Part 30
[47] Many players habitually stand at fifteen, and if the dealer is a reckless player, with a tendency to overdraw, it may be good policy to stand upon an even smaller figure. "Cavendish" is in favour of standing, as a rule, on fifteen.
[48] Pronounced like _pony_.
[49] _Example._ A three, two sixes, and a knave are drawn. The two sixes draw again, and the lower plays with the three. Suppose, at the second draw, the two sixes draw a king and a queen, the queen plays with the three.
If at the second draw, a lower card than the three is drawn, the three still retains its privileges as original low, and has the deal and choice of cards and seats.
[50] _Example._ Three aces and a two are drawn. The three aces draw again. The two is the original high, and plays with the highest of the next draw.
Suppose, at the second draw, two more twos and a king are drawn. The king plays with the original two, and the other pair of twos draw again for deal.
Suppose, instead, the second draw to consist of an ace and two knaves. The two knaves draw again, and the higher plays with the two.
[51] _Vide_ Law 26.
[52] _Vide_ Law 29.
[53] After the two packets have been re-united, Law 30 comes into operation.
[54] _Vide_ also Laws 36 and 41.
[55] _Vide_ also Law 28.
[56] The pack being perfect. _Vide_ Law 41.
[57] Except as provided in Law 36.
[58] It is not usual to call the trump card if left on the table.
[59] _Vide_ Law 75.
[60] _E.g._, If a single is scored by mistake for a double or treble, or _vice versâ_.
[61] _Vide_ also Law 40.
[62] _Vide_ Law 81.
[63] The more complicated forms of the so-called "American" leads are not set out, as they never gained general acceptance.
[64] This penalty is not affected by a double.
[65] Pronounced _tray_, _kater_, _sank_, and _size_, respectively.
[66] This applies more particularly towards the close of the game. The leaving of a blot at the outset, when five out of six of the points in the adversary's table are still open, is a comparatively unimportant matter.
[67] This leaves a blot on the deuce point in your outer table, but this is a trifling disadvantage as compared with the gain of at once securing four points side by side. There are only three throws, six ace, cinque deuce, and quatre trois, that will enable the adversary to hit the blot; and your next throw will in all probability enable you to place it beyond the reach of danger, either by playing another man on the same point, or by transferring the solitary man to one of the points already made.
[68] For further information as to the game and its chances, see the article on Backgammon in _The Book of Card and Table Games_ (Routledge), of which the present paper is an abridgment.
[69] For a description of other forms of the game, see _The Book of Card and Table Games_ (Routledge).
[70] See p. 296.
[71] Throughout these rules, "coloured balls" mean the six balls (not Red) specified in Rule 2.
[72] _Vide_ page 290, Definition 4.
[73] For fuller information on the subject of the game, see Mr. L. Hoffer's excellent treatise on Chess in _The Book of Card and Table Games_ (reprinted separately in the Oval Series, Routledge. 1''s.''), of which this section is a much condensed abridgment.
[74] For the meaning of these letters and figures, see Chess Notation (p. 343).
[75] This is possible in case of a check with Queen, Rook, or Bishop, but not in case of check with a Knight or pawns.
[76] From the Italian _Gambetto_, "a trip up."
[77] With two Bishops checkmate can be forced, whilst with two Knights only checkmate cannot be given against the best defence.
[78] Intending to establish a centre at once.
[79] Considered the best reply. Black develops a piece and attacks a pawn.
[80] Or 8. ... Kt takes P; 9. Kt takes Kt, P to Q 4; 10. B to Q 3; P takes Kt; 11. B takes P, Kt to K 2, &c.
[81] If 11., Kt takes R, Black would proceed with 11. ... Q to K 2; 12. Kt to B 7, B takes P; ch.; 13. R takes B, P takes R; ch.; 14. K takes P, Kt to Kt 5; ch.; 15. K to Kt 3, Q to B 3; 16. Q to B 3, Q to Kt 2, &c., with a powerful attack.
[82] A safe defence, though troublesome for a time.
[83] The best move, White threatening with 11. P to Q 5 to win a piece.
[84] 12. B to K 2 is a sounder move.
[85] The best move. 12. ... P to Q R 3 may also be played; but not 12. ... P to Q R 4, because it weakens the pawns on the Queen's side for the End game.
[86] Because Black threatens 15. ... Kt to K 4, and after 16. ... B or Kt takes Kt; 17. P takes Kt, Q to Kt 4: ch., winning the K P.
[87] This move is inferior to 9. P to K 5.
[88] The best move. 11. ... Kt to B 3 would be inferior.
[89] Black gives up a pawn for a temporary counter-attack: It is a safer defence than 5. ... Kt takes P.
[90] The only right square for the Bishop, because it secures a retreat for the Knight on both sides, as will be seen by the sequel.
[91] If 7. ... P takes B, White gets the piece back with 8. Kt takes Kt, P takes Kt; 9. R to K sq., &c.
[92] Here again, if 8. P takes B, White replies 9. Q to Q 5, &c.
[93] As before, if 9. ... P takes B; 10. Q to Q 5 follows.
[94] The original move upon which the opening was based. But it is unsound, as the two specimens given sufficiently prove. The alternative continuation is 3. ... B to K 2; 4. P to Q 3, followed by 5. Kt to B 3, &c.
[95] If 6. ... R takes Kt, then 7. Q to R 5: ch., K to Q 2; 8. B takes Kt, R takes B; 9. Q takes P: ch., and wherever the King moves the Queen mates.
[96] If instead of the text move 11. ... P to B 5, White wins with 12. R to K sq.
[97] Threatening 9. Q to Kt 5; ch., K to Q 3; 10. B to B 4: ch. and 11. Q to K 5: ch., &c.
[98] 10. ... P to B 4 would be immediately fatal.
[99] If 12. ... K takes B, then 13. Q takes K P: ch., K to Kt 4; 14. Kt to B 3. ch., K to Kt 3; 15. Q to Q 4; ch., &c.
[100] If 15. ... Q takes Q: then 16. R to R 4: ch., K moves; 17. Kt mates either at Kt 3 or at Kt sq. accordingly.
[101] Attacking the Rook.
[102] 11. P to K Kt 3 would be bad, because of 11. ... P takes P; 12. Q takes P, R to B sq.: ch.; 13. K to Kt 2, Q to R 4, threatening 14. ... B to R 5, winning.
[103] Not 12. P takes P, because in such case Black replies 12. ... P to Kt 6, and wins.
[104] If 7. Q to B 3, Black replies 7. ... P to Kt 7: ch.; 8. K takes P, P to K B 3; 9. B takes Kt, R takes B; 10. Q takes P, B to K 2; 11. Q to K B 3, R to B sq., with the better position.
[105] Meaning _Flank_.
[106] The work of which the present article is an abridgment. The Openings here given will be found treated in this book at much greater length, with others scarcely less valuable, and a fund of general Chess information.
[107] In England it was formerly the custom to play on the white squares, but the Scottish practice of using the black squares is now generally adopted. So far as the course of play is concerned, the one plan is as good as the other; and in all treatises on the game the men are, for typographical reasons, shown on the _white_ squares. This involves a corresponding alteration of the position of the board, which is shown with a _white_ bottom square on the left hand.
[108] A player may be huffed for not taking the full number of men he should have taken by the play adopted. Thus if he takes one man only, where by the same play, duly continued, he could have taken two, he is liable to the huff. If, however, he has the choice of two moves, by one of which he would take a larger number of men taken than by the other, he is under no obligation to adopt that move.
[109] See p. 469, footnote.
[110] This is a more common method of play at "Trente et Quarante" (see p. 468).
[111] A German mathematician is said to have calculated the percentage in favour of the Banks to be 1.28 per cent.
[112] It must be remembered that as the player is at liberty to withdraw half his stake when there is a _Refait_, he is really paying a premium of 1 per cent. to insure only _half_ his stake.
[113] If there were no limit every one could win at Monte Carlo, by the simple method of doubling up after each loss. Hence sans maximum, zero does not prevent the Bank from losing.
[114] Most system players try to win a percentage of their capital per diem. Having done so, they retire from the table. By "_grand coup_" is meant this amount of daily winnings. There is no reason why a player should not play his system _ad infinitum_. He, however, instinctively knows the grave risk he is running by continuing his game, and is generally very pleased to retire after having made a certain daily profit.
[115] In the series shown on p. 457, had a player been fortunate enough to have played a "_Labouchere_ reversed" on Black, he would have won 890 units.
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
Corrections made to printed original:
P. 41 (Score for Three tenth cards in sequence and two fives):--"17", printed as "11" in original.
P. 127 (in "a flush or sequence lacking one card"):--"card", printed as "care" in original.
P. 354 (in "The Kt here attacks Black's K P"):--"Black", printed as "White" in original.
P. 371 in "he cannot play 20. ... R takes R" the first R is missing in printed copy and has been restored by considering the position.
Additional material for Project Gutenberg Edition
Forsyth-Edwards Notation for Chess and Draughts figures
CHESS
Fig. 5. Drawing by perpetual check. 1k6/2p5/QpB5/1P6/8/P2b4/1P6/K1n5
Fig. 6. Illustration of stalemate. 1k6/1P6/1K6/8/8/8/8/8
Fig. 7. Giuoco Piano. Position after Black's 15th move. r2nk2r/pppbqp2/1b3npp/4p3/4P3/2P1BNN1/PPB1QPPP/R4RK1
Fig. 8. Giuoco Piano. Position after White's 28th move. 3r4/1pp2p1k/1pn2npp/4pN2/2q1P3/P1P1Q1NP/1P3PP1/5RK1
Fig. 9. Evans Gambit. Position after White's 19th Move. 1rbq1rk1/p1b3pp/3p1pn1/np1P1N2/2p1P3/5N2/PB1QBPPP/2R2R1K
Fig. 10. Two Knights' Defence. Position after Black's 9th move. r1bq1b1r/pp2n1pp/2p1k3/3np3/2BP4/2N2Q2/PPP2PPP/R1B1K2R
Fig. 11. Scotch Gambit. Position after White's 11th Move. r1bqr3/ppp2k1p/2n3p1/2QP4/3p4/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQ3R
Fig. 12. Muzio Gambit. Position after Black's 5th Move. rnbqkbnr/pppp1p1p/8/8/2B1Pp2/5p2/PPPP2PP/RNBQ1RK1
Fig. 13. White pawn advantage. Black to Move and Draw. r7/8/q7/8/8/1P5k/1R6/6QK
Fig. 14. King and pawn against King. Black to Move and Draw. 8/8/8/8/8/1P5k/8/6K1
Fig. 15. King and pawn against King. White to Move and Win. 8/8/8/8/8/1k6/6P1/2K5
Fig. 16. King and Queen against King. White to Move and Win. 8/8/4k3/8/8/8/8/KQ6
Fig. 17. Two Rooks and King against King. White to Move and Win. 8/8/8/3k4/8/8/8/KRR5
Fig. 18. King and Rook against King. White to Move and Win. 8/8/8/4k3/8/2K5/8/1R6
Fig. 19. King and two Bishops against King. White to Move and Win. 8/8/8/8/5kBB/8/8/K7
Fig. 20. King, Bishop, and Knight against King. White to Move and Win. 8/8/8/K1k4B/8/8/8/N7
DRAUGHTS
Fig. 3. Two Kings to One. White to Move and Win. WK11,K22:BK5
Fig. 4. Three Kings to Two. White to Move and Win. WK11,K15,K18:BK5,K28
Fig. 5. First Position. Black to Move and Win. W30,K8:B22,27
Fig. 6. Second Position. Black to Move and Win. W12,13,K11:B3,6,K5
Fig. 7. Third Position. Black to Move and Win. WK14,K22:B5,K13,K21
Fig. 8. Fourth Position. Black to Move and Win, or White to Move and Draw. W30,K31,K32:B21,K22,K23,K28