St. Landry Democrat

The Fascination of Chess.

[Saturday Review.]

But, as a rule, the physical strength of woman is not equal to a prolonged struggle at chess. We fancy a good many ladies would like for the nonce to enjoy the imperial prerogative of Napoleon, who, according to Madam de Remusat, insisted upon moving his own pieces as he liked, crediting them with exceptional powers in cases of urgency. We can easily believe he always won. He most undoubtedly used to cheat at cards; but then, as he frankly explained, was it not his object to win? How these little circumstances illustrate the later phases of the man's career who had come to regard every moral and physical obstacle, fortune and time itself, as so many things to be made subservient to his own iron and reckless will. Half the catastrophes inducing his downfall were due to his ignoring the existence of a law of nature superior to himself. There are curious but well authenticated anecdotes showing what fascinations chess possesses for some minds. We have heard of one of Her Majesty's ships being nearly run ashore through the captain, absorbed in his combinations, not heeding the repeated representations of his lieutenant that they were getting uncommonly near the land. There was once a Caliph of Bagdad who would not be disturbed in his game though his city was being carried by assault. And Charles the XII of Sweden, when hardly beset by the Turks in his house at Bender, was at least as much interested in beating his antagonist across the board as in beating off the Turks. Again, an Elector of Saxony, taken prisoner at the battle of Muhlberg by the Emperor Charles V., was playing chess with a fellow prisoner when tidings were brought to him that he had been sentenced to death. He looked up, for a moment to remark upon the irregularity of the proceeding and then resumed the game, which, to his great delight, he won.