CHESS IN CHINA AND JAPAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2211, 16 July 1896, Page 40

CHESS IN CHINA AND JAPAN.

Mr O, Bulk gave an interesting lecture on Chinese and Japanese cliesn in the rooms of the Otago Chesß Club. He detailed the many movements of the various pieces, rules of tltegauie, 4c, in a clear manner. 1 lie fol owing is a remmi :—

CHINESE CHESS.

In China the game is play el an a board inter, aectedbyten horizontal and nine vertical lines, of which the latter are not marked in the centre rank • This bhnk space is k«own "as the " river," and oivides the two countries now at war. The pieces are not placed on aqua- e«,but on the inttr•section" of the line* which separate the squares. The pieces move on the linett ouly. The king ie placed in the centre of the back row. The intersecting points of the three middle lines are joined*by diagonals, forming a quadrangle, which is called the. "camp" or "palace," outside of 'which the king cannot move. The king has I the privilege, when no pif cc intervenes, to check i the opposing king right across the board, thus j giving material assistance towards a final checkmate. I The councillors stand each side of the king, and these, too, are confined to their respective camps. They move one^stsp at a time diagonally, never horizontally. The. bishopi adjoin the councillors, and like our bisaop6 move diagonally^ but only two step 3at a time, aHd if any piece intervenes, they cannot move at all The bishops cannot cross the river. The knights move is something like ours, consisting of one step in a straight line and one step diagonally. Hence if a piece intercept the elbow, so to spetk, of his beat, the knight cannot move. Thus a check given by a knight can be stopped by interposing a piece. The rooks also resemble ours, and are the most powerful pieces of Obiuese ch-ss. The king, councillors, bishops, knights, and rooks occupy the back row. The cannons are pieces which move like our rook, but capture in a peculiar manner. For they can only capture when a piece intervenes. The intervening piece is called a " screen." In addition to the three orthodox ways of evading check, that by the cannon is obviated by removing the interposing piece— i.e., the " screen." The two cannons are placed in front of the knights on the third row. Ihqpavms, of which there are five, move one step at a, time, straight ahead until the river is crossed. Then they may move either forwards or never backwards. ' On reaching the last rank there is no promotion, and the pawn can i then .only indulge.in a tidelong movement ou that i rank. - i The pawasjoceupy the fourth row, one step carryi ing them to 'the river, and the next across.

JAPANESE CHESS,

The Japanese chess board has 81' squares of a uniform colour.. The pieces are played on' the square*. In this-respect Japanese chess resembles ours and differs from Chinese chess. The diagram represent the Japanese cfies's board, with the men in position for play.ng ;—

1, 0; 2, Kin; 3, Gin -, 4, Keima; 5, Yari; 6, flisha; 7, Kaku; 8, Fu. The men are shaped very like a fiat laundry iron' with the handle off, and are of one uniform colour. The opposing forces are distinguished by the direction in whicn they point. The 0 or king stands in the centre of the back row, and moves exactly like our king. It is not confined like the Chinese king. The tin (meaning "gold") stands on each side of the king. It moves one square in any direction except a diagonal retreat. The gin (meaning " silver ") stands on each side of the "kin," andFhas a-somewhat similar movement, except that'it cannot move sideways nor retreat to the square straight behind. The marks in the'following diagrams show the scope of these two latter pieces :—

The hehtut ox knight stands one on each fide of the " gin." Its biqyo 1b Yew auich, more reatrlfltett

than that of our knight, for It can only move forwards, never backwards. Hence the playera are chary in moving their knights. The yari or rooks occupy the corner squares, and are restricted like the knight, being only able to move forwards. But that forward move, supposing no piece intervenes, may occupy the whole length of the board. On the necond rank stand the two most powerful pieces of Japanese oheas. The hisha occupies the right-hand side, and has exactly the moves of our rook. The kaku is placed on the left-hand Bide, and moves like our bishop. The fu or pawns, of which there are nine t fill the next rank. They move and capture straight ahead. .There is no piece in the sense of our queen on the board, All the pieces and pawns when they reach the opponents territory are promoted and obtain the moves of the kin." It is seen, however, that if either of the two powerful pieces, the "hisha" or the "kaku," were promoted like that they would lose power. But these piece*, when they reach the enemy's territory, have the move of the "kin"addod to their own. The " kin " itself cannot bo promoted. In the Japanese game you can employ the pieces you have captured against your adversary by placing them on any desired square as an equivalent to a move. The game is very popular in Japan, aud is played by all classes. The object of the game is the same as in our chess— viz , to chtcktnate the king. Stalemate is cot allowed in Japanese chess, and a kin? in 'a stalemate position must be liberated. In Chinese chess, on the other hand, stalemate is equivalent to checkmate.

Owing to the weakness of the individual pieces there is no opportunity in either game for the bold play or brilliant and de?p combinations which make our game so attractive. Another game which is in still greater favour with the educated classes is the g*me of " Go," which was introduced from China 1100 years ago, and is said to be 4000 years old. In this game the board is divided by 19 vertical and horizontal lines, producing SSL cross points. There are 360 stones divided, so thst one player has 180 black ones and the other 180 white ones. A player puts a atone on any cross point he* pleases, and this is continued, alternating with his opponent, the object being to encircle as many of the opposing forces as possible. Once placed on the board, the stones are never moved again. It is primarily a strategic game, and i 3 held to be superior to chess owius to Us requiring greater skill aud practice. The game i« held in hi«h honour, t c bo3t players formerly being retained at the Shogun's pourt. Academies for cultivating the game were founded. The players are divided into nine classes. In 30) years only nine playera have reached the ninth or highest class. The beat player of the present day is in the seventh . class. Only one alien— a German— has obtained more than an elementary knowledge of the gims, and he got a certificate of proficiency.