LIVING CHESSMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6566, 2 December 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

LIVING CHESSMEN.

Tdzßov.C. C. Chevallier, the vicar of Heighington, in England, in order to raise a fund to provide bells for the parish church, arranged, says the Pall Mall Gazette, for a game of chess to be played in Roil worth Park, fcy players who were dreiised to represent tho different pieces on the chessboard. The day was fine and a large and fashionable company ■was attracted from Darlington, Bishop Auckland, and other parts of the district. There \vns a considerable space of green sward roped off in the park, which was laid out in squares. The baud escorted the opposing forces on to tbe ground, who marched in procession and presented a most picturesque appe.-xrnnce in their fifteenth century costume. The prevailing colour of the costume of Hie players on one side was green and on the other.- red. The pawns -were dressed as pages of the fifteenth century, with long pointed shoes and tights. The cast's* were imitations of the castles known in chess, consisting of canvas in which four young ladies were enveloped. The bishops appeared in bishops' costumes, those ir. red being the cardinals. The two gentlemen who directed the players were the Rev. C. C. Chevallier and Mr. Johnson of the Bfeitjliington School. Tlio moves worn faultlessly made, showing that the phryera had been well drilled.