El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-16
Modern Science Used To Play
Worlds Oldest Scientific Game
Chess the Sport Deep Thinkers Figures in Ancient History
and Present Progress

another inhabitant of that region, for it
was the Saracen Buzecca who first
startled Europe with the power TO play
chess without seeing the board This
feat of memory was performed first in
Florence in 1865. Since that time chess
players have developed their powers Of
memory and vizualization to a truly
marvellous degree. Leon Matteo LII
Genchi, a Spaniard who lived during
the sixteenth century, astounded the
courts of Europe by playing blindfold-
ed, three games at the same time. and
carrying on a lively conversation while
his opponents were planning their modes
of attack. But these performances have
been outshone many times in the nine
teenth century. especially by the young
Boston player, H. n. PiIlsbury, who
played % games at one time blind
foldedi
Origin Yelled In Antiquity.
The origin of chess is yelled in the
mists of antiquity, but it is generally
believed to have come from India. The
first intimations Of chess go back 5000
years before the Christian era. In the
early days it was played by four per-
CONS instead of two and the moves of
the four principal pieces were deter
mined by throwing an oblong die From
India chess was carried to Persia and
from there it was introduced into Spain
by the Moors. This is the generally ac-
cepted theory of the origin Of the game.
Out others trace the royal sport to Pal
amedes, son Of Nauplius ruler of the
island of Negropnte, who is also credit
ed with the invention of weights. meas
ures and numbers, and the idea of es-
tabllshing the solar year and the lunar
month
If there is any doubt as to the origin
OF the game, there can be none as TO
the nation most devoted to its intrica-
cies today. The Japanese are chess
mad, according to our western stand
ards, for every officer in the army and
navy and every common soldier is more
or less OF an. adept at the game There
are many "cause-seekers" who profess
to find in the mental development which
mas been brought about by chess the
underlying principles which resulted in
the victories over the Russians in Man
chur1a- In Japan today it is a COM
mon sight to see the jinrikisha men
Squatting on the street corners engross-
ed IN chess while waiting for CUSTOM
ers- The Japanese millionaire. who
wishes to make a donation which will
bring happiness to the unfortunate
buys a hundred sets of chessmen and
boards and presents them to some hos
rital
Geniuses Chess Enthusiasts.
Whether or not there is as much in
the theory Of japanese mind training as
the chess enthusiasts would have us
believe. ii is historical fac, that such
military geniuses as Napoleon and
Charlemange were great lovers of the
game The name of Narcieon is con-
nected with one of the great ST chess
rarvels of the age the aut1niaton
chess player invented by Baron Wolf
gang Kempel and first exhibited in vi
emma in 1853 This automaton was a
half-century wonder. It played chess
and defeated some of the greatest ex-
perts of the day in nearly every coun-
try of Europe The figure was made 10
represent a turbaned Turk Lea ned
men wrote thoughtful books in which
they tried to solve the mystery. and
curious crowds flocked TO see il in ev-
cry capital whore 1t was on display
Frederick the Great became so irrer>
ested in it that he finally b ought it in
1893 for 30 COO francs in order 70 learn
the secret of its operation, which was
that strong chess player was conceal