The morning times., 1895-11-11
Played for His Life.
BY H N. Crellin.

of chess To say, without flattery, that he
was q good player is to say that he was
man of considerable intellectual power.
But Sultan Murad. in his play, had two
faillngs. He liked to have an adequate
stake on the event of the game, and he
could very i'll brook defeat.
These weaknesses are always trying, but
in the case of SO powerful and absolute
monarch they rendered the game one OF
exceeding danger To lose pretty con-
stantly meant ruin; to win too often might
easily mean death. Under these circum-
stances it became difficult for his ma jesty
to find an adversary, and an invitation to
a contest came to have as fatal signifi-
canoe and to be as much dreaded, and, II
possible, avoided, as the post OF Grand
viZier had been in the reign of Selim the
Grim. So many had lost all they possessed.
and some of their lives into the bargain.
that every high officer OF state Stunned
as far as possible the dangerous honor
of facing his master across a chess board.
Naturally, no official could with more
difficulty escape the ordeal than the Grand
Vizier himself, and, indeed, it was owing
principally to this cause that so many oc-
cupants of this high post had rapidly sue
ceeded one another during the reign of
Sultan Murad.
1t SO happened that the present Grand
Vizer was as keen an enthusiast for the
game as the Sultanhimseff. This had been
probably his chief recommendation for the
office; and, beng a born gambler a nd of
constitutlonally bnld and reckless nature,
he was always ready to play, counting
neither the cost nor the hazard.
He played on with varying fortune. but
generally losing. until he had staked and
lost everything be possessed or could scrape
together.
At length, one afternoon, on the Sultan
saying TO him, well, Grand yiZier, and
what dOst thou venture pn this new gamer"
He answered ruefully: My Padishab, ex-
cept the garments in which stand before
thee. and which are thine already, there Is
OF a truth no one thing / Possessed that l
have not staked and lost, and only by the
bounty of thy majesty shall / and Fatinia,
my daughter and only child, find bread OF
shelter, SO great is the skill OF your majesty
al this Internal game"
Come, yizier" said Mnad, "If 1t be so
bad with thee as that l Will tell thee what
thou shalt do. Thou shalt on thy part stake
thy daughter, and on my part will stake
the loveliest odalisuue in my harem, and
1000 gold pieces to boot. and we VIII
play yet another game"
The Grand yizier heard this Ieoposal to
stake his daughter, his only child. with dts
may; but be knew his imperial ma jesty too
well to venture q refusal.
Therefore they played and he lost. Then
tta NH fat in tI,a osh
heart. said: .'oh, Sultan. have my head
only, and that is at thy mercy, but II thou
wilt on thy part stake my daughter, whom
thou has just won, Will wager my head
against her."
''yizier, I" said Murad, gravely, "the stakes
are hardly even, but II thou wishest it SO it
shall be-
And once more they played. and again the
yizier lost.
Then Murad laughed and said: BE not
alarmed; / give thee thy last stake, for thou
hast never flinched, but hast ever played
boldly and well Only this understand; we
have played our last game, and thou holdest
Thy office only until / appoint another in
thy place."
After this final defeat OF his courageous
and indomitable Grand vizier Murad was
hard put to 1t to find any suitable opponent
TO face him at the chess board. All men
shirked the dangerous honor. and the un-
happy Vizier or Pacha commanded 10 un-
dertake the perilous duty found it difficult
10 guess whether victory OF defeat might
prove more perilous.
AT length the Sultan bethought him OF g
plan which seemed TO promise more diver
sion than could be obtained from encounter
ing these timurous and unwilling adverse
ries. He cansed it to be proclaimed that any
man might challenge his ajesty to a game
OF chess. The conditions being that the chal-
lenger staked his own head against the
office Of Grand yizier.
At the time of issuing the proclamation
there lived in Adrianopole family consist
ing of three persons, father, mother and
one son. The latter was a young man OF
pleasing manners, good presence and of re-
markable energy and Intellectual capacity.
The news of the Sultan's offer had reached
this retired and secluded family, and the
son, whose name was Osman, and who had
long been q devoted student of the game, had
just announced to his father and mother his
determination to proceed to the capital and
pui his life on the hazard of the event.
To this both father and mother vehe-
menuy and vefy naturally objected and
tried by every argument they could think
of TO dissuade him; but the young man would
not be gaiRsaid, and at length he set out
on his dangerous adventure.
When Osman WIS nshercd into the pres
cnoe of the Sultan, and the object of his
coming explained, sfurad himself felt some
regret that SO handsome and intelligent a
parentlyso unequal.
But first, by order of the Sultan, sumpt-
uous repast was served, and at his invitation
osman partook of it with him. Then. after
period of rest during the midday heat, the
chessrnen were brought out, and amid a
circle of-high digHitaries and officials OF the
palace, the youthful stranger faced his i'm
perial lord and essayed the difficult and, as
1t appeared to all present, the foelhardy
task OF checkmating him.
Only five moves had been made, during
breathless silence, when Osrnan calmly pro-
nounced the word ..checkmate,' and on
inspection the fact was cleerly establish
ed.
ALI We're astonished. And the Sultan
amazed and almost stupefed, was filled
with fury.
what" he cried, beaten, and in five
moves, by a mere boy. What is the meaning
of this? Say, what demon hath helped
thee, or by what power of enchantment
hast thou been able to accomplish the
reat?'
Sire" cried Osman, "this opening of the
game is a new one. Being completely unex-
pected, it had given me, for this time, the
victory, which can never hope again to at