Chess and Checkers: The Way to Mastership

PART I: THE GAME OF CHESS
I. THE RULES OF THE GAME
Board and men The moves of the men Special terms Symbols for moves Chess laws II. ELEMENTARY TACTICS Fundamental endings Relative value of the men How the different men cooperate Sacrificing III. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF CHESS STRATEGY King's Pawn openings Queen's Pawn openings The middle game IV. ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES Game No. 1: Jackson Showalter vs. Edward Lasker, Lexington, Ky., 1917 Game No. 2: Edward Lasker vs. Jose R. Capablanca, New York, 1915 V. PROBLEMS PART II: THE GAME OF CHECKERSI. THE RULES OF THE GAME II. ELEMENTARY TACTICS III. THE FIVE FUNDAMENTAL POSITIONS The first position The second position The change of the move The third position The fourth position The fifth position IV. GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES V. PROBLEMS

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Frederick the Great, Napoleon and Moltke, the great scientists of war, had a decided liking for the game of Chess and owed to it many an inspiration which helped them in laying out their military plans. Indeed, no other game exists which offers such complete analogies to war.

Two armies oppose each other on the Chess board, composed of different units which may well be compared with infantry, cavalry and artillery.

The success of the operations on the board, which represents the battlefield, does not depend upon any element of chance, but solely upon the ingenuity and the skill of the players who are the commanders-in-chief of the forces.

Although a Chess game differs from a battle in that the material strength of the opponents is equal, the order of events is the same in Chess as in war. The troops are first mobilized and made ready for action with utmost speed, then important positions are occupied which give the troops freedom of action and insure safe lines of retreat and, finally, when the formation of the enemy is known, the strategic plan is made which the generals try to carry out by means of different tactical maneuvers.

Considering this similarity of Chess and war it is not surprising that Chess has gained greatly in popularity among all those whose work or thought is more than superficially influenced by the present war.

No special inducement, however, would be necessary to learn the game, were it more generally known that great advantage is to be derived from the study of Chess, quite apart from the cultivation of strategic ability.

The faculty which is developed by playing Chess is useful wherever logical thinking and concentration are needed, and it cannot be denied that these qualities are most desirable in the every day struggle in which mental work has so largely superseded manual labor.

The thoughtful playing of the game not only cultivates the logical quality and imaginative power of the mind but also tends to develop strength of character. It teaches us not to be hasty in our decisions, but to exercise foresight at all times as we must abide by all consequences of our actions. Moreover, we learn from it circumspection which causes us to survey the whole scene of action and does not allow us to lose ourselves in detail; we also learn not to be discouraged by reverses in our affairs but to hold out and always search for fresh resources.

Item tags:
game, chess, position, war
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