Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-01
A GREAT CHESS GAME.
THE SULTAN AND THE GRAND
vIZIER THE PLAYERS.
The Latter Kept His Head. Which
Indicated that He Was n Partlcu.
lar FnvOrttc Of Aliah-Demth of the
sultan. .Nf
Oh. n. Crellln. IN the Sag Francisco Argo-

| naut)
Sultan Murad was devoted TO the game
OF chess To say, without fattery, that ne
was good player. Is to say that he was
a man Of considerable intellectual power.
But Sultan Murad in his play had two
failings-he liked to have an ADEQUATE
stake ON the event Of the game. and he
could very ill-brook defeat. These weak
nesses are always trying but in the case
of SO powerful and absolute a monarch
they rendered the game one OF exceeding
danger To lose pretty constantly meant
ruin; to win too often might easily mean
| death. Under these circumstances II he
came difficult for his Majesty to find an
adversary, and an invitation to a contest
came TO have as fatal a significance and
TO be as much dreaded and. II possible.
avoided as the post OF grand vizier had
been in the reign of Sslim the Grim. So
many had lost all they possessed. and
some their lives into the bargain, that
every high officer of State Stunned. as far
as possible the dangerous honor Of facing
| ms master across "a chess board IL so
happened that the present grand yizier
| was as Keen an enthusiast for the game
| as the Sultan himself This had been uro-
baby his chief recommendation for the
ONCE; and, being a born gambler and OF
! u cOhstitutionally bold and reckless nature.
ne was always ready to play. counting
| neither the cost nor the hazard He play
ed ON the varying fortune. but generally
losing. until he had staked and lost every
, thing he possessed or could scrape to-
/ ecther.
AZ length one afternoon. on the Sultan
saying to him. "Well Grand Vizler. and
what dost thou venture on this new
gamer he answered ruefully: MY Pa
dishdh, except the garments in which /
stand before thee. and which are thine al
ready. there Is OF truth no one thing
! possessed that have not staked and lost
ana only by the bounty of thy Majesty
shall and Fatima, my daughter and only
enid, ma bread or shelter. So great Is the
skin of your Majesty at this Internal
! game"
Come. Vizier," said Murad. IF II be 80
bad with thee as that. | will tell thee
what thou shalt do. Thou shalt on thy
part stake thy daughter, and / on my
part Will stake the loveliest odalisque
in my harem, and 1900 gold pieces 10
boot, and we will play yet another game"
The Grand NiZier heard this proposal TO
stake his daughter. his only child, with
dismay; but he knew his imperial master
too well 10 venture a refusal Therefore
! they played, and he lost. Then the I'M
happy father. in the bitterness OF his
heart, said: "Oh, Sultan, have my head
only. and that Is at thy mercy, but If
thou wilt on thy part stake my daughter
who thou hast just won, L VIII wager my
head against her.
''Vizer." said Murad. gravely, 1.-THE
stakes are hardly even, but If thOJ
wishcst ii, so it shall be-"
And once more they played. and again
the vizler lost
Then Murad laughed and said: ''Be not
| alarmed: i give thee thy last stake, Tor
! thou hast never fiinched, but hast ever
played boldly and well; only this, under
stand, we have played our last game. and
| thou holdest thy office only until l appoint
another In thy place.
After the final defeat OF his courageous
and indomitable grand vizier, Murad was
hard put to find any suitable opponent
to face him at the chess board. All men
| shirked the dangerous honor. and the I'M
| happy vizier or pasha commando TO I'M
dertake the duty found ii difficult TO
guess whether victory or defeat might
prove more perilous.
At length the Sultan bethought him OF
a plan which seemed TO promise more
| diversion than could be obtained from
|
| ing adyersaries. lie caused II TO be pro-
claimed that any man might challenge
| his Majesty to game OF chess. the con-
| ditions being that the challenger staked
his own head against the Office Of Grand
Nizier.
To such lengths will the cupidity and
| self-confidence OF many men carry thtih
that numbers were found ready to race
the Sultan on these terms; but whether
Murad's skill was invincible. or whether
bis opponents were frightened and I'M
neryed by the risk they ran. at any rate
each succeeding aspirant lost his head IN
staad of attaining the object OF his am
biton-the coveted position OF Grahd
Nizer. ,,o,,a-
Al The time of issuing the prochfna-
ton there lived in Adrlanople Il iainiy'
| consisting of three persons
mother. and one son. The latter "aS
| n young man Of pleasing HaH"ei', "
good presence and of remarkable eneisy
| and Intellectual capacity. me hs"S VI
no SrI,an's offer had reached TINS re-
, ,,,o and secluded family. and the son.
who had long been devoted stuu.n'
the game. had just announced 10 ms
,ather and mother his DETERMINATION ~
nroceed TO the capital and put MS i'ie
ON the hazard of the event.
| When osman was ushered INTO the PTS
o,,oa az the sultan, and the object OF ms
| onn,ire exnlained, Murad himself leit
/ 80. 1es,ret that so handsome and intel
Jrant "a youth should risk his lie IN
| combat apparently so unequal. Alter re-
| earding him in silence Few moments,
| he asked him, 'Dost thou understand
clearly what are the conditions or the
game we are about to play?
"If l have been correctly informeu'
sire" said Osman. "the conditions are
these: IL win, your Majesty VIII appoint
me YOUR Grand Vizier; If lose, my lie
Is the forfeit"
And dost thou still wish to play on
these terms?" asked Murad.
II have" answered Osman' travelled
far to seek that honor.
but what can that fatal hohor a'ai'
thee" asked Murad, "or what benant can
accrue to thee II thou must die?
"Hope sustains the SOUL said Osman.
"and makes us willing 10 rish lie luz All
| adequate reward. ~
How long hast thou STUDIED CHESS
demanded the Sultan.
"My father taught me as boy an
swered Osman, "and all my life / have
loved and studied it,"
.'Very good" said Murad, then at thy
desire this day shalt thou play for thy
life"
But first, by order OF the Sultan,
sumptuous repast was served and at his
invitation Osman partook Of II with him.
| Then. after a period Of rest during the
midday heat the chessmen were brought
out. and, amid a circle of high dlgnita-
ries and officials Of the palace. the youth
full stranger faced his imperial lord and
essayed the difficult. and. as 1t appeared