Chess Nuts.

CHESS NUTS .

CHESS is ah intellectual game , and a capital exercise for one ' s mind and patience ; people not possessed of these attributes will do well to- forego its fascinations . From a spectacular point of view this pastime easily yields the palm to football and bull-fighting ; but it is , on the other hand , less

dangerous—unless , of course , you , or your opponent , happen to be playing with a person of unsound mind . It is quite an ancient game—Sultans and Shahs and Kings playing it in prehistoric times with their Grand Viziers , often , however , under very unhealthy conditions . It requires , of all things , a

clear , cool brain , and the Grand Vizier , if he woo twice in succession , usually lost his head ; this , of course , unfitted him for further play . The requisite paraphernalia is a Chess board and a set of Chess men ; but a couple of chairs and a table add materially to one ' s enjoyment of the sport . Chess

men are made in ivory , iri hoxwood , and sometimes in Germany . As a set of men with care will last a lifetime , it is worth while paying a trifle more and having a good one—a fact which you should be careful to impress upon your friend when he is buying it . The game requires an even" number

of players , either yourself and another , or two others . Having mastered the names of the pieces and the different moves , the next thing to master is your opponent If he be a nonsmoker things might be equaliser ] by your puffing at a specially rank ; cigar . A timely cloud , when he is cogitating

about a move , or when you are manipulating your own men , will doubtless yield favourable results . The opposing forces are black and white , the white leading off in every game . It is impossible , though , to rob the black , or indeed take any thing whatsoever , with the first move ; and this to the white man must be a great disappointment .

The least valuable pieces are called Pawns , but should you move one of these so as to place your opponent ' s King eh prise , you must not say he is " in . pawn , " but " in check . " Novices more familiar with the former phrase are particularly warned against its misuse . The Knight , of which each player

has two , moves in a curious uncertain manner , as of a soldier trying to obey a cross-eyed general . It is represented with a horse ' s head , but from the way in which it conducts itself , especially under the misguided hand of the novice , one could suggest , as more appropriate , the head of some other animal .

The Castle moves in a straight line as the crow is supposed to fly , which is doubtless why it is subnamed a Rook . When watching a game of Chess , do not , after five or ten minutes inactivity on the . part of a player , shake him , under the

impression that he is off to bye-bye ; he is thinking out a move . It is best to limit the time allowed for moving , as the dreariness of watching a game where a man only makes two moves during the evening , the second being upstairs to bed , is inconceivable .

Openings of games differ only slightly , but the endings are multifarious . A good and effective termination is a lively supper at the loser ' s expense—that is , unless you have been

unfortunate in the contest . Play can be resumed afterwards , care being taken , when attacking the two opposing Kings which you see on the board , to avoid checking the one that is not there . Never think to gain any advantage by con-

Chess Nuts.

cealing the King or Queen up your sleeve . Remember that this is Chess—not the usual game of nap . An excellent game is Chess fpr relieving the tedium of railway journeys . For this purpose the board should have holes in the squares , and the pieces be provided with pegs or

spikes , the board being supported on the knees of the players In cases where the length of the spikes exceeds the depth of the holes you will , of course , allow your opponent to have the

board entirely on his own knees . Passengers entering or leaving the compartment can please themselves whether they climb over , or crawl under ; in neither case will they please the players .

Railway Chess is usually brought to a conclusion by . one of the players finding that he is fifteen miles beyond his destination . A good book on Chess can be obtained for od or is , and will teach you far more than I can in an article of this length . I say in an article of this length . — " Westminster Budget . "

**** # ** ## ****** # ** A NOTE ON CHESS THEORY . MR . MASON , I think , remarks in one of his books that capture is always , or almost always , followed by reaction . This is especially true when the capture is that of a Pawn ;

for not only does the player waste a move in effecting the capture , but he also presents his opponent with an aid to counter-attack in the shape of an extra open file . It follows that a player should be careful how he picks up Pawns , more particularly when the capture puts a piece out of play , or in

a position subject to attack . Nevertheless , " a Pawn is a Pawn , " and among first-class players it is usually numerical superiority that decides the issue . A Pawn , therefore , must be won , but it does not follow that it must always be won at the earliest opportunity . If the attack is strong ' enough to

force the gain of a Pawn , it is generally strong enough to . force the gain of something better . When , therefore ; you have a Pawn . at your mercy , it is often advisable , instead of taking it at once , either to attack it with another piece so as to get the option of taking it with either , or , still keeping hold of

the Pawn , to threaten something else ; continuing in this manner until you see your way to capture without fear of reaction . On an open board the Queen is especially suitable for tactics of this kind , which really come under the well known axiom that to threaten is better than to perform . For

example , when you have a piece capable ' of moving to either of two commanding squares , it is often better to play it to neither . If you commit yourself to either , the opponent will at least know what that piece means and will be enabled to shape his defence accordingly ; whereas , by reserving the

option , you compel him to keep on providing for both emergencies . And , if you can get him into the same state with regard to one or two more attacking pieces , he will probably find that the emergencies to be provided for outnumber his defensive resources , and that consequently his game is lost .

In a word , the golden rule for attack may be stated as follows : " Unless you clearly see your way to ; decisive gain , do not make one strong move , but threaten to make more than one . "— " Knowledge . "

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Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . SUPPORTED BY VOL UN T A RY C O N T R I B U T I O N S . 2 U 56 Boj / s haVe ' received the benefits of the Institution since its foundation ih 1798 . 293 Bops are novO being Educated , Clothed , and Maintained . The ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL due to be held on 25 th June 1902 , under the distinguished Presidency of COLONEL JOHN DAVIS , A . D . C ., R . W . Provincial Grand Master for Surrey , Vice-President of the Institution . The services of Ladies and Brethren as Stewards are earnestly requested , and will be gratefully acknowledged . CONTRIBUTIONS EARNESTLY SOLICITED . Secretary—J . MORRISON McLEOD ( VICE-PATRON ) , 6 FREEMASONS' HALL , LONDON , W . C ,