Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-09-06
MACKENZIE LOST HEART.
How Brilliant Player in the Chess Tour
nament was Beaten.


There were four Americans in the
English chess tournament, the first
prize of which was won scarcely a week
ago by the English champion, Black
burn. saws the New York Star They
were Mason, Mackenzie, Eipschutz, and
Hanhau. The last three were members
of the Manhattan Chess club, of New
York, and Mason won the fifth prize,
go, and Mt one time it was thought he
stood a fair chance of taking the first
prize. Mason is perhaps the strongest
American player, and is a foeman
worthy of amy mans steel. The dis
appointment of the tournament was the
sudden weakening of Capt. Mackenzie,
who broke down after doing some very
brilliant work, and allowed himself to
be beaten by the weakest players in the
tournament. He was as much sur
prise as Zukertort, who was fairly
slaughtered.
Capt. Mackenzie is brilliant player
and quick thinker. He moves rapidly,
and plays at his best when on the ag-
gressiye. Unfortunately he lacks nerve
and breaks down when he has the best
chance of winning. After defeating his
most dangerous adyersaries and win
ming six games, with only two more to
play, which everybody thought he
would surely win, be lost both.
A number of good stories were told
about the captain by his old friends. of
the Manhattan club, the other night.
One in particular is very good, and
shows how easy it is for mans vanity
to get the better of his Judgment. When
Paulsen, the German champion, was
visiting this country, he was the guest
of one of the swell clubs. After he
travelled over, beating everybody who
had pluck enough to give him battle, he
was introduced to Capt. Mackenzie,
who was then in his prime. A game
was arranged between the two gentle
men. which the captain consented to
play only to please his friends, as he
did not have the slightest hope of
winning it. That evening large as
semblage of chess-loyers were present
to encourage the captain, who was
very strong player. He kept his wits
about him, and from the start played
with unusual brilliancy After the
twentieth move the captain, by beau
tiful combination, made desperate as
sault upon Paulsen's men and weaken
eG his line. He followed the advantage
he had gained, to his own surprise and
that of his friends, and forced Paulsen
to capitulate.
1t was a big victory, and the captain
felt proud. Some evenings afterward,
just before Paulsen left for the other
side, he was asked to give an exhibition
of blindfolded playing, at which he was
very skillful. He agreed to play eight
games simultaneously against the best
players that could be pitted against
him, without seeing the board. On the
evening the games were to come off one
of the players was taken sick and Capt.
Mackenzie was asked to take his place.
He regarded this in the light of an af-
front, and when Paulsen personally
asked him to play he remarked, half
angrily:
''But, sir, you forget that have beat
en- you over the board.
Paulsen insisted that it would be
compliment if Mackenzie played; and at
the same time assured him that it never
entered his mind that he could vanquish
an expert like him. Mackenzie sat
down, intending to make short work of
the German, who at times played better
bindfoldeu than with his eyes wide
open. Things went along nicely until
six of the players were beaten, when
Paulsen opened out on Mackenzie, and
forced him to resign. Mackenzie was
so disheartened by the. defeat that for
week afterward, said the narrator, he
did not win single game.