from his preface will show wherein the Indian game of the present day differs from ours. The aforesaid learned gentleman with the long name, thus speaks on the subject:

"The Hindoostanee game of Chess varies so much from the European that, in the following work, the author has only adhered to the former as far as it agrees with the latter in order to make this book generally useful. The several points in which these two differ are here enumerated, and it is left to the judgment of the experienced player to decide which is the preferable and which the most scientific game.

"1st. In the Hindoostannee game the King is placed to the right1 hand, so that the King of one party is opposite the Queen of the other.

"2nd.-There are three modes of winning the game -The first called Boord, when the losing party has no piece left on the board. The game is then discontinued. This mode of winning is reckoned the least creditable, and in many parts it is deemed a drawn game. The second is by checkmate with a piece, when the losing party must have one or more pieces remaining. The third is by checkmate with a Pawn (Piedmât). The losing party having one or more pieces remaining. This last shows the greatest superiority.

'3rd.-Stalemate is not known in the Hindoostannee game. If one party get into that position the adversary must make room for him to move. In some part of India he that is put in this predicament has a right to remove from the board any one of the adversary's pieces he may choose.

1 The author's meaning is clear enough, though not very neatly expressed. Each player places his King on the right of the two central squares, and his Queen on the left. This is the general rule all over the East; and when we see a contrary statement, as in the description of the modern Persian game, p. 248, the probability is that the author has made a mistake.-F.

--

"4th. No party can make a drawn game by an universal check; he that has the option must adopt some other move.

"5th.-The Pawns on reaching the last square of the board are transformed into the master piece of that file, except the King's Pawn, which becomes a Queen. If the Pawn be on the Knight's file, the Knight, immediately on being made, takes one move in addition to the last move of the Pawn, unless some other piece command the square to which the Pawn was advancing.

"6th.-No Pawn can be pushed up to the last square of the board, nor take any piece on that line, so long as the master piece of that file remains.

"7th.-The King does not Castle, but is allowed the move of a Knight once in the game; not, however, to take any piece, nor can he exercise this privilege after having been once checked.

"8th. The two royal Pawns and those of the two Rooks are allowed to move two squares each at first, so long as their master pieces remain at their squares. The other Pawns move only one square at a time.

"9th. At the beginning of a game, four or eight moves, as may be determined, are played up on both sides. This, in a great measure, prevents unnecessary exchanges till a general disposition is adopted and the pieces brought out.

"10th. The first move at the beginning of a match is arbitrary; afterwards, he that has won most games moves first.

The following are still more recent accounts of Chess and Chess-players in our Indian empire, communicated a few years ago to the editor of the "Chess Player's Chronicle," viz.—

"I have now played a great many games of Chess

with Parsees, Hindoos, and Mussulmen; they all play it according to the rules annexed, and I have never met with one among them who was acquainted with the game as played by us in Europe.'

"Rules of the Game of Chess as played by the Natives of India.

"1.-Place the board with either a Black or White square on your right hand, it is of no consequence which.

"2.-Your King must be placed on the right hand of your Queen; consequently your King and the adverse Queen will be opposed, and vice versa.

"3.—The King's, Queen's, and Rook's Pawns only are permitted to be moved two squares their first moves; and if either of these pieces, viz., the King, the Queen, or the Rook, is moved before its respective Pawn is played, the said Pawn is restricted to move one square.

"4.-Castling is not allowed, but the King, once during the game, may be moved like a Knight, if he has not been previously checked, or if the move will not expose him to check. The King, in making the Knight's move, can capture either a piece or Pawn.

"5.-A Pawn, upon arriving at the Rook's, Bishop's, or Knight's eighth square, can be exchanged only for the piece which originally stood upon that square;

but

1 The writer must have lived in a very out of the way place indeed. In almost all parts of India the natives play our game, and play it well. The fact is simply this, that among themselves they prefer their own game, but they are at all times ready to encounter a European in his own way, as we have seen in the case of the four Bramins with Lieut. Moor. I must further beg leave to hint to the correspondent, should this meet his eye, that he ought to have eschewed the vulgar word Mussulmen, used only by European newspaper editors, and gentlemen and lady travellers who think that Mussulmen is the plural of Musalman.-F.

A

upon its arrival at the King's or Queen's eighth square, a Queen or any other piece may be claimed for it. Pawn cannot take another Pawn "en passant."

"6.-When all the pieces are taken the game is drawn, although there be Pawns left, and if all the pieces of one party are taken before checkmate is given, the game is likewise drawn.

"With these exceptions the game is played as it is in England."

We shall now conclude with an account of two very eminent Hindu players. The first is thus noticed by Mrs. Postans, in her work on Western India, viz.—

"Professional Chess-players are less common than might be supposed; but some of the Moslems play a scientific and good game. I have never found them object to our pieces, notwithstanding the use of any images is forbidden by the precepts of the Koran. Most good players prefer not looking at the board, and some are sufficient adepts to conduct two games at the same time. Others place a ring on any Pawn selected by their antagonist, and give checkmate with the same.

"The Philidor of Western India is a Hindoo, called Ramdass, a native of Kattiwar. This man plays his best game without looking at the board, and as he sits in a corner of the room, it is curious to hear him muttering over the chances of the game, and reasoning with himself on the consequences of his moves. If a false step is made by his adversary, Ramdass immediately detects it, and enumerates with ease, and in correct succession, the previous moves of both parties; when arrived at that which he is satisfied he can follow up with one of his ingenious mates, Ramdass patiently awaits his adversary's move, and then springing from the ground, instantly fixes on the required piece, and drops it on the effective

square, with a smile of triumph, and a monosyllable "bus" (enough), that 'tis hard to bear.

"Ramdass told me he played Chess at nine years old; his countenance is heavy and his eyes apparently weighed down by intense thought. With constant practice and a good memory, a student of Chess, previously well acquainted with its scientific principles, might, he averred, acquire his method of playing without a board, in six months."

In the very last number of "Allen's Indian Mail,” (May 12th, 1860), we have an account of a Bramin in the Madras Presidency who is now exhibiting the most extraordinary feats of memory that we have ever seen recorded. As the late Mr. Cobbett used to say, "remember I do not vouch for the fact." I merely have it from highly respectable authority, and if true, the Madras Bramin beats our transatlantic cousins all to nothing. The following is the account to which we allude:

"BELLARY.-A Brahmin has lately been exhibiting at Bellary extraordinary powers of memory; he is able simultaneously to concentrate his attention on twelve or more different subjects. He performed the other day before a large audience of influential natives of the place, and gave proof of a truly wonderful scope of memory. At this exhibition he played two games of Chess and one of cards without looking at the boards. While thus engaged, verses in Tamil, Telugu, Marhatta, Hindustani, · Persian, and Sanscrit, were dictated to him; the words of each verse being given promiscuously, but with the number of their order. The Hindu calendar for three days was at the same time read to him; a bell was struck, and several small pebbles were thrown at his back. The above occupied about three hours, after which he remained perfectly silent for one hour, and