Wichita eagle., 1889-07-16
A GREAT GAME OF CHESS.
THE YOUNG MAN WHO BEAT THE
PASTA FIFTY YEARS AGO.

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One Man Who Could Play Such Chess.
On 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 Nib,
when he routed the Turkish army under
Hafiz Pasha and Col. Won Moltke. then
in the suitan's service. But Sulejmann
Pasha was not thinking of the soldiers
about him, nor of Hafz Pasha, nor Col.
Won Moltke, nor the great battle of Nib.
His whole attention was concentrated
Oh a chessboard before him.
Sulejmann Pasha was a famous chess
player In the first few weeks after his
return to Cairo he 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. He considered
chess to be pre-eminenty a soldiers
game, and never tired OF making elabOr-
ate comparisons between strategy on the
chess board and strategy on the field of
battle. Every afternoon he met U1ena
Reschid Aga at the cafe on the Nile ter
race and beat him two or three games.
On this particular afternoon, almost
fifty years ago, Ulema Reschid Aga was
a little late in coming to bis Waterloo,
and Suigjmann Pasha was having pre-
lminary skirmish with himself while
awaiting his opponents arrival. His
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 half military salute, said
so loudly that every one on the terrace
could hear:
''Pasha, challenge you to game Of
chess"
All the officers on the terrace sat quite
still and stared at the thin, pale young
man who stood before their great COM
mander The pasha looked him over
curiously:
lam at your service, was hisanswer,
after long pause. Glow high do you
usually play"
Sometimes for nothing, sometimes for
a great deal. You fix the stakes, pasha. !"
"Wen, 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 cafe left their
coffee to crowd around the players. The
first few moves convinced them that the
long, bony fingers of the stranger had
moved chess men many times before. Al
the end of twenty minutes the pasha's
eyes suddenly Frightened and he smiled.
He had an invincible combination. He
placed his queen before his opponents
queen. The officers began to grumbbe,
for they thought their commander had
lost his head Only Reschid Aga, who
had in the meantime joined the crowd of
spectators, looked happy. He had guessed
his friends combination, and he, too, was
sure that 1t was invincible.
He will take the queen" commented
the spectators, anxiousiy.
Then he viii be checkmated in eight
moves" whispered back Reschid Aga.
''And if he doesn't take herr?
''He viii lose his own" said the ex-
champion, triumphantiy.
The stranger moved pawn. Sulej-
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
The interest of the pasha's friends be-
came intense. They counted each move
aloud. o-three-four-and the
pasha was already hard pressed. Five
n-eight-nine-and his men
were hemmed in on all sides. Ten-the
pasha tried in vain to break the blockade
by sacrificing his queen. Eleven-he
drew back his king into a corner. Twelve
and the stranger cried out: "Check-
mate.
There was dead silence, and austared
at the pasha. He thought hard for sew
eral minutes, without ustering a word
Then he looked searchingly into the
face and said:
"Once before have seen chess played
as you play it. Your strategy is not new
to me, although / cannot cope with it.
The game that your playing reminds me-
of was much finer than this. It was
played with cavalry ard infantry and
heavy artillery. till the ground shook
under our feet The great chess player
from the north who was then against me
had 80, 900 men. In his hands they were
invinoible. The mad and envious inter
ference OF Haiz Pasha ruined his combi-
nations, however, and gave us the game"
The pasha stopped a moment TO scru-
t.lize the strangers face. 1t was express
sionIess Then he continued:
Young man, you remind me of that
great chess player from the north who
all but routed us at Nib, as you have
routed me here. Young man, only one
man in the world can play chess like
that. He is Gel Won Aodtke."
You have it. answered the stranger,
reaching the pasha his hand. Il aIn
Moltke. New York Sun.
We're Twins
Johnny, are you older or younger than
JenuieS"