FRANKFORT.--Had no end of a good time over here, at the Chess Congress.
Played all the cracks, and beat 'em all! You mayn't have heard of this
in the newspapers, because, for reasons which would not be of any
general interest, I felt bound to _enter under a false name_. BLACKBURNE
said he'd "never seen such gambits as mine." ZUKERTORT was so irritated
at my beating him three times running, that he actually exclaimed,
"Gambit all!"--Excuse the force of the expression; perhaps he thought he
was in the Lobby of the House of Commons.--"I'll never play that fellow
again as long as I live!" You'll see from this that, though the games
weren't drawn, some of the competitors were.
There were two Russian chess-players present. I played one, got him on
to a dispute about the Afghan frontier, and adroitly took his Queen off
the board when he wasn't looking. He seemed surprised, but I assured him
it was all right, and scored an easy win.
Herr HARMONIST _might have_ beaten me, but as it was a very hot day, I
proposed playing under a tree in the hotel-garden. Then I purposely took
a long time over each move. The worthy Teuton became thirsty. Lager beer
began to flow. It flowed so much that after five hours the Herr didn't
know the difference between Bishop and Pawn! That was _my_ move. Of
course he was badly beaten.
Only time _I_ was beaten was one game with BLACKBURNE. He offered to
play me blind-fold; I took the opportunity, while he was thinking over
his plan of campaign, to relieve him of his watch and purse, and was
just going to pull off his boots when he called "Check-mate!" However, I
think I got the best of the encounter on the whole. I call it (in
private) the "rook gambit."
I ended up by a marvellous _tour de force_. I played every one of the
competitors--twenty-one in all--at the same time, and beat the entire
number of them! The Frenchman retired from the contest, _simply because
he was piqued at my superior skill_. He said--most unfairly--my
proceedings were "not above board;" also said he objected on principle
to a game with a King and Queen it. Would you believe it, but
professional jealousy actually prevented my being declared the Chess
Champion! Never mind! Got my board (and lodging) gratis. Had high jinks,
and free drinks, at the Frankfort _pawn_-shop--see the joke? You'll hear
of me at the next International Chess Congress, without fail.
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