The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-18
A CHAT ABOUT CHESS.
Emanuel Lasker, the Famous
Player, Discusses His Art.
NEVER so POPULAR As NOW.
Wonderful Skill Of Morphy and Paul.
sen-Chess by Telegraph Easier
Than the Blindfold Game.

player. who is now travelling in this country,
PLAYING at the principal chess clubs. was born
in Berlinchin. Prussia. He has made England
bis home, and Is editor OF the London Chsss
Forsnightty He has won ali the tournaments
he has entered during the past year; he has
beaten Mr. Blaekburne. the strongest player in
England, by five straight games to one draw. in
set match he has won q tournament from
Black burne, Mason, Bird and Gunsberg, and has
beaten the best German players, with one ex-
ception, in decisive manner. He has been
compared with the famous chess phenomenon,
Paul Morphy.l
Some one asked me the other day how I
kept in practice. My answer will proba-
bly, appear quite as curious to the general
reader as it did to this ouestioner. | don't
practice. The truth is that the best prep
aration professional player can make for
match game is to give up playing for
short time, go to quiet seaside resort or
back in some secluded nook among the
| mountains, enjoy himself out of doors and
| not give any thought to chess. Playing
the game is considerable strain on
| man and he will find lat least in my ex-
perience ] find) that he will play best after
he has spent some time in relaxation and
| given no thought TO chess. This is kind
of contest where you do not "train" before
hand. OF course occasionally, In my idle
season, play game for amusement as one
| would indulge in game of skitt!es or
cards. The professional match games
which constantly take up my time (no less
than sixty-four this year, give me all the
practice l need; and the same may be said
of other leading players.
can not say that / feel particularly
nervous or overstrained after playing for
| several hours. But / exercise ordinary
precautions in regard to my work, if pro-
fessional chess playing can be called work.
And do not know of any famous chess
players who have suffered from nervous
prostration as result OF playing match
games. When Paul Morphy was in Lon
don and played against the leading ex-
perts of his day, on one occasion he sat
almost immovable ten hours, without hav-
ing tasted morsel of food, or even drink
ing drop of water during that time.
And vet 1T is said that when he rose from
the contest which it was declared was
worthy of being inscribed In letters of
gold on the walls of the London Chess
Club. e looked. apparently, as fresh as
when he sat down. The next morning he
| rose at and told his friends that he was
willing to continue the match with other
| contestants.
1t is said, and think truly. that chess
| has the effect of educating and strength
| ening the will power. This theory, at all
events, is illustrated by an anecdote of
| Morphy. 1t seems that during the en-
| gagement in London he one day very in
| considerably took nap IN his sitting
room with the window open. On the ar
| rival of friend who awoke him, he com
planned of feeling cold. The next morn
ing he was ieverish and really unfit to
meet Horwitz, one of the leading players
of that day. But the friend could not in
duce Morphy to remain i'll his room.
Il would sooner" said the great player
lose the game, than anybody should
think | had exhausted myself In
playing as some will do If l am absent
at the proper hour" During his
| stay in France he constantly labored
| under bodily suffering. On the morning
of his famous blndfold exhibition he
said to friend 81 don't know how / shall
get through my work today. | am afraid
] shall be obliged to leave the room, and
some evil-minded person may think l am
| examining positions outside" In spite
of this indisposition he played tor ten
| hours. making combinations which at
that time had never been surpassed
When Paulsen played blindfold game
against ten antagonists in London he was
engaged without interruption for twelve
|
smoked, and drank nothing but little
| lemonade.
In order to provide for system of
nomenclature by which the different
| moves made by the players can be de-
scribed, either in conversation or in
print, the squares are named after the
principal pieces That upon which the
king stands is the kings square; next
to it is the queen $. square; then, on one
side. the kings bishops square, kings
knights and kings rocks squares. On
the other side, queens bishops square.
queens knights, queens rocks squares /;
in front of these are the kings pawn,
kings bishops pawn, queens bishops
pawn, kings knights pawn. queen s.
knights pawn. kings rocks pawn and
| queens rocks pawn.
The common method of describin G
moves on the chess board is for each
player to name the squares in reference 10
their distance from his own pieces. Some
times to avoid ambiguity, the policy is
pursued of naming. not only the man
| moved, but the square from which it was
| played. On some parts of the continent a
border is added to the chess board con.
tanning letters and numbers by which the
different squares can be described. tSee
diagram beioWl