Evening star., 1903-09-18
CAFE DE LA REGENCE.
Story Of Paris Home for Chess, Soon
to Be Wiped Out.
From the London Standard.

From the London Standard.
The Cafe de la Regence which has so long
been the rendezvous of chess players, and
at which some of the most historical chess
matches have been played. is older than the
Comedie Franchise. opposite which it is sit
uated. In fact, 1t was established in 1858.
just one year before the Hotel des Come
diens du Roi'' assumed the title which 1t
still bears. 1t was only In the middle of the
seventeenth century that coffee was intro
duced into Europe. In 1910 an Armenian
sold cups of the beverage at the fair Of St
German, and shops for its sale were open-
ed in Paris shortly afterward. If the Cafe
della Regence was not the first to be created
ii was in 1888 by far the most important OF
thoSe houses. 1t was decorated with mir
rors. and the tables were of marble as they
are still.
Situated close to the Louvre, and In the
center OF what was then the fashionable
quarter. II Is. perhaps. not astonishing that
It's vogue should have been considerable
from the very outset. not solely on account
OF the excellence of the coffee provided for
the aristocrauc customers. but also because
Nine. Lefevre. wife of the proprietor was
handsome. winning in manner and no great
paragon of virtue. OF course the name of
the Cafe de la Regence could not have been
given TO the house before 1715 Previous to
that date 1t was called Cafe de la Place d.,
Palais Royal. NJ. Lefevre's successor was a
certain Leclerc. to whose wife a penfleman
VINO 1requented the establishment addressed
a poem entitled "Brevet de Venus nour
Madame Leclerc maitresse du Cafe de Ia
Regence. which would seem to indicate
'hat she was not more auStere than her
predecessor. The Figaro recalls the fact
that about 1852 Leclerc handed over the
mouse TO NJ. Rey. formerly officer of the
Kitchen of the Due d'Orleans. His name js
mentioned In the first page of the lie Ne
Ven de Rameau'' 'e
Whether 1t be fine or bad weatbs- T .,
ways go. at about O'Clock in the evertna
Tor a stroll in the Palais RovaI ~ ~
Weatner Is wet and cold 1 take refuge in
the care de la Regence. There / amuse
myselt by watching the chess PLAYERS In
the whole world Paris is the place wbara
chess Is played the best. and In Paris It is
at the Cafe de la Regence where ~ is
played with the greatest perfection" Rav
was still the proprietor of the house in 1T7f
for the "Almanach Dauphin" of that wear
says: His establishment is one of the old
est and most highly reputed. and frequented
by the cleverest chess players"
The Cafe de Ia Regence was always IA
vored by literary men, Among them were
Diderot. d Alembert, Chamfort MarmonteI
Grimm. lie Sage Franklin and yoltaire
himself. When Jean Jacques Rousseau re-
turned to Paris in ITO. in spite of the war
rant issued against him after the pubJica-
tion OF his Emile he showed himself sev
eral times at the cafe. where his presence
attracted a crowd not only within the
establishment. but without. lie Sage. in
la Yalse Trouvee." gives A description
of the Cafe de la Regence at each epoch
The most renowned of the chess PLAYERS
who gave the Cafe de la Regence its par
ticular characteristic was the musicia n
Philidor. His bust still presides over the
chess players. and his portrait, a small en-
craving presented by his son. is hung on
the wall. He has had many successors
some of whom have surpassed him in the
science OF chess. but his analysis of the
game remains classic work. and has Sc
cured for him immortality more surely than
his musical compositions
During the Terror Robesperre came from
time to time to the house. A story Is told
of his having been beaten twice at chess
by young unknown adversary, who was