CHESS IN THE TRENCHESD.

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 55, 6 March 1916, Page 4

CHESS IN THE TRENCHESD.

Under the above heading an Australian contemporary has the following:— It is reported in the Autocar that a game of chess lasting a whole day was played "at the front" between French and Germans in opposite trenches, move 3 being transmitted in French by megaphone- -The Germane won; and Mr. A. Guest makes this commentary, on the incident in the Morning Post:' "Notc'd players aro known to be serving among them (the Germans), and probably the presence of one-of these in the trench suggested a challenge, with the practical certainty of success. On one fiide there would be an animated discussion between a gathering of moderate French amateurs, and on the other an expert serenely achieving a cheap victory without any interference. The, French are not great players, and it may be supposed that they accepted the challenge more for the game than the victory. If such an incident, had happened on the Russian front the result might have been different. Britons generally are. beginning to recognise the vigour of Russia's artistic genius in various directions, but it has been familiar to chess players in respect of the game for some years past. Russia is certainly at the head of European chess at the present time, and though the Germans interned a- group of distinguished Russian masters who were their guests on , the outbreak of the war,, there are. .enough remaining in their own country, together with a great body of talented amateurs, to make any German challenge a precarious undertaking. Hence it is easy to conclude that no such challenge will be issued. Even Hirtdenburg, who is himself a chess, player, would not be -likely to sanction a game for mere amusement. But certainty of a success that could be. magnified'into a triumph for. German 'Kultur,' as an inspiration to his weary troops, would be a different matter."