Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-01-10
ROYAL ROWS OVER CHESS.

ROYAL ROWS OVER CHESS
If, as is reported in the papers,
King Edward is developing an en-
thusiasm for chess he is only foil w.
Ing the steps of many of his pre-
decessors on the throne including his
namesake, the first Edward, who wq3
almost as keen a fighter with castles
and pawns as with his knights and
squires at his back on the Scottish
border.
His wife, too, was little less skillful
at the game than her lord; indeed
on one occasion, when she gave him
one of his rare beatings, he reward
ed her with a present of chess
board and men made of jasper and
crystal On one occasion his devo.
ton to me game nearly cost him
his life, for he had only just risen
from the board when the centre stone
of the ceiling fell on the very spot
where he had been sitting.
Whether or not players were more
irascible in those days than now, 1t
is a curious fact that chess was Of
ten more stimulating to the royal
tempers than is golf in these latter
days, and many game peacefully
begun ended in broken heads When
Prince Henry-afterwards Henry l.
once paid visit to the court Of
France, a chronicler tells us. "he
won so much at chess of Louis, the
Kings elders some, as he, growing
into choller, called him Ga naughty
name) and threw the chess in his
face. Henry takes up the chess
board and struck Louis with that
force as drew blood. and had killed
him had not his brother Robert come
in the meantime and interposed him
self, whereupon they suddenly took
horse and got away"
King John in his younger days had
a similar experience, for game of
chess in which his opponent was one
Fulk Warine ended in a royal row,
during which Fulk gave the prince
so grievous blow as almost to
slay him on the spot" John never
forgot the blow or forgave his irasc-
tble opponent, and punished him
when later he came to the throne by
Withholding his Whiting
Castle-from him.
William the Conqueror more than
once lost his temper over the game,
and on at least one occasion with
serious consequences. He was play
ing with the son of the King of
France when dispute led to hot
words and eliminated in William
bringing down the board so heavily
on his opponents head as to make
him unconscious. Within an hour
Williams horse put a score of miles
between his rider and the French
court.
Philip II of Spain could play chess
amiably enough as long as he won
like so many of us-but woe to the
indiscreet player who checkmated his
majesty; Punishment from court was
the least penalty he might expect.
One of the most powerful grandees of
Spain, after playing with the king,
returned home and thus greeted his
family: My children, we have nothing
more to do at court. There we must
henceforth expect no favor; the King
is offended because | have won every
game of chess"
Napoleon the Great was an equally
selfish and intolerant player. Once
when he was playing with Eugene
Beauharnais and suddenly found him
self face to face with checkmate,
in fit of passion he swept the board,
pieces and ALL off the table. slapped
his opponent in the face and walked
out of the room.
In one case at least chess estranged
a husband and wife and cost the hus-
band dearly. Ferrand, Count of Elan
ders, was in the habit of playing with
his countess, and was ungallant
enough to win almost every game.
This constant and almost inevitable
defeat so disturbed the lady that in
of her victor-to such an extent that
when he was taken prisoner at the
battle OF Bouvines she refused point
blank to take any steps to procure his
release.
Louis XIII of France was so in
fatuated with the game that wherever
he went he was accompanied by his
chess board and men, and invariably
played it in his coach when he took
his drives abroad. Charles found it
SO fascinating that he almost literally
played it to the foot of the scaffold,
and when once his game was inter-
rupted by news that the Scots had
decided to sell him to the Parliament
he proceeded with his move as un.
rufiled as it,. instead of hearing his
doom, he had received summons to
dinner. And when John Frederick,
elector of Saxony, heard over the
chess board the news that he had
been condemned to death, he complet-
cd his move again in the game before
the messenger had time to withdraw
Boston Herald
LIGHT THE CANDLE