Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-12
Cardinal Gibbons Letter to the Pope
public Ledger. Philadelphia
The Forthcoming International Chess
COnUreSS

'One of the chief topics of interest to chess
players at the present time" said well-posted
expert the other day, lis the international
chess congress which will open at New York in
April next. A fund exceeding $1,000 has been
subscribed by chess enthusiasts from all parts
of the civilized world, and of this amount over
5000 has been paid in. This fund will be
divided into cash prizes, VIZ: First, II .000
second, $3.50: third, $500; fourth, $500; fifth.
$500; sixth 1900; seventh, 5000. 1t is possible
that, if the receipts warrant. these prizes may
be materially increased, and i. is probable that
special prizes will be offered for extremely
brilliant games and other features of excel
lence."
us it anticipated that chess players from
abroad will enter the congress-" was asked.
Most assuredly. Chess professionals. as a
rule, are not overburdened with cash, and the
congress offers too many inducements finan-
cially to be passed over lightly. In fact,
Messrs. J. H. Blackburne, the famous blind
fold player; Isadore Gunsberg. the present
English champion. and James Mason, consid-
cred by many good judges one of the greatest
match players in the world are already en-
route for this country. Beside these, England
will doubtless send Amos Burn DIR. ". ii. X.
Pollock, Fl. E. Bird, James Mortimer. and
perhaps others. France will doubtless be rep
resented by Simon Rosenthal and J. Tanhen-
haus. Of the German masters, Won Gottschall,
Harmonist, Won Bardeleben and DIR. Tarrasch
are expected Max Weiss, of Vienna. will prob
ably be the only Austrian to enter the contest.
These will constitute an array of talent which
can only be appreciated by chess players"
What can this country oppose to such host
of chess Goliaths?"
First, there is Herr Wilhelm SteinitZ of
New York. the present chess champion of the
world, and Capt. George II. Mackenzie, of New
York, champion of America. Then come S.
Lipscheutz, of the Columbia club; Philip Rich
ar pf he yn Dal,,
of the New York club. From the west will
come Max Judd. of st. Louis; j. ID. Showalter
of Kentucky, and Charles Moehle. of Chicago
From the south A. Il. Hodges, of Nashville;
Capt. MacCalla, of New Orleans, and /. E.
Orchard, OF Atlanta. In New England, G. F.
Burrille, P. Ware, jr., and +. K. Young, of the
Boston chess club, and A. NJ. Murray. of the
Providence club, are possible entrants"
Chess is on a vastly different status in this
country than in Europe, is it not?" suggested
the scribe.
In the old world no man would dare to ad-
NIT ignorance of chess and at the same breath
assume to be an educated gentleman. He
would be at once cut as an impostor. In
England there is no recreation more ardently
patronized. For example. in the town of Biz
mingham, a short time since. 80 Yorkshiremen
played against team Of so from Liverpool.
The tourney took place in the great council
chamber at the city hall, and the proceedings
were opened by the mayor and superintendent
by the aldermen of the city. The British
chess club of London was recently refurnished,
at an expense of $4,000. The headquarters
for chess players in France are the Cercle des
Echoes and the Cafe de la Regence. The latter
place is world famous. As in Broadway one
meets people from all over the world, so at
this celebrated cafe have repdezvoused the
most noted chess celebrities from time imme-
mortal. The little marble table over
which the great Napoleon whiled away
many an hour is sacredly preserved. Musty
anecdotes, ad libitum, are associated with ev-
cry chessboard, from the time that Deschap-
pelles became the foremost master of the age
by watching the play for three days, to the
time when Bourbons head was saved as the
price for checkmating Robespierres King.
Here, too, Paul Murphy played, simultaneously
and without sight of the boards ana men, eight
games of chess against the eight greatest
French masters, achieving Immortality and
SCATTERING his intellect. In Germany chess
ranks not less high. In fact. it is better fos-
tered, for the Teutons have applied it as prac-
tical science for the training of profound and
accurate reasoning, and in many universities
its practice is recommended SO strongly as to
be almost compulsory. Under such patronage
any science must flourish, and the elegance OF
the chess clubs of Berlin and Leipsic and the
| influence of the German school are, naturally,
| unsurpassed.
FREs.-About TAO o'clock last night the
oxahla IN, xba raar of 1900 10Th hue