San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-19
MOLTKE'S GAME OF CHESS.
The Count Defeated an Egyptian Pasha
by Remarkable Strategy.

by remarkable strategy.
In the summer of 1871 Professor Adolf
Stair with several friends and one stran-
ger were being rowed across little bay at
Heligoland, when the conversation turned
on Moltke's record in Egypt "He has
written fine book" said the professor,
"but for that one statement that in the
last day and a half he travelled thirty eight
hours. That's too much"
"That is true, though, for did it my
SELF" came in muffled tones from the stran-
ger, as he pushed from him the heavy mill
tary cloak that had enveloped him beyond
recognition and revealed his "sharp,
weather beaten face, compressed lips and
hard gray eyes" 1--WE could see" wrote
Professor Stair, that he had endured ter
rible fatigue in Egypt, and that only his
will of steel, combined with his strong
constitution, had kept him up. He &C
knowledged this, and said he had come in
the hope of strengthening his nerves at
the baths. He was then 40 years old, but
looked 80"
1t is not in authentic history that Moltke
was ever again in Egypt, But Egyptian
tradition has it that shortly after the bat
tie of Nib he mysteriously appeared in
nous there as all his great subsequent bat
ties and then suddenly disappeared as in
explicably as he came. Suleiman Pasha,
not the great one, but the commander of
artillery at Nizib, the tradition says, sat
one warm afternoon at little chess table
in q cafe on the river.
He was a remarkable chess player, the
champion OF all Egypt, and every afternoon
he might be found before the little chess
table in the cafe on the river with another
general, the only fOeman worthy of him in
all Egypt, opposite him. On this particu-
lar afternoon his wonted opponent was
tardy. The Commander of artillery dozed
over the table and occasionally muttered
his impatieuce to the other officers, who
sat around him at respectful distances.
There was "A quick, firm step on-the other
side of the little chess table Suleiman
Pasha looked up and saw before him a
tall. spare man, with bare, bony face.
The man saluted and said;
"Pasha, | challenge you tola game OF
chess"
The pasha sat up to express his astonish-
ment and the officers crowded forward.
"Well, how much do you wish 20 play
for?"
"As you viii. Perhaps hundred due
ats"
The pasha nodded, the stranger sat down
and the game began. The pasha played
with tremendous earnestnesS, for it was
his opinion that chess and war required
exactly similar tactics, and that in every
game of chess, therefore, his military repu-
tation was at stake. Move after move, and
the stranger seemed to be hard pressed.
His case became more desperate, appar.
emily, with every minute, and the officers
ceased to crane their necks toward the lit.
tie table.
1.-TWO moves more and he is BEATEN" one
of them said.
"Pasha," commented the stranger, in a
hard voice twelve moves more will finish
you"
The officers who had turned away came
back and counted anXiously. One-two-
ee-four-1ive-the pasha was undoubt-
.dly getting into trouble. SX-seven-
ght-nne-ten-the stranger had control
of the board Eleven-twelve, and check
mate.
Suleiman Pasha leaned back looked
over bis antagonist and reflected.
81 think" he began questioningly, that
nave ooSeTNSu strategy vi bhdI hluu oe-
fore. 1t was carried out by man from the
north, German, on the field of Nib, and
had not Haiiz Pasha disturbed his plans
the history of the battle would have been
different
Suleiman Pasha scrutinized the face OF
his vis-a-vis. 1t was eXpressionless. Then
he continued:
'"There is only one man in the world who
can make such a plan-only one man in
the world who knows such combinations
and he is Moltke."
The stranger rose, saluted and said; Il
am Moltke" He was not seen in Cairo
afterward. Philadelphia Telegraph.
Imagination as Bad as Realization.
Some years ago Napoleon III permitted
some French scientists to experiment on a