Telegram-herald., 1890-01-18
FASCINATING CHESS
scenes IN the CAFE de Is Regencs 10
PARIS
4IgIC Battles lOST sSD BoS
a tiscs Fiued vith Keuai e''.'''' 90
bouapafte, NoitaiFs. Koussssa a
pierre. a aIussst. E9nr.se -ien oF''es
saa NofEss

Just acro>s tae WAY from tas Aoie.
stands one of the dearest Ella landmarks
.a Paris. TIE Cafe de ia Eeseace, " eie
for more than a hundred AMI ii'y
year, -the IA over the door informs
you taat il was founded "a i7l'-g ants
ia tte world 0f ches, haye With IA.r
t0y armies fought such battles as have
made t.e place immortal. dropped
n there yesterday afternoon between
sx and seven and spent au hour or 50
over steamug maaggam, study lng
phase OF human nature, the passion
which lmpcls men, regardless Of money,
to devote their lives 10 pushing pieces ot
carved wood or IVORY over board laid
out .n squares. There they are, dozens
oi them, lazly meditaung. or Watching
others laHlv mediate, over games OF
chess which seem % 90 on etornaiiy,
without end or beginning. Very likely
the abyCrb iIZly IS wrongly applied To
the med tati0u, of THIS remarkable
guild. Certainly they are not ln a
demeanOrs merely indicate an
unwOrldly peace of mind. Any
how, they form curious study
with their garments cut and worn re-
gardless of fashion, their eyes always
shining with a far-away look, and their
long clay plpes-thc blackcr, the better
which are ,he treasured companions
of the Rcgcncc chess PLAYERS, cach
i.
when the owner goes home.
4 httie slow and -tutlv the place
struck me at first, but that was merely
the oppressive weight of the memories
which cluster about the mirrOrcd walls
winch YOU breathe IN the smOke-ladcn
atmosphere in short, which are every
where about you. only think of IL
Tins commonplace, saw-dust-streWn
flo or has been many time walked by
Napoleon BOnrparte, who, as young
man, used TO spend hours masslng hls
battalions of knights and pawns against
the players of his time; and, singularly
enough, although ne used 10 yanqulsh
Nine. de Remusat in brilliant fashion,
1t Is pretty clearly established that the
great general possessed but indifferent
ability as chess player. The garcOns
of the cafe st.ll point proudly to
small, stOnc-tOpped table in the billiard
room ut the back OF which Napoleon
used to play and where he learned the
rudimcnts of the game, which he af-
tcrward stud led profoundly during the
lonely years of ms confinement III It.
Helena, and both before ard after
Napoleon time. the cafe dc Ia Rcgcncc
has been the trvstlng place OF celc-
bratel men whose love for chess has
brought them there as the one place IN
Pars-ndced in all Francc-wherc,
however Skiilful they might be, they
were sure to find their equal or supe-
rlOr. The Cafe dc ia kegcnco was
known and loved bv hosts OF literary
mcn-by Noltairc, by Jean Jacques
Rousseau, by RObesplcrrC, 10y Alfred dc
Mus~ct, 10y Ivan Tours. nieh. during hls
residence IN Paris, and not long since
bv the venerable eX-Prcsilcnt Grcvv.
How many OF the great things done and
the great words written bv these men
were thought ont aud meditated upon
the smoky air of the Regencc, no one
w.ll ever know. y man gets INTO cur
Ous trains of thought over a game Of
chess.
But great though they were i'm other
ways, these di,tugu. .Shed Frenchmcn
were only amateurs ut chess only adj
mrng disciple, Of the kings OF the
game. under whose shadow they PLAYED
and hv whose presence the Regcncc
has at all times been hOnOred. First i'm
the list Of these champions comes tine
great Phldor, with powdered WIZ and
brecchcs bucklcd at the knee perfect
gentleman of the old scnOO.-WbO
cuccSmatcd h.s opponents with such
exquisite courtesy, that defeat became
pleasure. Then there was tic
dwarf Murat whose exploit with
the chess authmatou kept Paris nvstl-
tied for weeks. The stately Descha-
pric anne next ut tho Rogcuce. he
VINO Gi~'iau ned To play with any man on
equal terms. and who. one dav. when
beaten hy rising champion % whom
he bad gwen undue odds, proudly
withdrew from the arena and never
played agaiu. Attar him came Lahour-
dOuuais, TIE most .p.Cndd chess playcr
France has ever seen perhaps the
world. Before h, m mory, those who
shine tojay M the R"geuce how wlth
reverence. and hum alone, 0t a.. tlc
players reckoud q great at auv time or
.u ANY country. do They dare compare
to the American MurpHv. ln@r times
wore different. anl 70 cHf-s a- u ot1er
things. each decade leave. tfHlud tae
decat gone ntora. Inc patient pio3-
q ug industry o. "a generation oi ur-t-
r.a-- r 1r.I-. atI-t inevitably r1f~e tI.
stands ~ tIs s7me. EHt hHrnr
auI IaH..tan-a.s WON. uf tHn
I.-t-er taF.r- fI ua
.l.u- HI.t.f-f fH.F ..Hat