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Otago Witness, Issue 2436, 21 November 1900, Page 56

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The Melbourne Leader points out what it calls "another coincidence" in the following: — A correspondent, D. C, of Linton, points out the almost perfect similarity yi construction and idea, between the problem which appears as No. 2040 in our column, a prize winner by Godfrey Heathcote in the unfortunate Leisure Hour tourney, and the problem which appears as No. 2048 in our column, a competing position in the Jubilee tourney of the Canterbury Times, New Zealand. We have specially drawn the attention of that journal to the circumstance, and trust the matter will have satisfactory explanation. Foi convenient reference we append the positions in question in the Forsyth notation : — Problem No. 2040. 3 Xt 4/ 2 p 3 B 1, q 3 p 3, 2 k 4 X, p 1 Xt 5, P 2 R 4, B 4 kt 2, 1 R 6. White to play and mate in two moves. . Key move — Kt-Q6. Problem No. 2048. 3 Xt 4, 2 p 3 B 1, q 3 p 3, 2 k 5, 2 Xt 5, p Q 1 R 4, X 4 kt 2, 8. White to play and mate in Jwo moves. Key move— Kt-Q6. It may be mentioned that such coincidences happen with regard to games as well as to problems. The late Dr Max Lauge, in his book "Paul Morphy, Sein Leben and Schaffen," in speaking of an Evans Gambit played by Morphy at New York in 1857, says that games exactly the same from beginning to end were played between different players at different times — namely, between Walker and Recchalm, in America-; between Ernest Morphy and iSchawer; and, lastly, between Steinitz and an opponent to whom odds were given (see the book, third edition, page 90, game 79). The game, it is true, is only a short one, in which Morphy gave the odds of the queen's look to his opponent and mated him on the 18th move, but the ending is remarkable and one would think very unusual. There is a remarkable similarity even between different races of mankind, their habits, customs, and ways of working. When races living widely apart, and under sssentially different conditions and environment, aie compared the points of resemblance in. the matter of laws, customs, and modes of life and thought are even more surprising than the points of difference. The saying, "Many men, many minds," is- doubtless j true, but only within certain limits. All are j evolved on the same general plan, and it fan j hardly be a matter of surprise that they should occasionally evolve identical ideas, even in such complex matters as chess problems and games. The team of ten x^layers to represent Victoria in the [match by telegraph against Western Australia, commenced on 12th inst., was token from the following: — Messrs Alston (Warrnambool), Betts, Crewe, Esling, Grant, Hay, Eeavei (Warrnarnbool), Landolls, .Mayston, Loughran, Eoberts (Bendigo), Noall, and Watson. Mr Hay is Mr D. R. Hay, formerly of Dunedin, and chess editor of the Witness. Messrs Betts and Landells are also well-known in Dunedin. Chess in Schools.— At the beginning of last yeai the editors of the School World, believing- j that the game in schools had a great future before it, added a chess columnn to their paper. One feature of this column is the monthly competition for small prizes, which attracts many entries. Another is a series of inter-school correspondence matches, the first of which, commencing about 15 months ago, has just finished. Six schools entered, the final rcrand resulting in a, tie for the prize (a. set of handsome Staunton men and board) by Manchester Grammar School and Merchant Taylors' School, London. The tie between'Mr D. Y. Mills, of Edinburgh, and Dr Macdonald, of Foyers, for the chess championship of Scotland has resulted in .a win for Mr Mills, as he won both games which were to decide the matter. Mr Mills had won the championship several times previously. The late Dr Steinitz, says a correspondent to the Manchester Weekly Times, was at once, paradoxical as the statement may sound, the greatest friend and the greatest enemy of the game of chess. No one ever more perfectly developed the resources of that wonderful game than he, but his introduction of safe "stonewall" tactics into -the great matches he played in his later years served to deprive the game of interest to the spectators, and in consequence chess suffered in public estimation. People who remembered the brilliant sacrifices of Morphy, or the marvellous strategy of Zukertort, did not care to wait if or hours while Steinitz acquired a pawn, even though the eventful success of those tactics was amazingly certain. The September Strand states that, in an interview, in which Herr Borchgrevink described his voyage in "the Southern Cross and the wintering at Cape Ridley, he said that, during the age-long Antarctic night which "causes a de- j pressing- feeling, as though one were looking at one's self growing old," the recreation of the explorers were "cards, chess, and draughts." Lasker, Pills bury, Showalter, Marshall, Janowski, Tchigorin, Marqczy, Schlecter, Marco, and Mieses have promised to take part in an international chess tournament at Monte Carlo in December.

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