10 marry their daughters by setting the
young gentlemen to playing at chess.
For" says the Archbishop. "at these
games their anger, love, peevishness,
covetousness, dullness, idleness and many
more mad pranks, passions and motions
of their minds are used % be
seen: rs whether the wooer be rudely dis
posed, that he will indiscrectly rejoice
and suddenly triumph when he wins, or
whether, when he Is wronged, he can
patiently endure II and wisely put IL off,"
Excellent, verify, and nothing better
could possibly be desired at this day.
Being beaten at chess Ii 10 the soul of
man what testing by torsion Is to metals
measuring all the strength, elasticity and
oughness In the grain of the man. He
who can bear being beaten at chess good
naturally needs no other recommended
ton rs u husband. Take HIM quickly
On the whole, II appears that there Is
but one way for human being ever 10 be
chess. player with any satisfaction 10
himself. That way IL, before beginning
his chess career, 10 take n solemn VOW
and keep IL that he will never, under any
circumstances, permit himself to lose his
temper, no matter how great the provoca-
ton III.
Almost everything can be said by
chess enthusiast Ia favor of this beautiful
game, and yet IL cannot be denied that
skillful and long continued chess. playing
subjects the player To fearful mental
strain. More than one enthusiastic chess
player has paid for his enthusiasm with
his life. This may he the reason that
nearly all famous professional chess-play,
ers either die young or abandon chess
plnsing forever La Bourdonnais, the
French player, was undoubtedly killed by
the mental strain of chess ut forty three
years old, while his famous British nppo.
nent, Alexander Mcdonnell, died at the
early age of thirty, seven, The two are
buried In the same graveyard.
The greatest chess player the world has
produced was young Paul MOrphy, the
American, and Paul MDrphy never touch"
es a chess. board. When In England he
played eight games at once, blindiolded,
and lost but one of them. But he has
abandoned chess tornyer. Happily, the
recent report ofhis insanity pronounced
untrue.
Staunton, too, think II IL, the veteran
English player, has given up chess, pro
nouncing il tho breaker Of friendship, the
destroyer of good temper, and the pro
mOter Of selhshness. Overstrain OF chess
has produced in these cases an infinite
disgust for CHESS. Cincinnati CONNER"
ctak.