These games present a very striking contrast.  We particularly commend the last, and the other draw to the consideration of all who would wish to see chess continued as a noble and worthy game.  Bird by consenting to a draw with Mason could at once have given him the first prize.

No.17.  Game played in the Masters’ Tournament, 23rd September, 1892, between Messrs. James Mason and H. E. Bird: 

White             Black
Mason             H. E. Bird
1 P to K4          P to QB4
2 Kt to KB3        Kt to QB3
3 P to Q4          P takes P
4 Kt takes P       P to Q3
5 Kt to QB3        B to Q2
6 Kt takes Kt      B takes Kt
7 B to Q3          P to K3
8 Castles          P to KKt3
9 P to B4          P to KR4
10 P to B5         Kt P takes P
11 P takes P       Q to Kt3 ch
12 K to R square   Castles
13 P takes P       P takes P
14 Q to K2         P to K4
15 B to K4         Kt to K2
16 B to Kt5        P to Q4
17 B takes Kt      B takes B
18 B to B5 ch      K to Kt square
19 P to QKt3       P to K5
20 Kt to R4        Q to B2
21 P to B4         Q to K4
22 P takes P       B to Q3
23 P to Kt3        B takes P
24 QR to B square  P to K6 ch
25 K to Kt square  QR to KKt square
26 R to B3         B takes R
27 Q takes B       R to KB square
Resigns.

No.18.  Game played in the Masters’ Tournament, 23rd September, 1892, between Messrs. F. J. Lee and J. H. Blackburne: 

          A Contrast.

White               Black
Lee             Blackburne
1 P to K4           P to K4
2 Kt to QB3         Kt to KB3
3 Kt to B3          Kt to B3
4 P to QR3          B to K2
5 P to Q4           P to Q3
6 B to K2           Castles
7 Castles           B to Kt5
8 P to Q5           Kt to Kt square
9 P to R3           B to R4
10 Kt to KR2        B to Kt3
11 B to Q3          QKt to Q2
12 B to K3          Kt to B4
13 P to B3          Kt takes B
14 P takes Kt       Kt to Q2
15 P to KKt4        P to QR3
16 Kt to K2         B to Kt4
17 B to B2          B to R5
18 B to K3          B to Kt4
19 B to B2          B to R5
20 B to K3          B to Kt4
Drawn.

------

Games at the Belfast chess Congress
in the quadrangular competition
between
J. H. Blackburne, H. E. Bird, F. J. Lee, and J. Mason,
Sept. 12th to Sept. 23rd, 1892.

Of the eighteen games competed for by the above, eight are worthy to be placed in a first class collection.  They are—­No. 1, “Evans Gambit Declined,” (Bird v.  Blackburne) which is thought in some respects the best, as illustrating the styles and resources of the two players, besides containing many instructive phases.  No. 4, “A Vienna Opening,” between Blackburne and Mason, was a game of considerable enterprise and interest, though the latter missed an ingenious and promising opportunity, which would have given him a considerable advantage, sufficient for so careful and reliable a player (who seldom misses