The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-11
CHESS FOR PLAYER,
LOVER And STUDENT
British Tell Story Of JOffre as
an Expert and How He Won
Soldiers Game.
PAIR or MOVES DECISIVE

Italians are noted for being best able
10 dispose OF anecdotes by simply saying
VI no g zero e ben troroto Of not true ii
Is we'll invented). But II IL very doubt
full IL they would use this an,ou
proverb when being told the latest chess
story. which made the round In a great
many British exchanges. According 10
these, which came 10 hand las; week.
Gen. Joffre when examining the
trenches found two oldicrs engaged in
a game Of chess. When one Of t~he.play.
ers took u seemingly long time Hr the
consideration OF his move. Gen. Joffte.
who was looking at the board without
the players having noticed his presence,
suddenly cried out Move that pawn"
And when the soldier had obeyed the
command Jonre exclaimed and now
move the other pawn" And sure enough,
the pawns were moved and the game
won.
Probably the Italians would say the
story Is badly invented. for nobody ever
heard of Joffre being an expert player.
Few famous men are noted for being
good chess players. Moltke, for in
stance, was a knights player. that is TO
say, u master could ave given him the
odds OF a knight. The great Napoleon
was only a weak player and II IL stated
that Moltke was Il superior player 10
Bismarck. who nearly always lost 10
Moltke when these two were trying th-ir
skill on the checkered board.
There IL not such a thing ~ an expert
chess player, known az u In private
~ 1NA
has to cross swords with expert players
and then there must be a record of
games. Neither Jofrre. nor Moltke. nor
Bismarck has any record.
Blackburne tells "A good story OF Iiarr-
witt. the celebrated chess player. The
latter was playing Il game at Il l'ordon
club and his opponent had just attacked
a knight with a pawn. Harrwitz saw
that II the knight were captured he
could force a mate in -four moves, but
feared that IL he abandoned the knight
suspicion would be aroused and his little
scheme frustrated. How Was his OPP
ponent 10 he thrown off his guard"
He hit upon the Ingenious expedlent
OF making a false move with the at
tackled knight. His opponent ot course
claimed the usual penalty OF compelling
him TO move his king. Hemonstrances
were in vain. the Law OF the game must
be adhered to. IN with well simulated
disgust at his own stupidity, Harrwitz
replaced the knight and moved his king.
His opponent irnocently snapped mp the
knight, whereupon The willy German
b!andly announced his mate in four.
At a recent meeting Of the Good Com
panion Chess Problem club. held at the
rooms Of the Franklin Chess Club IN
Philadelphia, an interesting exhibit was
made OF tn" chess pieces and books of
Benjamin Franklin. Russell Duane, the
owner Of the Chcssnen and "A direct
descendant Of Americas first chess
player. kindly exhibited these historical
CuriOs and told how they had been
handed dpwu through TIE family uu'i'
they zane into his ppss, sslou
Ar o~rlgina! copy of I'runkliu'S Morals
OF cA"s.," tine first printed article re-
lating 10 chess published I'm Amer -,
also VAS placed on exhibition. T.c
article appeared In me COIUm bidu
MdOd:ins published IN Philadelphia IN
1856 P0or RiChdrd'S lbadHUcS. Cuu-
tinrutdl money ana books printed los
Dr, Frank IN We're displayed by J. +.
MLgct, il, the clun'S s-crotary, wro
gave an nterestlus talk on Franki'u's
devotion To- the mental game.
From a late bulletin OF the Good
companion chess Problem club Of phil-
ad"lph!a i * learned that IN the bIirk
wall ~ the side Of the door Of 1904 Wal
nut street VIII he fou'l he a~rtist'r sym
hol of the Franklin Chess club. named
ia honor Of Americas first chess playcr
and author, II was presented to the
club by one of ITS patrons. Ira l.. tonk-
ling, member ~ IN" frin Of the CouklIu"
4 V,,a r.vs ,,sr .Hntt. -
Philadelphia. Thomas Robertson. the
sculptor, d .isned, moulded and deco
rated this lustre polychrome terra Gotta
tile-a speaking likeness Of the patriot
The artist received his inspiratiou by
blending, redesigninG and rcmouldine the
Iloudon bust. 1871. and tn" well known
portrait Of j, :. Duplesis, which appeared
in Paris the same year The IVORY col
ored bowll!kc background adds grct'lv
to the artistic effect. The outer wreath
Of these ficnr.s-a Teu,on King. queen
Elizabeth Of England. the rules OF TN,
Church. horses head OF tn" ciyali.l -
~ in blue the letters of the Cluh are ia
red, combining the CulorS ut tn" l'uivor-
sity of pcnnsy lvania, The wreath Is ~
"A frame to Il beautiful picture. TN,
work is about = feet wide and = feet
high, and the detail may h" seen p',ulN
from the sidewalk and trolley ears Tpi~
is The only chess club mat has - cost,
and handsome a gnhoard To tell pas
sersby where II j. located All chess
players passing tnrnugh Philadelphia
should make II a point To- visit IT,,
Franklin chess club auu view "a s.
unique wurh of aI'.
\ correspondent IN BurunS A>r,s.
writing to the I,m'N NcskI0 Ed,',or
says that in all ia" publir school of his