New-York tribune., 1891-05-01
CHESS-TABLE TALK.
BY w. sTEINTT2.
TIE CABLE CHESS MATCH.


universal interest during It's progress as the one us'
concluded between myself and NJ. Tschgorn' Cabie
matches have been played before. and in Australia
annual contests by telegraph take place between
teams representing different colonies These inter
colonial chess matches" they are called are ho"
ever, regulated by short time limit ana theT AURA
uon does not extend usually beyond a couple I"
DAYS. But matches similar in the regulations OF pay
10 the last one have already been fought OUT c'
v-arious occasions The first one on record IS 1'o
one between London and Vienna, begun III io'- a"
concluded after twenty months Duration i'ei"""e
an adjournment Of about three months dunhs VIC ~
tornational tournament at Vienna OF 1873 III w@S "o
by the London party and IS, by tne WY '"o S
one Of similar character in when e'er % woA
nroninent mart before. 4 few years after that
match was pla-ed between Liverpool ana 'acu''''
which was won by the former CITY. lhch io"O"
I'm 1855 match between Vienna ana Pars' "iii'"
ended in victory for the latter, aud In 1857 one DC
tween London and St Petersburg which Is specia,N
noteworthy as Mr. Tschgorin was one Oh u'e ''"'i
leaders on the Russian side. and the latter was
victorious in the end. Since then the Russian maStcr
was engaged two three times In matches "a wv
St Petersburg Chess Club against some obscure oieS
societv in siberia, aud il may re mentioned tha' "'o
siberian Club was victorious in one of those ma,cHcs
lIoveyer In all those contests each side was al Iu
liberty TO choose their own opening from INC s'a'''
and il was one Of the remarkable features oil MY i@
match against Mr.. Tschigorin that the openings were
NO"eVpuo'N'
challenge of the Russian master to two Innovations
uronosed nv myself in the first volume of my Mooefh
Chess instruction The general supposuon that lDS
opponent belonged to an entirely dihereht sc"oOi W
,be one which | have advocated ana plactlsed lor
over twenty years attracted unusual attention lor
tlds contest which was greatly enhanced by
che enterprise of the two leading cable news
,,anies in america and in Europe. namely. the As
cated Press of New York and Reuters Telegram of
1ondon who communicated the moves 10 the principal
newspapers all over the face of the globe
Mr. Tschicorin has won both games and his play
was admirable throughout. having sald thls uust IL
viii not be attributed to spirit of cavn on my part
70 o,rt ont some of the disadvantages under which
,oboreA IN this match The contest mas provided
rhrourh the medium of the press cheap ana heaiuN
entertainment the masses OF chessplayerS OF All ha
,onaiities and no doubt it will be the precursor OF
similar matches which will probably not be cohhhed 10
,rfassional esuerts but will also be arranged between
clnb teams and rSt-class amateurs II Is therefore III
cnmbent upon me in my capacity as critic TO loN
warn those who may engage such contests against III
cidental difficulties such initiated against my own
pay I'm this match Thus, for instance II was very u'
fortunate for me that all the conditions mao ho' pce uS
,ctlv seted before the combat began As viii be re
nembered Mr. TschiGOrin admitted hs error III IeleI
ence IN e time accumulation rule. I'u aiter 'he as
,nta had arisen offered compromise in that respec'
in order 10 avoid eventually n lVg controversy anu
troublesome appeal to the umpircs VINO res'oeu d,
great distances6rom each other MY opponent ao'opou
nv proposition and in accordance WIN lhe hcN Tlo'
and on which | never intended 70 PLAY 0fNhalS' no
accumulation Of time was allowed after the adjourn
ulent and the limit fixed 20 three daSs lor Ga"
player. This meant only as many hours lor H'sei
on some occasions at least considering the time wh'I
I had to devote 10 other engagements Uh1er any
circumstances hwever. three days absoutey "i'n"u'
accumulatiOns are think. too short uihe "n'"
ance for each and in some coming 'hcles -
impossible 20 do justice to the positions WVh su'N
limit My idea Is that accumuatiJns should be male
A condition in such contest, but It may %I'o oe '".
visablp 10 fix a certain maximum ior the saving OF
extra time
Luck H. according 10 Napoeon's TellIn""n proVero'
OH the side the strongest battaons, but may s'ae
that the adjournment certainly not tavofaDi' 70
me- Having been hard work in my match with
tunsberg and the literary laboIs connected therew'h
had to resume the cable match ut time when WIS
nearly exhausted, and had forgotten most OF my
previous analysis As II happened the adJOnrhmehe
also took place lust at point when the OnuS "1 uhe
gambit apparently rested upon me in b0th games anu
nv opponent was perfectly free to analyze the posi-
fios,s IN roughly during the recess whereas - VINO
had been Iusy and hardwOrl,ed all the time had to
proceed with the fight almost without any espeaa
pr paration. Thus it be explained perhaps, that
! made my fatal in the Two knights Defence on
The twentieth move, which was The very first on my
side after the adjournment II is, perhaps, no more
than fair 10 state that If had for certain that
my match with Mr. GunSlerg would come OIL,
would have postponed the beginning OF the cable
match until the engagement over the board had
been completed But. Will be remembered, difficulties
had arisen which made il doubtful whether the matcn
between myself and Mr.. Gunsberg could be played at
all and having In the meanwhile made arrangements
for the cable match found myself at last saddled
with the heaviest analytical labors In connection just
before playing against SIR Gunsberg, and then after
this exciting combat the board had been finished
/ Immediately t. turn attention 10 the cable
games without my being able 10 take proper rest
II is also noteworthy that The Russian master had an
extraordinary his analysis Of the Evans Gambt
owing 10 "A msapprehensOn Oh my part. Mr.. Tschig-
)rn's first offer for the match was made verbally
TO me at the Manhattan Chess Club, during his visit
to New York after his return from Havana. in the
early part of last year. As far as could remember
aftcrward he merely asked me whether would play
nv defence in the Evans Gambt in such contest,
and took for granted that he merely alluded to the
line OF play which occurred between Us in our Havana
games, which would have only comprised Blacks
sixth move, Q-B 3. Ills formal challenge was sent
% Mr. Mint Tie chairman of the match and tOurna-
nent committee of the Manhattan Chess Club. and
[ NAV state here by Che way that Mr.. TSchigorn In
lis draft of conditions treated the contest Sor! Of
consultation anar between New FORK and ST. Peters
burg whereas in my propositions merely
made myself and my Russian opponent chiefly rc-
sponsibe for the games with the prOviso that each
party was at liberty to accept advice. However as
his letter addressed 10 Mr. Mntz did not notice
that my Russian opponent had included in MS challenge
a new suggestion VIZ, Z Kt-R B. which ! had
made I'm nv book. In The international Chess
Magazine and in the American daily papers, the
starting point was given according TO my own sup
position on Blacks sixth move, and did not discover
that another move on each side formed part of the
conditions until received the first message in the
match. As had intended TO play ... PIX II 3,
which afterward adopted against Gunsberg in some
If my match games, Russian opponent WAS
ahead of me in the thorough analysis Of the actual
position for some months at least
All this may explain why, without disparaginB in
he least the credit which my opponent deserves for his
victory, / not accept my defeat conclusive evi-
depce against the application Of my theories IN the two