Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2410, 10 May 1900, Page 52

Chess Items.

The strongest chess player in the British Army in South Africa, according to the Hereford Times, is Lieutenant George Spencer Churchill. He is attached to General Buller's corps, and was slightly wounded at the later contests over the relief of Ladysmith. Two years ago he was captain of the Oxford team in the xnatch with Cambridge. An English translation of Greco's treatise is &? be Published, this -"Tlie. salftbresf^

3 3 he is commonly called, i 3 considered the chess star of the seventeenth century. He was of low extraction, but having learned chess he improved go rapidly that Marano, a celebrated contemporary player, received him into his hcuse, and gave him a thorough chess education at the Neapolitan acadc-mies. Greco made a tour to the courts of Europe, and met with the, most surprising sxiccess. His games, judging from his book, were most brilliant, and he is looked upon as the founder of the Anglo-French school, whose glory ciihninale.d in the great; Philidor.

All Australian chessplayers will much regret Eo observe the name of Mr H. C. Steaclrnan on the list of those of Thorneycroft's Handful who were wounded at Spion Kop. No particulars as to the extent of his injury have yet come to hand, and meanwhile we can only hope that it is not serious. Mr Steadman is one of the strongest »South African chessplayers, and in the Johannesburg Club ranked next to Mr Michael. By profession he is an assayer, and was lately connected with the Bonanza mine. — Sydney Town and Country Journal.

M. Janowski will not at present play another match with Showalter, as he is reserving himself for the important Paris International Tourney.

An unofficial report has it that Mr F. K. Esling, of Melbourne, is in fine trim for the telegraphic match between Victoria and N.S.W. on Queen's Birthday, and has a few new things up his sleeve. .

Mr J. E. Ducker, of the Kogarah Chess Club, is in the van of that" fairly numerous body of Australasian chessplayers who will visit the Paris Exhibition. He is on the voyage to London with -his wife and sister ; and it i& , understood that during his > stay in the gay city he is determined to find time to see something of Parisian chess resorts, although, no doubt, Simpson's Divan, in the Strand, "London, as the centre for chessplayers great and small from all parts of the world, will claim his first j attention. La Strategic laments that there is no suitable locality in Paris for a great chess match, or for important seances given by pro- ■ minent masters, such as 11. Rosenthal's annual i exhibition of blindfold play. There are, in- ' deed, clubs like the Grand Ceicle, the Cercle Artistique et Litteraire, and others which afford only small accommodation for chessplayers, but they are closed to the general public. "What they do is for the benefit of their own mernbors, and not for the propagation of chess in general, For instance, the Grand Cercie is going this j year to devote an important sum to the International Tourney, but how many Parisians and rjrovincials will take part in this contest? Those only who are able or willing to 'Subscribe lOOf. The Philidor Club, which is the most important in Paris as 'to numbers, meets in a cafe, the funds not admitting of the payment of a rent. There is to be, however, an effort 1o remedy this. A body of amateurs are about to establish a French Chess Association at 36 Eve Richeliea, to meet on Mondays, "Wednesdays, and Saturdays, from 4 to 7 p.m., with, a subscription of 12f. We (8.C.M.) wish this movement every success, but we agree with the Strategic that the subscription is too small to ensure permanent longevity, as well as ample - accommodation in a city with dear rents like those of Paris. One thing we 1 are sure our ; French friends will not do, and that is put their guests who take part in the International Tcurney into a bare-boarded loom, without carpet or other suitable furniture, like that at the London Eoyal Aquarium last year.