In a few moves Black resigned.

Notes to Game DCCII.

(a) K. Kt. to his sixth would have won for Black a clear piece.

(c) By taking B. with B., White must have won immediately. This game is played below the real force of M. Kieseritzki.

(d) Q. P. one, (dis. ch.) followed by Rook taking K. Kt. P. forces the

White. (M. K—1.)

34. Q. to Q. R. eighth (check)
35. Q. Kt. P. one

36. Q. P. takes P. (check)
37. Q. takes Kt. (check)
38. Q. Kt. P.one,becoming a Q.(ch.)
39. R. to Q. R. seventh (check)

Black. (M. E▬▬N.)

34. K. to Q. seventh
35. Q. R. takes Q. B. P.
36. K. to his second
37. K. takes Q.
38. K. to his second
39. K. to his third

White mates in two moves.

Notes to Game DCCIII.

(These Notes are by the Editor of the Chess Player's Chronicle.)

(a) This move ought to have cost White the game.

(b) Why not play King's Knight to Bishop's second, winning the adverse Knight?

(c) Black should have taken the Knight immediately, and then if the White Queen had taken his Knight in return, he would have won the King's Knight's Pawn, and have obtained an irresistible position.

(d) Badly played. In this situation he might have forced the game by two distinct modes of play.

In the first place:

26. K. R. takes K. R. P.

If White does not take the Rook, Black checks with it at Rook's seventh, and wins easily. Therefore,

If White at his 28th move refuse to capture the second Rook, and moves his Rook away instead, Black may either advance his K. Kt. P. one (ch.) or play R. to R. seventh, checking, secure in either case of a won game.

In the second place:

26. K. Kt. to his fourth

27. Q. takes Kt. (or B.)

28. P. takes Q.

29. R. takes R.

30. Q. Kt. takes Q. P. (best) 31. K. to his third (best)

32. K. Kt. takes K. P.

27. Q. takes Q.

28. R. takes R.

29. R. takes R.

30. R. to R. seventh (check)

31. Kt. to Q. fifth

32. Kt. takes Q. B. P. (ch.) and wins, because White must play his King to a square where he will be in check of the Queen, which his opponent will make in two moves. Observe, however, that if Black advance his Bishop's Pawn one, before taking the Queen's Bishop's Pawn, he will probably lose the game by White's first checking with the King's Knight at Queen's seventh, and then playing the other Knight to King's eighth square.

27. P. takes Kt.

White.

28. R. takes R. (best)

29. K. to his square, or (C)

30. K. takes Kt.

29. K. to his B. square

30. K. to his square or (D)

31. Q. takes P. (best)

29. Kt. takes P. (check)

30. K. B. P. one (check)

31. R. to R. eighth (check)

(If the Knight takes Pawn, Black mates in two moves.)

32. K. to Q. second 33. K. to B. third

30. K. to Kt. square

66

(D)

32. Q. takes P. (check)

33. Kt. takes K. P. (ch.) and wins.

30. R. takes Q. (winning); for if White take the Queen in return, he is mated on the move. *

CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE EDITOR OF

THE CHESS PLAYER'S CHRONICLE." SIR-In the November number of "The Chronicle," I see an article by your Correspondent "Alpha Beta," charging Del Rio with having taken a superficial view" of one of the Problems contained in his great work, and congratulating himself at having discovered a flaw in "an emanation of a genius so brilliant," at having "found out a speck in the sun." Let "Gamma come to the rescue, and prove that Messer Ercole was perfectly accurate in saying that in the given position White could do no more than draw the game. Referring then to the diagram on page 345, let me go on to show that this Problem at least must not be quoted among the errors of Del Rio or Lolli. The following are the moves by which Alpha Beta endeavours to demonstrate that White can win by force :

White.

1. Q. to K. eighth (check)

2. Q. to her seventh

3. Q. to her B. eighth (check)
4. Q. to Q. Kt. seventh (check)
5. Q. B. P. takes R. (check)
6. K. to Kt. fourth

Black.

1. R. interposes
2. R. to Kt. third

3. R. interposes
4. R. takes Q.
5. K. moves

These moves are correct, and Alpha Beta's error is in Black's next move. He forgets that Del Rio was an Italian, and that consequently he constructed his Problems in accordance with the Italian laws. Now it will be sufficient to remind A. B. that in Italy a Pawn cannot be taken en passant, but that, to employ their own expression, it can passar bataglia, to convince him that Del Rio in the above position would have played-not "6. Q. B. P. advances," but "6. Q. B. P. two (check); upon which White's King is moved, and the game is drawn by its nature. Of course, if Koch, or any other German or English author, quotes the position as drawn, according to the English laws, they must be considered as in error; for Alpha Beta satisfactorily proves that, according to their rules, White can force the game. But, unless I am in error, the fair fame of Ercole Del Rio is untouched, and the game must be drawn. GAMMA.

*This game is far from being well played by either party, and we give it merely for the sake of the variations springing from Black's 26th move, which strikes us as presenting many features of interest and instruction.

VOL. VI.

PROBLEM, No. 234.

BY MR. W. BONE.

White to move, and Checkmate with a Pawn, without making any piece, in at most twenty-one moves.

Several analogous positions exist in "the books;" but none of them equally good with this: there being here but three Pawns on the field, and all unmoved; which allows Black King a very extensive range.

A FASCICULUS OF

ONE DOZEN CHESS WRINKLES,

FOR

YOUNG ENGLAND.

BY CAPTAIN H. A. KENNEDY.

I.

WHEN you have lost a game or games, never be guilty of the preposterous silliness of allowing that you are fairly mastered by the more expert skill of your antagonist. There are many ways of accounting for such a mishap, without having occasion to resort to an admission so humiliating to your self-esteem. You may conjure up a bad headach for the nonce. You have been in weak health lately. Your mind was otherwise occupied. You wanted sufficient excitement; a capital excuse, as it implies your opponent's being so inferior to yourself, that you could not muster interest enough to take the trouble to beat him. Lastly, you may roundly asseverate, that your bad success has been owing sheerly to luck,- —a reason I do not hear put forward so frequently as it ought to be. Many people are so foolish as to believe that there is little or no good or bad fortune on the Chess-board, but that is a great mistake.

II.

Again; when perchance a loser, you may murmur softly within your beard, but still plainly enough for your antagonist to hear

"I am not valiant neither,

But every puny whipster gets my sword."

Or, if you suppose the quotation may be caviare to the un-Shakesperian intellect of your opposite neighbour; say gently, yet regretfully, as if your mind were haunted by visions of former conquests-" Ay, ay, every spoon in the Club beats me now."

III.

If of a musical turn, you are not forbidden-of course involuntarily, and in mere cheerfulness of heart-to hum or sing during a game, snatches of your familiar and favourite airs, accompanying the same by a staccato digital tattoo on the table. When it is your adversary's turn to move, you may at pleasure yawn-sneeze-groan-stretch yourself