This etext was produced by Stephen D. Leary

CHESS HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

by H. E. Bird

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To
My Highly Esteemed
Chess Opponent And Patron
Of Nearly 40 Years
W. J. EVELYN, Esq.,
Of Wotton, Surrey

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PREFACEPECULIAR AND DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICOF CHESS WRITERS, LACK OF CHESS HISTORY

RETROSPECT, AND HABITS, AND IDIOSYNCRACIESOF CHESS PLAYERS:TEMPERAMENT, ATTITUDE AND DEPORTMENT,STYLE, STAKES, LOSING, LOOKERS-ON, ODDITIES,AND PATRONS

CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF CHESS:PREVAILING MISCONCEPTIONITS EVER GROWING POPULARITYTHEORIES AS TO ITS INVENTIONTRADITIONSTHE THREE INDIAN TRADITIONSEARLY AND MIDDLE AGE CONJECTURESPROGRESS OF CHESSINDIACHINAEGYPTTHE ANCIENT GREEKS AND ROMANSSCANDINAVIAPERSIA

ARABIA, SPAIN, FRANCE:CHOSROES, AL WALID, HARUN, PRINCESS IRENE,CHARLEMAGNE, OFFA, ALCUIN, EGBERT, AL MAMUN

THE ROMAN EDICT OF 115 B.C.:SUPPOSED EUROPEAN FIRST KNOWLEDGE:SCANDINAVIA. ITALY. IRELAND. WALES.

OPINIONS ON CHESS AND ITS ORIGIN:POPE'S LINESTHE TRACK OF CHESS(UNIQUE SPECIMEN)—THE INDIAN KING TO SASSATHE KING OF HIND TO CHOSROESTHE EARLY EXAMPLES OF PRAISE AND CENSURETHE REMARKABLE ADVANTAGES OF THE ASIATICSOCIETIES, AND PHYSICANS RECOMMENDATIONS.FOOD FOR THE MIND AS WELL AS FOR THE BODY

MIDDLE AGES AND MODERN:
CHAUCER TO LYDGATE
CAXTON, ELIZABETH'S REIGN
VIDA
PRATT
SAUL AND BARBIERE
SALVIC
CARRERA
ENCYCLOPAEDIA
AN AMERICAN VIEW
THE INDIAN PHILOSOPHER
SOVEREIGNS COMMEMORATED AS CHESS PLAYERS
PHILIDOR'S ASCENDENCY, POPULARITY & PATRONS

THE NINETEENTH CENTURY:
SIMPSON'S 1828-1893-CHESS CLUBS
CHESS MASTERS OF THE DAY, MAGAZINE NOTIONS,
THE FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW, AND REPLY IN AN
IMPARTIAL ARTICLE from H. E. BIRD

NATIONAL CHESS OF 1892, THE BELFAST CONGRESSAND NEWCASTLE SUPPORT. SPECIMENS OF PLAY

BLINDFOLD CHESS
THE GAME OF CHESS, (SUMMARY OR BIRD'S EYE VIEW)
Dedicated to Belfast and Newcastle

FOUR STYLES OF CHESS, "THE LION," "THEEAGLE," "THE SLOW WORM," AND THE LOCOMOTIVEA SKIT

VAN DER LINDE'S CONCLUSIONS
CHESS LOSSES
SUPPLEMENTAL AND SEPARATE. REVIEW OF
STEINITZ, PART 1, (8 pages.)

NOTE. Postponed. "Times Reminiscences" (7 in number)
"Ruskin's letters" (28), "Bayley's Article" and "Fortnightly
Review" controversy, and "A few words with the German writer,
and the works of 1872 and 1884."

NOTES AND REFERENCES-BECKETT, LUTHER, CRANMER, WOLSEY, &c.

PREFACE

This little work is but a condensation and essence of a muchlarger one, containing the result of what can be discoveredconcerning the origin and history of chess, combined withsome of my own reminiscences of 46 years past both of chess playand its exponents, dating back to the year 1846, the 18th ofSimpson's, 9 years after the death of A. McDonnell, and 6 afterthat of L. de La Bourdonnais when chivalrous and first classchess had come into the highest estimation, and emulatory matchesand tests of supremacy in chess skill were the order of the day.

English chess was then in the ascendant, three years beforeHoward Staunton had vanquished St. Amant of France, and wasthe recognized world's chess champion, while H. T. Buc

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