Since the growth of the foreign demands for stakes, not thought of in the days of Philidor, La Bourdonnais, McDonnell, Staunton and Morphy, squaring between players, has been asserted, viz.—­ in 1878, 1885, and 1887, besides which it has always seemed to me that as the stakes go up the play goes down, and it certainly would be difficult to name a match in which so few interesting games took place as that between Steinitz and Zukertort for 400 pounds a side, played in the United States at New York, St. Louis and New Orleans in 1886.

A sedate and rather severe looking stranger challenged Bird to a game of chess once, just when Bird had finished a long sitting with a strong player, and was in rather a lively mood.  “A stake, I suppose,” said Bird.  “No, I don’t like stakes,” said the stranger.  “Then suppose we say a chop, or even a basin of soup, fried sole, or box of cigars.”  The stranger looked awful for a moment but dismayed by the good temper of his vis a vis, suddenly relaxed and conformed to the usual rule, and as the love tales conclude was happy ever afterwards.

It is best to understand that the stake on each game is a shilling, not to say simply we play for a shilling.  Once, after an eight hours sitting, a countryman after losing twenty games blandly handed Mr. F. one shilling for the sitting, and could not be induced to part with more.

Stakes at chess must not be confounded with the favourite “Comestible.”  Missing Word calls it by that name.  Meat is sometimes pronounced by some we know almost like mate.  An Irishman addressing the cook instead of the mate once on board of a vessel, said, " Are you the mate?” and was met with the reply, “No, I am the man what cooks the mate.”  It was remarked after a game that many checks were given without any mate being obtained.

Another says, “The Queen in chess does all the work, yet the King gets all the checks.”

Mr. C. B., the well-known enthusiast, but not always successful chess player dining with a friend at Simpson’s one day, the latter recurred to the changes which had taken place there and expressed regret that the Grand chess Divan had been transformed into a dining room.  “Faix,” said Mr. C. B. as he took up a toothpick,” It’s the first time in my life that I ever felt disposed to say grace after mate in this room.”

------

SLOW PLAY

Some players are very slow, hence one was called the “Telegraph” and others by appropriate names of which I recollect best “West Australian” and the “Flying Dutchman.”  About forty years ago there were eight young and rising players nearly approaching first class, they were S. S. Boden, the Rev. W. Audrey, Captain Cunningham, G. W. Medley, J. Medley, C. T. Smith, A. Simons and H. E. Bird.  Three of these, remarkable for ingenuity and sudden surprises had familiar appellations.  One was termed “The Snake,” another that “Old Serpent,” I was “The enemy of the human race.”  A well known looker on who used to lean over the board and talk a great deal was called “The Coroner” because it was said he not only held an inquest on the board, but also sat upon the body.