The question of stakes or money terms upon which chess is
played is a question of the first importance in the interests of
chess, and a few notes of my experience upon the subject may
not be inappropriate. After about three months looking on
at chess play in 1844, at Raymond's Coffee House near the
City Road Gate, where Dr. Michaelson of the Morning Post,
and Mr. Finley, a farrier, were the respective giants, and a
cup of coffee the usual stake, I learned the moves at chess, and
receiving the odds of a Queen for a few games, I happened
one day to hear with astonishment that the gentleman
conceding me the odds was not as I supposed, the champion of the
world, but that better players could be found at Goodes, Ludgate
Hill, and Simpson's in the Strand. To the former I soon resorted
and found Kling, Kuiper and Muckle, the principal professionals
there; a nominal fee of sixpence being the charge per game,
and Staunton, the champion had played many games at that rate.
It was some weeks before I mustered resolution to visit Simpson's
spacious and handsome hall, but, once arrived there, I made
myself at home. Lowe, Williams and Finch were the attendant
players there, and extensively they were supported. From each
received the Queen soon improving to the odds of the Knight, and
then playing even with them. Buckle alone, who did not mind
hard work, essayed to give me Pawn and move, but for a short
time only. One shilling a game has always been the recognized
stake at Simpson's, and also at St. Georges the principal London
Chess Club, but there have been exceptions, John Cochrane and
Bird, the Rev. G. A. MacDonnell and Bird, and S. Boden and Bird
never played for anything, and these ranked among the most
popular of games, and the players were favourite opponents. In
1873, Wisker was holder of the British Chess Association
Challenge Cup, but had never seen or played with Bird, who had
been for six years out of chess. An accidental meeting by them,
and the presence and intervention of Lowenthal and Boden, led
to the Wisker and Bird four matches, the first for 5 pounds, and the
other for credit of victory only. Anderssen and Bird always
played 5/- a game, Zukertort and Bird 2/6, Steinitz and Bird's first
sixteen games were without stakes, their match of 1866-7 for 25
pounds only. Before the year 1866, 10 pounds or 20 pounds a side
was a convenient and common stake for a match. Staunton and
Harrwitz, Staunton and Horwitz, Morphy and Anderssen, Steinitz
and Blackburne, Steinitz and Zukertort, and Falkbeer and Bird were
all within these figures. The Championship match in 1843, England and
France, between Staunton and St. Amant was for 100 pounds a side, but
the English player had to go to Paris, and the match was a long
one, and it was hoped even at that time that future matches would
be mainly for the honour of victory, and that the entire money
in the case would be a reasonable sum to liberally cover the
players' time and expenses. Morphy reluctantly played for 100 pounds
a side in 1858, but his matches with Anderssen, Harrwitz and
others were for merely nominal stakes. In 1866 a bad example
was set in the case of Steinitz and Anderssen, when 100 pounds a side
was played for, and although Steinitz and Blackburne, and
Zukertort and Blackburne were matches for 60 pounds a side the stakes
were only thus limited to the amount which could be conveniently
obtained from backers at the time. So stakes progressed until
Steinitz and Zukertort actually played for 400 pounds a side, a sum
neither party could afford to lose, even though they could tax their
chess supporters for it. Any chance of a return match which
Zukertort so much desired, became impossible, hence the
extraordinary depression of the great chess victor in two of the most
important Internationals ever held, viz., Paris in 1878, and
Criterion, London, 1883.
There is too much reason to fear that the result of this match,
and Zukertort's sensitiveness to supposed coolness towards him
afterwards mainly contributed to cause his premature break up
and untimely end. I always advised him before the match, in
justice to himself, to stipulate for a time limit of 20 or 25 moves
an hour, and not to play for more than 100 pounds a side, the
previous extreme maximum for the greatest matches, happy for him
if he had observed this rule; as he himself admitted. Zukertort
lived in the Walworth Road just past my single eleven years lodging
--5 Heygate Street; and he voluntarily confided many matters to
me during the last twelve months of his life, which was for certain
reasons fortunate. His two beautiful daughters, the sole care of
his life, are now provided for, one nine years of age, and the other
thirteen years of age, are being educated at or near Berlin by
Zukertort's mother and his married sister.
Returning to stakes, I have met here and there with an amateur
who has had scruples and preferred not even playing for the
shilling.
Buckle, Lord Lyttleton, and many eminent in chess, were
strongly in favour of the customary small stake, and I have seen
dignitaries of the Church, and spotless amateurs, pocket their
shillings with as much gusto as the poor and much abused
professional. It is a kind of voucher to mark the score.
Professor Ruskin and others who have referred to this question,
saw no objection to the time-honoured stake, and it has been the
rule at the greatest clubs, for, by fixing a custom, it was hoped
to keep the stakes within prescribed limit. It must be admitted
that the difference between one shilling and 25 pounds, 50 pounds
or 100 pounds on a game is far too large.
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."
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