_The relative positional advantage expressed by the plus signs of
the Strategic Syllogism decreases as the number of plus signs in the
Strategic Syllogism exceeds the number of corresponding Strategic
Elementals._
Failure to observe the amalgamation of the duties of the three Grand
Columns in each and every move upon the Chess-board, and to note that
the tangible and material expression of these powers and advantages may
be expressed either by three, by two, or even by a single Chessic Corps
d’armee, has caused doubt of the exact analogy between Chess and War;
and hence a like doubt of the utility of Chess-play.
Recognizing the truth of the foregoing, the Asiatic conqueror, Tamerlane,
sought to rectify this discrepancy between the mechanism of Chess and
that of War, by increasing the size of the Chess-board to one hundred and
forty-four squares, and the number of pieces to forty-eight.
By this innovation the geometric harmony existing between the Dynamic and
the Static surfaces of the Chess-board was destroyed; and this without
substituting therefor another like condition of mathematic perfection.
Ultimately, this remedy was abandoned, a fate which sooner or later, has
overtaken all attempts to improve that superlative intellectual exercise
of which says Voltaire:
“Of all games, Chess does most honor to the human mind.”
The reason why the scheme devised by Tamerlane did not satisfy even
himself, and why all attempted alterations in the machinery of Chess
prove unacceptable in practice, is due to the present perfect adaptation
of the Board and the Pieces for exemplifying the processes of Strategetic
Art.
Any change in the construction of the Chess-board and the Chess-pieces,
to be effective, must largely increase the number of Chessmen,
correspondingly increase the number of squares, and equally so, increase
the number of moves permitted to each player at his turn to play.
That is to say: Such innovation to be correct must permit each player
at his turn to play to move one of the Corps d’armee contained in the
Column of Attack, a second in the Column of Support, and a third in the
Column of Manoeuvre. Necessarily, the number of pieces must be increased
in order to provide Corps d’armee for the make-up of each Grand Column,
and obviously, the Board must be sufficiently enlarged to accommodate
not merely this increased mass, but also to permit full scope for the
increased number of possible movements.
_The student thus readily will perceive, that it is only one step
from such an elaboration of Chess, to an army and the theatre of
actual campaigning._
* * * * *
Perfection in Position is attained whenever the kindred army is acting or
is posted as a unit, while the hostile army is not so posted nor able so
to act.