The Washington times., 1901-11-03

| comes the mate in four; LeSchvVltsky
| sacrifices his queen and wins whatever l
| do"
| You are indeed a genius, said the
| president after assuring himself that my
| demonstration was correct. Let me as
| sure you, Mr.. Cohen, that your chess
reputation. whatever may happen TO IL
in the outer world, will not lose with us
! Non obtusa adeo gestamus pectora faelll'
| we can admire intellect. Now as TO the
second game-the second IN which you
| have the move
! AS to that" l replied, running my eye
swiftly down the column, and summonins
up a picture of a board almost instanta-
neously, If LeschevitsEy plays as ne
ought. there can be no doubt of that
either The twelfth move will be false
one. and l shall forfeit the game in con-
| sequence"
"Can you prove that?'
Here" 1 replied. tossing the sheet on
the floor, and running quickly through
the moves, at this points move 8. am
not sure what Lescheyitsky will do; l
myself should move Pawn to Queen 5
sixth; but he viii probably be a little
more cautious, ane castle. / then move
knight to Rocks fifth; he answers Pawn
| to knights third thus; and so on. Then
/ at move Il, | am required to move my
Bishop; this exposes my Queen to check,
| a false move, and l lose the game.
wonderful said half a dozen voices.
MIR. Cohen said the pr resident. you
have convinced US that. though you will
| lose these two games. you will not lose
| another An intellect like yours Will sue
ceed in any walk Of life, especially with a
little capital to start on. We need detain
you no longer"
My two captors led me to tine door.
Stay" cried the president, you are
| leaving the paper behind"
Il shall not require it, 1 replied. Il
do not forget games that 1 have once
played"
Nor oaths you have once sworn?"
Nor oaths I have once sworn"
See him home" ordered the president,
land treat him with the respect his in
tellect deserves
i staggered out of the room. Excite
ment had kept me up while there: but the
revulsion was too much for my nerves,
and reached home more dead than alive.
II.
] need not linger over the events of the
next few weeks. / set out for Moscow
soon afterward. accom- anied by two of
my friends, who seemed perpleXed by
my alternate fits of loquacity and tacit-
urnity. All the frontier of Russia it was
evident that there was considerable eX-
citement. We were plainly the objects of
suspicion. My two friends, much to their
amusement, were subjected to a rigid
cross examination. and our passports
were inspected with she closest scrutiny.
Every paper was turred over, and all
Q lou. l.sa
After detention of some hours We were
allowed to pass. Me curiously enough,
they did not seem specially to suspect;
but. remembered. they must know that
the match was genuine affair.
On arriving at Moscow I took two or
three days to recover from the fatigue
of the journey. and then the match began.
Obedient TO instructions. l played the first
game-having the choice of moves-pre-
cisely according TO the paper. AS the
game proceeded Leschevitskys face was
a perfect study. At my second move he
started, and at my fourth he positively
| leaped from his seat in amazcment. Sus-
pecting a trap, he sat down again and
stared at the board as if his eyes would
pierce right through it. He took half an
hour over a needless analysis of the posi-
tion. and then made precisely the reply
l had anticipated. For very shame / had
to make some pretence at reflection; ac-
ccrdingly ! spent ten minutes staring at
the pieces, and then moved my knight into
the very thick OF the enemy's forces.
Again Leschevitsky started. obviously
thinking either that | was mad or that
meant to insult him by childishly throw
ing away a gamz 1 had already imperiied
He took the piece and in less than an
hour finished off the game by the sacri-
flee of his Queen. precisely as l had ex-
pected. / reversed my King In sign OF sur
render. He murmureG some polite moth
ings TO the effect that / must be "out Of
form. as you English call it, but was evi-
IDENTIFY hardly able 10 conceal his aston
ishment. As for my two hackers, they
were more outspoken.
What the deuce did you mean by play
ing the fool like that" said one
"a little new combination" 1 muttered
feebly
Combination be -" said the other.
why, your pieces We're all over the
board, and your King nowhere. Lesche-
vitsky could have beaten you with his
pawns alone"
Better luck next time" 1 said
Better play answered my first friend.
cor we shall think you've sold the match
Theren be some pretty notes in the
Field" next week. Nice fools we shall
look, coming all the way to Moscow 20
see play that is more skittles than chess"
l pleaded a headache, and somehow got
rid of them.
Next day was not in MY bargain with
the president. and / was myself again.
Ny opponent, perhaps a little over-confi-
dent after my former display. was a trine
careless in the opening. After a dozen
moves l gained a pawn. and. pressing my
advantage remorselessly. accumulated SUI
periorities in the manner Of Steinitz. and
compelled him to resign after thirty-fve
moves.
That was more like it" said my men
tor. on the way to the hotel. You never
played better; at this rate you are safe
enough, in spite Of yesterday
The next day was a holiday. having
barn SGT aside for unfinished games. 1
had fun leisure to reflect upon the absurd
figure / was going TO cut on the morrow.
and on the severe lecture ! should receive
from my two friends. However. there
was no help for H. / had pledged my
word. and l knew that If / failed to keep
it, | should never leave Moscow alive
Accordingly. when the time came, regard
less of the audible disgust of my friends
played as ! had promised: but Lcsche-
vitsky, rendered cautious by his disaster
did not answer as / expected He made
several defensive moves where attack was
required. / emerged from the opening
but two pawns TO the bad. and. though /
lost the game. prolonged it to atty moves
My supporters, while amazed at my
opening. thought that my middle and end
play had almost made up for it. only.
for goodness SAX don't play the fool any
more"