, 1877-07-22

letter Of the great English chess player, Alexander
| 1f'Donnell, OF which the subjoiued Is transcript
| The date shows it to have been written 1t tue
period Of the two earliest Of his matches with Ii
Bourdonnais, the first OF which was contested dur
| ing June and the beginning Of July. 1851; the
other in the latter part OF July in the same year.
The latter has no address, and seems to have been
pcnned to some friend who was helping him In the
analysis OF position in his play with the redoubt-
able Frenchmau, which had evidently perple1cd
our country not u little. The compartment of
these two famous men Of chess when con-
tending with each other il said to have presented
striking contrast Mcdonnell, Emphatic Of tenn
pcrament dignided and composed in de-
meanor: vigilantr 'resolute, and self-possessed-
He sat 1t work maturing his conceptions with d
patience and tenacity Of purpose which nothing
had power to disturb. La Bourdonnais, who had
full share of the exctabilty Of his nation, would
jest and laugh with the gallery puff his cigar. roll
in his ehair. and hum his favor,tc airs. This was
when fortune smiled beuignant on him: but when
she shook her swift wings and fed, be fumed md
frctted, rapuiug out naettCtions with surprising
rapiulty. He w2x much quicker in his play than
bis who;s taray stratssy M MIN
faction in open grumblin:,, and frequent elevation
Of the shonde!s II Is not generally known that
seandson o1''0P'1ii nf va of ths sseenaa military
mander and civil administrator, Bernard Francois
Mahe Dc Ia Bourdonuais. who, in the last century
wars wssed between the English and French
when they fought for supremacy On the Plains
Of the Carnatie. and in the Deccan. One Of tho
The siege and capture Of Madras from The English
in 1146. On his leturn 70 France. the wealth he
brought with him from India ruised up enemies,
cuted and imprisoned. he was liberated after q
long detention. but the injustice he Ind sufferer.
s aaa and hf Dsf0ss s "a
East will be found recorded in that captivating
book, "Ormr's History Of India" " He wa. Cen
eral remarkable for tactical skill rapidity In NOV
he carried his designs into effect. These qualities
were, in no stinted degree, inherited from bis
prosenitor by the il]ustrious chess player with
whose namc are all 80 familiar.
ST. sssT ' ST.
u tie
4 tae i: q the ss!esnth M move followed 5y
e Ssea eS5ns
B1np's CnE>s MAsrEEr1EcEs. Being in some
what deen1tory mood the other day, I took up
tfme.-and went through = few Of the games. In
this really excellent selection recognize the faces
OF many Old friends with whom am glad to renew
acquaintance, because
"a thing OF beauty is joy forever"
and there is mental relish in studying profound
piece OF strategy evolved from the brain OF great
chess player, which custom cannot stale, but
derived from contemplating q csef d'4suvre OF
Millais or Poyntcr. Take, for instxucc that
beautiful little pdrtie (Nu. Gi) between Doden ana
M'Donnell finished off by the first named master
in style which Sir. Bird rightly calls '.cr-
quisie''; and indeed it is very model OF elegant
and accur1te combining power. Then there is the
we'll known game between ANDERSEN and Du-
fresno {No. 81. containing OF the finest contri-
buttons in existence, on which analysis has ex-
hausted itself, and detected never tlaw in sin
gle variation l had the qualification OF witness
ing some Of Morphy's games here recorded, which
reckon among the whitc-stoue occasions Of my
eye the aspcc. OF the youthful American Chess
Chief US he sat, cool q cucumber, and srandly
calm, before his game. So still was he, that
but for the searching intellect which slittcred In
his full dark eye, you might have taken him for
carycn image he pondercd his n1oyes. His bear
ing was mild, and that OF refined gentleman, and
he dealt the most crushing blows on his adversary
with arnoSt wo,nanly ease and grAce No. 116 il |
worthy OF the stu'scnt s attentive consideration
This is not OF Morphy's dazzlin. triumphe, in
the accomplishment OF which his opponent is |
swiftly end irrcsistibly borne to the earth, but
specimen Of his calculation as diplaycd against |
hands OF large majority OF players, would prob |
ably terminate In draw, bnt the astute Paul. by
series Of apparently harmless moves of his king, !
Cow forward, now backward now circuitous, con |
trivcs to insinuate his majesty through maze OF |
pawus, and plants him at last in winning po- |
sttion.
Vacte nora rirtute, Mr. Bird! Come DER The
sea rs soon :s may be (Which Is verse; as Mr..
Peggotty says ''though hadn't such inten- |
t1ons y, with budget Of choice Columbian chess
battles, and publish them forthwith. H. A. K.