Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 1973, 12 September 1889, Page 29

Chess Items.

Past American Chess Congresses. —Thirty-two years ago the first Chess Congress hold in the United States took place in Now York. It was at this meeting that the New Orleans lad, Paul Morphy, first established his pre-eminence and astonished the world with his phenomenal genius. .In the Congress of 1857 there were but 16 players, and each one did not, as is customary now, play with every other contestant. They were paired by lot, first eight againßt eight, then four against four, two against two. one against one, the winner of the last game taking first prize, not having lost to a single player. At this Congress Morphy won first prize, Paulsenßeaond.Lichtenheinthird, and Dr Eapl ael fourth. The second Congress was held at Cleveland, Ohio., Captain George H. Mackenzie taking first prize ; H. Hosmer, of Chicago, the second; Elder, of Detroit, the third ; and Max Judd, of St. Louis, the fourth. In the third National Tournament at Chicago, in 1874, our gallant Captain again won the first prize, with Hosmer aecona, and Max Judd third. At the fourth Congress, in 1876, in Philadelphia during the Centennial celebration. Mason took first prize, Judd second, and the now veteran Eng-. lish player, H. K. Bird, third The fifth U.S. Chess Congress took place in New York in 1880. Captain Mackenzie once more took the first prize with a fine score, Grundy won the second, Moehle the third, poor Sellman, of Baltimore, the tourth, and Max Judd, always a winner, the fifth. — Boston Post.

The Philadelphia Times publishes the following specimen of Mr Bird's table-talk :—" Probably, with the exception of Steinitz, Blackburne is the finest living player. Steinitz is a slow player, and is always prettj well crowded for time, and I doubt if he could have made as good a showing against Zubertort if the latter had been less confident, and had arranged the match at a time limit of 20 moves to the hour instead of 15. I trotted Steinitz the closest heat he ever contested. He beat me Bto 7, with 6 draws. This was in '.67. In 'sß Morphy beat me 10 to 1 with 1 draw. Steinitz claims that he is a better player than ever Mot phy was, bufc I think my record with each is a fair teßt of the strength of the two. Steinitz claims that when I played with Morphy I was out of practice, but I cannot explain away my crushing defeat by that great player in any such way. I never played better chess in my life than when he beat me. Morphy had more science than Steinitz —more imagination. His career was very short, though very brilliant, and whether or not he could have held first honours as long as Steinitz has is a matter of doubt ; but Morphy never met bis match. He was never compelled to play his beet game. His resources were never fully tested " My Bird bases his comparison of Morphy and Steinitz on his own knowledge and his own experience; and his judgment is as interesting as it is significant.