ON CHESS
XI - Chess Writers and Players
In the early part of the eighteenth century Captain Joseph Bertin obtained a distinguished rank among chess players. He seems intitled to the merit of having invented the "Three pawns' gambit:" which being afterwards adopted by the celebrated player Cunningham, it was named by Philidor "the Cunningham gambit," by which term it has since been known; but, as Mr. Walker remarks, from its construction involving a sacrifice of three pawns, it is more correct to term it the Three pawns' gambit. In 1735 Captain Bertin published a small work, entitled "The noble Game of Chess." "Printed for the Author, and sold only at Slaughter's Coffee-house, in St. Martin's Lane." This work contains the laws, twenty-six games, and twelve endings. Among his rules, the author makes a remark which every.chess player will appreciate: "I wish I could give rules to avoid oversights."
Mr. Cunningham, the critic and editor of Horace, a gentleman of taste and learning, had moreover the reputation of being the first chess-player in Europe. His acquirements gained him the friendship of many distinguished persons. It is said that while Lord "Sunderland and Mr. Cunningham were at the Hague, they frequently played at chess, and after continuing to play for some time his lordship discovered that if either one before playing was jolted in the carriage, in passing over the rough streets of the Hague, he was generally the loser. For this reason his lordship discontinued going to Cunningham, but for some time sent for him. Under this new arrangement Mr. Cunningham found, to his no small astonishment, that he lost most of his games; when the plan was at length revealed, he insisted that the visits should be reciprocated. This new arrangement is said to have restored the former ratio of success between them ; but, ?? was remarked to Mr. Twiss, those who believe in this anecdote must think that the head of a chess player, before he plays, must be moved as carefully as a bottle of old port before it be decanted.
During Mr. Cunningham's residence at the Hague, a German prince, having heard of his great skill at chess, sent him an invitation to go and play on a certain day. Mr. Cunningham, who had acquired an European reputation in chess, did not choose to risk it against a stranger, and therefore asked Mr. Ogilvie, a Scottish gentleman in the Dutch service, to pay a visit to the prince as Mr. Cunningham's pupil. This was agreed to, and Mr. Ogilvie waited upon the prince with a note from Mr. Cunningham to the effect that he could not avail himself of the honour of accepting the prince's invitation for the hour named, but that he had sent one of his pupils to attend in his place, and in the event of his being beaten, Mr. Cunningham would himself attend and play with the prince. Mr. Ogilvie beat the prince in every game; which so greatly mortified him, that, thinking the master would vanquish him still more easily than the pupil, left the Hague on the following morning without even waiting to see Mr. Cunningham.
This distinguished player died in his native country, Scotland, in 1732, more than eighty years of age.
The next player of eminence is Philippe Stamma, who styles himself "native of Aleppo in Syria, and interpreter of the oriental languages to the King of Great Britain." He published at Paris in 1737 a small work containing a hundred situations or ends of games: many of these are very instructive, and ought to be known by every chess student: others, says Sarratt, there is every reason to believe, never occurred in the course of a game, and it may be doubted whether they could occur. We may add that the same remark also applies to many of the chess problems of our own day.
In an edition of this work in French, published by Stamma at the Hague in 1741, and dedicated to Lord Harrington, we find the following amusing anecdote among the rules and cautions which he gives to the chess student:
Be very careful how you capture a piece which your adversary offers you for nothing: for he intends either to win one of your superior pieces, or to give you check-mate. This stratagem is frequently practised among good Arabian players.
It is related that a young man of this country, still under paternal authority, having learnt the game of ches, took so much pleasure in it that he neglected everything else. His father having often reprimanded him without effect, became at last so angry that he threatened one day to kill him. The son fell on his knees, demanded pardon, and stated that this game was more useful than his father seemed to think it; but that he would continue to play no more. After a moment's reflection the father demanded the use of such a game, for he could see none, except it were to encourage idleness. "My father," replied the son, "this game teaches me many things that will be very useful to me during my future life. If for the good of my country I were required to go to the wars, this game teaches me how to fight with advantage. If I were on a journey, and robbers were to attack me, I should know better how to defend myself than one who has not acquired skill in this game."
"Tell me how this is possible," said the father. "You must put me to the proof" responded the son. The father did so: he sent his son on a distant journey, with a largo sum of money to buy merchandise. | |
When the young man was on his road, the father sent four men after him to rob him. When the son found himself opposed to these robbers, he dismounted quickly, abandoned his horse, and taking refuge behind walls and hedges, escaped. He then accomplished the object of his journey, and succeeded in bringing his merchandise safely home.
He then related to his father what had happened. "As on as I was attacked," said he, "I bethought myself of an expedient frequently adopted at chess, viz., to sacrifice my horse to save my life and my money; in the same way as at chess I sometimes sacrifice my knight, in order to save my king or my queen."
The father was so much pleased with the skill and addreas of his son, that he not only forgave 1iim, but determined to learn the game. This little story, says Stamma, is far more pleasantly related in the Arabic, in which language the knight is called the horse.
Stamma was in London in 1745, and published an improved edition of his treatise, which has since been edited with notes by Mr. Lewis. In 1747, Stamma tried his skill against Philidor in a match of ten games; Philidor giving him the move, and allowing a drawn game to be a lost one. With these advantages Stamma won only two games, of which one was a drawn game.
As it is our intention to conclude these brief notices of chess players and writers with an account of Philidor, we proceed to notice a few of the principal satellites which, during a considerable portion of the last century, hovered round the greatest luminary that ever threw lustre on the science of chess.
In 1750, a treatise entitled "Practical and Theoretical observations on the Game of Chess," was published at Modena: "The author," says Sarratt, "chose to conceal his name, and it is difficult to assign a satisfactory reason for his diffidence, for it is unquestionably a publication of great merit and real utility." For many years the author of this book was referred to as "The Anonymous Modenese," but it is now known that Dr. Ercole del Rio was the author. In 1820, Mr. Bingham published "The incomparable Game of Chess developed after a new method of the greatest facility, from the first elements to the most scientific artifices of the game." This high sounding title, which, like all such, promises more than it performs, is applied to a work which professes to be a translation from the Italian of Del Rio, whereas the real author is Domenico Canonico Ponziani, an advocate in the Ecclesiastical Courts, and a friend of Del Rio, who was an advocate in the Civil Courts. Mr. Bingham has translated the third edition of this book, published at Venice in 1812, which is greatly inferior to the second, published at Modena in 1782, the third, as Mr. Cochrane thinks, being probably a reprint of the first. In the advertisement to the second edition, Ponziani is distinctly stated to be the author, and is said to have been assisted by his friend Del Rio, in the composition of the work.
The work of Del Rio received a commentary from the labours of Lolli in 1763. This commentary, (a folio volume of 632 pages,) "like that of Coke upon Littleton, or of a Dutch scholiast upon a classic, exceeds a hundred-fold the bulk of the original work." The size of this book, adds Mr. Cochrane, was, on its first publication, ridiculed in Baretti's Frusta Literaria. It is, however, the most complete and valuable treatise on chess which has hitherto appeared. This high praise was given by Mr. Cochrane in 1822, and although many valuable works on chess have appeared since that time, Mr. Walker, in the third edition of his excellent treatise, (1841,) docs not hesitate to pronounce Lolli's "the most classical work on chess extant".
We conclude the present article with an amusing anecdote, related of the Duke de Nivernois:
When this accomplished nobleman was ambassador to England, he was going to Lord Townsend's seat, at Rainham in Norfolk, on a private visit, en déshabille, and with only one servant, when he was obliged by a very heavy shower to stop at a farm-house in the way. The master of the house was a clergyman, who, to a small curacy, added the care of a few scholars in the neighbourhood; which in all might make his living about eighty pounds a year: this was all he had to maintain a wife and six children. When the duke alighted, the clergyman, not knowing his rank, begged him to come in and dry himself; which the other accepted, by borrowing a pair of old worsted stockings and slippers, and warming himself by a good fire. After some conversation, the duke observed an old chess-board hanging up ; and, as he was passionately fond of the game, he asked the clergyman whether he could play. The latter told him, that he could play pretty tolerably; but found it difficult in that part of the country to get an antagonist. "I am your man," says the duke. "With all my heart," answers the clergyman;" and if you will stay and take pot-luck, I will see if I cannot beat you." The day continuing rainy, the duke accepted his offer; when his antagonist played so well, that he won every game. This was so far from fretting the duke, that he was pleased to meet a man who could give him so much entertainment at his favourite game. He accordingly inquired into the state of his family affairs; and making a memorandum of his address, without discovering his title, thanked him, and departed.
Some months elapsed, and the clergyman thought no more of the matter, when, one evening, a footman rode up to the door, and presented him with a note. "The duke de Nivernois' compliments wait on the Rev. Mr.; and as a remembrance for the good drubbing he gave him at chess, begs that he will accept the living of, worth 400l. per annum; and that he will wait upon his Grace the Duke of Newcastle on Friday next, to thank him for the same."
The good clergyman was some time before he could imagine it to be any more than a jest, and hesitated to obey the mandate; but as his wife insisted on his making a trial, he went up to town, and, to his unspeakable satisfaction, found the contents of the note literally true. |
Archeologia Scacchistica 
