The romance of Guerin de Montglave turns wholly upon a game of
chess at which Charlemagne had lost his Kingdom to Guerin.
The short dialogue which preceded this game on which so great a
stake depended, as narrated by the hero of the story to his sons
is characteristic, and has thus been modernized by the Compte de
Tressan, "I bet," said the Emperor to me "that you would not play
your expectation against me on this chess board, unless I were to
propose some very high stake." "Done, replied I, I will play then,
provided only you bet against me your Kingdom of France." "Very good,
let us see," cried Charlemagne, who fancied himself to be strong
at chess. We play forthwith, I win his Kingdom, he falls a laughing
at it, but I swear by St. Martin and all the Saints of Aquitain, that
he must needs pay me by some sort of compensation or other. The
Emperor therefore by way of equivalent surrenders to Guerin, all
right to the City of Montglave, (Lyons), then in the hands of
Saracens which is forthwith conquered by the hero, who afterwards
names Mabolette the Soldan's daughter.
The earliest chess anecdote in France is given by Augustus,
Duke of Luneburg in his great work on chess. It is extracted
from an old Bavarian Chronicle, then in Library of Marcus Welsor,
and states that Okarius, Okar or Otkar, Prince of Bavaria had a
son of great promise, residing at the Court of King Pepin. One
day Pepin's son when playing at chess with the young Prince of
Bavaria, became so enraged at the latter for having repeatedly
beaten him that he hit him on the temple with one of his rooks so
as to kill him on the spot. This anecdote is confirmed in another
Bavarian Chronicle, and in the Guirinalia 1060. The acts of Saint
Guirin by Metellus of Tegernsee. The murder of Okar happened
during the reign of Pepin 752 to 768.
In another romance containing the history of Les Quatre Fils Aymsn,
we read that Duke Richard of Normandy was playing at chess with
Ivonnet, son of Regnant, (Rinalde) when he was arrested by the
officers of Regnant, who said to him, "Aryse up Duke Rycharde,
for in despite of Charlemagne who loveth you so much, ye shall
be hanged now. When Duke Rycharde saw that these sergeantes had
him thus by the arms and held in his hande a lively (dame) of
ivory where at he wolde have given a mate to Yennet he withdrew
his arme and gave to one of the sergeantes such a strike with it
into the forehead that he made him tumble over and over at his
feete, and then he tooke rocke and smote another at all opon his
head that he all loost it to the brayne.
THE HABITS AND IDIOSYNCRACIES OF CHESS PLAYERS
(MYSELF)
NOTE. Speaking as a chess player, Bird is used, for matters
common or general, the editorial us or we is adopted, but
when expressing my own individual knowledge or opinion only,
I is preferred.
------
The temperaments of chess players vary, some get easily
disconcerted, disturbed and even distracted; others seem little
affected by passing events, a few, apparently not at all: some
even like a gallery and don't object to reasonable conversation;
by conversations or little interruptions which would pass unheeded
by a McDonnell or a Bird, or perhaps a Zukertortian would sadly
disconcert a Buckle or a Morphy, make Staunton angry, and drive
a Gossip to despair.
The attitude as well as the deportment and demeanour of chess
players at the board shows many varieties: Anderssen and Captain
Mackenzie were statuesque; Staunton, not quite so tall as the
Rev. J. Owen, seeming to be soaring up aloft. Harrwitz not quite
so small as Gunsberg, seemed sinking to the ground, but the story
that he once disappeared overawed by Staunton's style and manner
of moving, and was, after a search, found under the table, is a
mere canard of Staunton's which need not be too confidently
accepted. Harrwitz disliked being called a small German by
Staunton because it savoured too strongly of the sausage element,
saying if he makes sausage meat of me I will make mincemeat
of him.
Staunton pretended sometimes not to see Harrwitz, and would
look round the room and even under the chairs for him when he
was sitting at his elbow, which greatly annoyed Harrwitz, who,
however, sometimes got a turn, and was not slow to retaliate. In
a game one day, Staunton materially damaged his own prospects
by playing very tamely and feebly, and testily complained--"I
have lost a move." Harrwitz told the waiter to stop his work,
and search the room until he had found Staunton's lost move, and
his manner of saying it caused a degree of merriment by no
means pleasing to the English Champion.
Staunton was considered full-blooded, and his amiable French
opponent, who used to play for 5 pounds a game no doubt thought he
expressed himself favorably and forcibly when he said he is
one very nice, charmant man, but he is a "---- fool."
Staunton's celebrated stories about Lowenthal and Williams,
though very amusing to chess ears, I omit for obvious reasons,
though extremely funny as Staunton originally told them, and
as MacDonnell repeats them, they are probably not strictly founded
on fact, and are lacking of the respect to which the memories of
two such amiable and chivalrous chess players as Williams and
Lowenthal are entitled.
------