The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1889-09-07
A GREAT GAME OF CHESS.
THE YOUNG MAN WHO BEAT THE
PASHA FIFTY YEARS AGO.

PAsHA FIFTY YEARS AGO.
The Long Isony Fingers of the Stranger
Reminded the Turk of Another and DIFF
ferent Kind of Contcst-Thcre Was but
One Man Who Could Play Such Chess.
On a summer afternoon, almost fifty
years ago, Sulejmann Pasha, command
er-in-chief of the Egyptian artillery, sat
at coffee in cafe on the Nile terrace in
Cairo. at tables near him were many
soldiers who had helped him fight the
armies of Sultan Mahmud not many
months before. Several Of them had
been with him in the battle of Nizib,
when he routed the Turkish army under
Hafiz Pasha and Col. Won Moltke, then
in the sultan's service. But Sule,lnann
Pasha was not thinking of the soldiers
about him, nor of Ilaiiz Pasha, nor Col
Won Moltlie, nor tho great battle of Nizib.
His whole attention was concentrated
OH a chessboard before him.
Sulejmann Pasha was famous chess
player. In the first few weeks after his
return to Cairo ho had beaten dozens of
times Ulema Reschid Aga. formerly the
champion chess player of northern
Egypt He regarded his reputation as a
chess player as somewhat akin to his
reputation as warrior. IIc considered
chess to be pre-cmincntly a soldiers
game, and never tired of making clabor-
ate comparisons between strategy on the
chess board and strategy on the field of
battle. Every afternoon he met Ulcma
Rcschid Aga at tho cafe OH tho Nile ter.
race and beat him two or three games.
On this particular afternoon, almost
fifty years ago, Ulema Rcschid Aga was
little late in coming to his Waterloo
and Sulejmann Pasha was having pro-
liminary skirmish with himself while
awaiting his opponents arrival. Ills
diversion was interrupted by the appear
ance on the terrace of a long, gaunt,
bony young stranger. The stranger
strobe right up to the pasha's table, and
after making a half military salute, said
so loudly that every ono on the terrace
could hear:
"Pasha. challenge you to q game of
chess"
All the officers OH tho terrace sat quite
still and stared at the thin, pale young
man who stood before their great COM
mandcr. Tho pasha looked him over
curiously:
lam at your service" was his answer,
after long pause. GLOW high do you
usually playY"
Sometimes for nothing, sometimes fol
a great deal. You fix tho stakes, pasha.
"Well, a hundred ducats will not be
too much"
The stranger nodded and sat down
The lots were cast. The game was be.
gun. All the officers in the cafc left thcil
coffee to crowd around tho players. Tho
first few moves convinced them that the
long, bony fingers of tho stranger had
moved chess men many times before. AT
the end of twenty minutes the pasla's
eyes suddenly frightened and he smiled
lie had an invincible combination. Lie
placed his queen before his opponent.
queen. The officers began to grumbe
for they thought their commander had
lost his head. Only Rcschid Aga, who
had in the meantime joined tho crowd of
spectators, looked happy. lie had guessed
his friends combination, and he, too, was
sure that it was invincible.
"IIo will take the queen" commented
the spectators, anxiously.
"Then he will be chcckmatcd in eight
moves" whispered back Reschid Aga
"And if he doesn't take herr"
"IIc will lose his own," said the ex-
champion, triumphantly.
The stranger moved a pawn. Sulcj-
mann took his queen. The officers thought
it was all up with the gaunt young man,
and started back to their coffee. They
were called back, however, by the first
words the pasha's opponent had spoken
since he sat down to the table.
"Pasha, in twelve moves you will be
chcckmatcd."
Tho interest of the pasha's friends be-
came intense. They counted each move
aloud. Observation-Disclosures the
pasha was already hard pressed. Five
-cight-ninc-and his men
were hemmcd in on all sides Tcn-thc
pasha tried in vain to break the blockade
by sacrificing his queen. Elcven-hc
drew back his king into corner. Twelve
and the stranger cried out: "Chcck-
mate"
There was dead silence, and all stared
at the pasha. He thought hard for sew
eral minutes, without uttcring word
Then he looked searchingly into the
strangers face and said:
"Onco before have seen chess played
as you play it, Your strategy is not new
to me, although cannot cope with it
Tho game that your playing reminds me
of was much finer than this. 1t was
played with cavalry and infantry and
heavy artillery, till the ground shook
under our feet. The great chess player
fror2 the north who was then against me
had $50, 900 men. In his hands they were
invincible. The mad and envious inter
ference Of Hafz Pasha ruined his combi-
nations, however, and gave us the game. "
The pasha stopped a moment to scru-
tinize the strangers face 1t was express
sionless. Then he continued:
young man, you remind me of that
great chess player from the north who
all but routed us at Nizib, as you have
routed mo here. Young man, only one
man in the world can play chess like
that. He is Col. Won Moltke."
"You have it" answered the stranger
reaching the pasha his hand. II am
Moltke. New York Sun.
We'ro Twins.
Johnny. are you older or youngcrthan
Jennie?'