the Gambit, and the powers of the adverse pieces being proportionally restrained, it is above all things necessary to capture the Gambit Pawn. But as the diagonal line of attack of the Queen from her own square to the King's Rook's fifth, remains open while the King's Knight has not been moved, the defence of the Gambit Pawn will become much more laborious, the second player will be obliged to give check with his Queen on his King's Rook's fifth, which will endanger his Queen, will keep her away from the centre, and leave the opposite side unprotected. Besides, as in this Gambit the King's Rook is necessary on his own file, you can well dispense with castling, and the King itself is able to render efficient aid.”

Black cannot, at his third move, defend the Gambit Pawn, by playing K. Kt. P. two squares, as is usual in the defence of the King's Gambit; because by advancing K. R. P. two squares, you get a winning position. Some writers recommend K. B. P. two squares for Black's third move, but this also involves many objections. Most authorities now admit the best move to be,

3. Q. to K. R. fifth sq., checking. He thus forces your K. to move, and prevents your castling, and also defends the Gambit Pawn.

4. K. to K. B. square.

It is a very natural move for a young player now to advance K. B. to Q. B. fourth square, because he thereby threatens to give checkmate at the next move; but by advancing Q. P. two squares you force the B. to retreat and at the same time improve your game; you gain, in fact, two moves. Q. P. one square is sometimes played for Black's fourth move, in answer to which you may play Q. P. two squares, or Q. to K. B. third square, or K. Kt. to K. B. third square; but most authorities agree that Black's best fourth move is,

5. K. Kt. to K. B. third square.

4. K. Kt. P. two squares.

You thus attack his Q., and he has the choice of three moves. If he play her to K. R. third square: you move K. Kt. to K. fifth, threatening to take K. B. P. thus forking his Q. and K. R. If he play Q. to K. Kt. fifth square, you may win her*; therefore, his move is,

* For example:

5. Q. to K. Kt. fifth square.

6. K. B. takes K. B. P., checking.

[If he

5. Q. to K. R. fourth square.

This is really a good move, for it confines your Knight, protects the weak part of Black's game, and by having his Q. on the same diagonal as that which your Q. commands, he may have a chance of exchanging Queens, which is generally of advantage to the second player in an early stage of the Gambit.

6. K. R. P. two squares.

He cannot, of course, capture this P. If he advance K. Kt. P. you play Kt. to K. Kt. fifth square, and get a good attack; therefore, he plays, as his best move,

7. Q. Kt. to Q. B. third square.

6. K. B. to K. Kt. second square.

It would be bad play in Black to capture this Kt. with his B., for he would thereby change off one of his most useful pieces, and open a path for your, Q. and Q. B. His best move is,

8. Q. P. two squares.

9. K. P. one square.

7. K. R. P. one square.
8. Q. P. one square.

If he now advance K. Kt. P. upon your Kt., you play Kt. to K. square, and will easily recover the Pawn. Probably his best move is,

10. Q. Kt. to Q. fifth square.

9. Q. P. takes K. P.

This is much better than taking the P., for on re-taking, Black would protect with his K. B. the point now attacked by your Q. Kt., and to defend which Black must move his K.

10. K. to Q. square.

In the defence of this Gambit, Black generally fails, if he lose a move for the purpose of preventing the advance of his adversary's Q. Kt.; that is, it is better for him now to move his King to defend Q. B. P. and Q. R., than at an earlier stage to have played Q. B. P. one square, to prevent the White Kt. from being played to Q. fifth.

11. Q. P. takes P.

If he retake this P. he will lose his Q. in consequence of the check by discovery, to prevent which he plays,

If he capture the B. with his K. you fork K. and Q. with your Kt.; therefore

7. K. R. P. one square.

8. Q. Kt. to Q. B. third square.

6. K. to K. second square.

7. Q. to K. Kt. sixth square.

Whatever Black does you win Q. by playing Q. Kt. to K. second square.

12. K. to K. Kt. square.

11. Q. B. to Q. second square.

This is to enable you to capture his K. Kt. P., and attack his Q., &c.; he therefore, in order to be able to retake the P., moves,

13. K. R. P. takes P.

12. Q. to K. Kt. third square.
13. P. takes P.

You now perceive one of the advantages of his playing K. B. to K. Kt. second square. It enables him to retake

the P. and not fear the exchange of Rooks.

14. R. takes R.

15. Q. to K. square.

14. K. B. takes R.

Your object is to play Q. to Q. Kt. fourth square. Black's best move is K. B. to K. Kt. second square, but he may very naturally play,

16. Q. B. takes Gambit P.

17. Q. to K. R. fourth sq. checkg. 18. Q takes K. B.

15. Q. Kt. to Q. B. third square. 16. P. takes Q. B.

17. K. to Q. B.

Your position is superior to that of the Black, but there is still a good deal to be done on both sides.

The following brilliant little game occurred in the match between M. de la Bourdonnais and Mr. M'Donnell. The Black pieces were played by the latter of the two combatants. In a letter written by Mr. M'Donnell to Mr. Walker, at the time the match was going on, he says of his antagonist: "He is the most finished player of the age, and all I can expect is to play up to him after some practice. The openings may not be happy, but how can you mend them? I broke down in my Bishop's Gambit, the game of all others I most relied upon, and possibly it would be the same with any other attacking game. The fact is, practice of a superior kind is indispensable to form a firstrate player."

BLACK.

1. K. P. two squares.

2. K. B. P. two squares.

3. K. B. to Q. B. fourth square. 4. K. to K. B.

5. Q. P. two squares.

6. Q. to Q. third square.

7. K. B. takes K. B. P. checking.

WHITE.

1. K. P. two squares.

2. P. takes P.

3. Q. to K. R. fifth square, chg. 4. Q. P. one square.

5. Q. B. to K. Kt. fifth square. 6. Q. Kt. to Q. B. third square.

This is an ingenious move, but not a sound one, because, in order to recover an equivalent for the B., Black puts his

Q. out of the game. It would, perhaps, have been better to have taken the Gambit P. with Q. B.

8. Q. to Q. Kt. third square, chg. 9. Q. takes Q. Kt. P.

7. K. takes K. B.

8. K. to K. Kt. third square.
9. Q. Kt. takes Q. P.

This last move of White is masterly. Many players would have saved Q. R. at the expense of the Kt., but by advancing the Kt. not only is a valuable P. gained, but an addition is made to the attacking forces already in the adversary's camp.

10. Q. takes Q. R.

10. K. Kt. to K. B. third square.

This move is necessary to prevent Black from checking with his Q. at White's K. square.

11. Q. Kt. to Q. R. third square. 12. K. Kt. P. one square.

13. K. to K. square.

14. Q. B. to K. third

square.

11. K. B. P. one square.

12. Q. B. to K. R. sixth square, chg. 13. Q. to K. Kt. fifth square.

14. Q. P. one square.

This move is also admirable; White threatens to win the Black Q. by checking with K. B.

15. Q. takes Q. R. P.

15. Q. Kt. to Q. B. third square.

This move prevents the Black Q. from rejoining her forces in the centre of the board.

16. Q. takes Q. B. P.

17. Q. B. to Q. second square. 18. K. to Q. square.

19. K. Kt. takes B.

White terminates the game

16. Q. P. one square.

17. Q. takes K. P. checking.
18. K. B. P. one square.

19. Q. to K. B. sixth square, chg.

much more quickly by this

move than if he had at once taken the Black R.

20. K. to Q. B. square. 21. B. covers.

20. Q takes R. checking.
21. Q. takes B. MATE.

THE QUEEN'S-PAWN-TWO OPENING.

THIS game, which is a branch of the King's Knight's opening, receives its name from the third move of the first player, who sacrifices his Queen's Pawn by playing it two squares. On this account the game is also sometimes called "The Queen's Pawn's Gambit," or "The Central Gambit." It has yet another name, "The Scotch Opening," from the circumstance of its having been adopted in three out of the five games which were played in the year 1824