The sun., 1899-05-14
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE.
MORE TALK or AN INTERNl TIONAL
MATCH WITH ENGLAND.

From time to time there has been In America
movement toward getting on match with
the crack players OF old England. Just to see
how the two countries would compare In point
| OF skill. Lieut.-Col. Lowsley has been the
latest to agitate this subject. and he appears to
| be encouraged by the recent success OF the
| meetings between the Americans and the
Canadians. although he is impressed by the
| necessity OF having the match soon II IL 10 to
| come off at all.
| In order to nave satisfactory test it would
| be necessary for us to get together players
| from various parts OF the country in order to
make up atruly representative American team.
as no one city could produce team Of eight or
| twelve players who would be considered good
| enough to represent the United States in an
| international contest Such selection could
hardly be made except at one OF eur annual
| congresses. As the English have no curiosity
whatever to know whether or not we are better
| players than they. it would be a fundamental
condition OF the contest that we should 60 to
| England to rlay The selection Of the players
would. therefore. depend not 80 much upon
their skill as upon their ability to travel such
| distance to play match. Instances will readily
| occur to any one familiar with the game In this
| country which go to show that many important
| matches have been lost simply because some
| important member Of the team was unable to
| travel. and his place had to be taken by some
| player with more leisure but less skill.
The longer we put of this much-talked cd of
contest with England. the less chance there Is
that we shall ever have one. because whist is
rapidly dying out in that country. especially
among the experts. During a recent visit to
London the writer made careful inquiries as to
the cause OF this decline and came to the con-
clusion that the thing that had killed whist in
England was the adoption OF American leads
in the twentieth edition OF Cavendsh. For
some years before the advent OF bridge rubi-
con bezique was the game at the clubs and it
was only with the greatest difficulty that Cav
endish himself could get upa rubber at his
own club. the Portland. so strong was the OBJ
lection to his conventional plays such as num-
ber-showing leads. plain-suit echoes. &c.
Bridge came as welcome relief and is now
pretty we'll established as the club game OF all
England. 1t being difficult to get up a good
rubber OF whist among those who were the ex-
perts at the game some years ago.
The calamity howers in this country. led on
by Tormey. have been trying to persuade US
that it was bridge that killed whist in England
and that 1t will do the same thing here. but
such is not the case. In the course Of very
interesting interview with Matthias Boyce. who
is known to all whist PLAYERS as "Mogul." and
has been in close touch with the whist in
terests OF England for the past fifty years. the
writer was assured that whist was dead before
bridge was born. and that what killed it was
the introduction Of conventional plays and sig
nails. and nothing else. The thing seems to
have run about the same course in England
that it is now running in this country. begin
ming with American leads. drifting into private
conventions not fully explained to the adver-
sares. knocking up against accusations OF
unfair play and finally ending on the rocks OF
absolute dishonesty in the way OF private un-
derstandings
With the exception OF Mogul and Pembridge
whose powers Of reaching the public car were
limited the English players had no leading
spirits with sufficient courage to denounce the
growing evil and demand return to purer
methods. Cavendish was in control Of the only
welI:knQwn medium of whist communication.
Journal has had the unfortunate result that
instead of his going down to posterity as
Ehst ali T. of f s goes s"st pl5ss pross
Fail OF Whist he nrophesied better than he
knew.
players in this country and those in England Is
ever to be made 1t will be rather difficult to
to both sides The Ameri cans would insist isto on
duplicate and would probably regard any
match not payedi on that system as an imper
means. We estimate the comparative strength
wSs Ghch haH H1s bee. Eansd payps
the American. to tell whether or not a man
loses tricks ON hands unless they are over
The Engiishman does not see Il In in this this light
at all and insists that duplicate is entirely un-
Raysrs sk Speakine on h!s point. MaP sias
Boyce said to the writer: You must admit
that in straight whist 1i,. you can tell when man
might have saved a trick if he had been alive
that n
capped any but very keen player. and YOU can
tell at once. even when his play loses. whether
what T You cali eod tricks s spd to S' resos esosr
is no necessity to test them BY. duplicate meth
ods. because. we can Judge Of their ability in
play with them and watch them play the more
firmly their reputation, becomes established
don. yet all those whose opinion is worth hav-
lng agree Hp3n 5 Dr. ol hSns so as the best in the
MsIsn "' very M ' Close sseond ' persons 'onk'ns
:. New. Dr. Lyme never played duplicate in
pss s e oe no nnS hs Wg
one Of your compass matches. but they recog:
nlze in him all the elments Of the master and
him easily irst. You have no such asreemene eran
6is RAY but By What yo1 ,fsI hear sad q him
lished in Buffers Whist Reference Book
how had with and
UpP9n being asked oha what he considered the
said: Il think you will find that the great
thing is a com bination Of qualities rather than
the possession OF any one In particular: In the
first place. man must have a very thorough
knowledge OF the principles;of the game. which
In itself presupposes years OF practice with
the best players. Then he e. must possess the
play. undsturbed by anything which may
occur. He, must have the, power to eeti-
mate rapidly and accurately the calibre OF
his partner and opponents and to adjust
his game to theirs Dr. Lyme is especial
" strong in this respect, his manner at the
very best work out Of his partner, apparently
without an effort He never makes the slight
est remark about the play. even after the hand
Is over, except to compliment He is .particu-
lary impressed with the importance Of not dis
turbing his partner. as he has observed that
off by apparently slight remarks. by an uneasy
movement In the chair. by n toss OF the head or
even little more than usual emphasis in the
playing of card.
1T Is noticeable that the best players in
England never go for coups. They play the
game in the most simple and straightforward
manner and never seem to bring off any of