Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-17
LESSON TAUGHT BY CHESS.
1t Is An Ancient Game That Typifies
Life Itself.

II is impossible TO state just when
and where chess was born. Back we
may go in the ages but We still find
ii existing We see it painted on the
Egyptian vases. and we find it in the
Chinese books of wisdom. 1t has
been aseribed to all sorts of birth
places, its creator having been at
times a man. at times a god Moth
ing positive is known about il, yet
the greatest probabilities seem to
point to its having come from the
East. 1t may be interesting tic note
Just a few of the hypothesis sur
rounding it's obscure birth.
John de Vigney assigned the inyen-
ton to Babylonian philosopher,
Xerxes Leneur attributes it's origin
to Chilo the Spartan, one of the
seven sages of Greece. Sir William
Jones ascribes the invention of chess
to Mars, and feels sure it originated
from India. Gibbon says: ITO adj
monish Kings that they are strong
only in the strength of their subjects,
the same Indians invented the game
of chess, which was likewise intro
duced into Persia during the reign of
Nushirvan."
An Indian philosopher thus des-
cribes chess: 1T is a representative
contest. a bloodless combat. an image
not only of actual military operation,
but of that greater warfare which
every son of the earth, from the
cradle to the grave, is continually
waging-the battle of life One sees
clearly that, even going back to its
birth, the parallelism between chess
and men exists. for does anybody
know just when, where and how the
first man appeared on earth? Also.
is it not a fact that mans attributes
and nature have remained unchanged
throughout centuries, and that chess
was played much in the same way,
each chessman moving in its allotted
manner even 5000 years ago.
Chessmen, if taken to represent
real characters, can teach us many
things, for the pawns, the most in
significant of all the pieces, are
standing in the foremost rank, and at
the end of the game pawn may be-
come a queen Nothing is impossi-
BILE to the small while the game is be-
ing played and greatness is there TO
be achieved.
According to Carrera, the princi-
pies of chess could be applied to the
game of life. The board may be
considered the field of life, chequered
with good and evil. on which man is
to play his game and be rewarded ,ae-
cording to his deserts. The pawns
may be looked upon as representing
those feelings which are first excited
by circumstances and form barriers
to those stronger passions which
would be represented by the superior
pieces. The castle, moving on the
board in direct lines. represents that
innate sense of justice pervading
every human breast. which. however
attacked. when properly maintained
cannot be conquered. The knight,
eccentric in his movements, but regu-
lated by fixed principles of action
portrays that feeling of honor which,
deviating from the beaten course
seeks for adventures BY the walk
of the Bishop may be considered the
religious feeling which is continually
crossed by the movements of ordi-
nary life; as they never leave the
L 'pioi " Aht HHudft tit+S iiViii
they are typical Of a firm faith. The
queen typifies ambition, and the king
moving only one square at time
| while every direction is open to his
choice is highly characteristic OF
prudence. He seldom moves unless
forced shelters himself behind. and
claims the suecor OF Justice, honor
religion and ambition.-London Globe