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Bird, H. E. (Henry Edward), 1830-1908

"Chess History and Reminiscences"


Petersburg, a splendid player came to the front in 1881. Equal to
him in force, perhaps, if not in style, and yet more remarkable in
their records of success are the present champions Dr. Tarrasch of
Nuremberg and E. Lasker of Berlin. The Havanna people, who,
for five or six years past have spent more money on great personal
chess encounters than all the rest of the world combined, have put
forth Walbrodt of Leipzig. In the above mentioned four players,
chess interest for a time will mostly centre, with Steinitz, yet
unvanquished, and, as many consider, able to beat them all, the
future must be of unique interest, and the year 1893 may decide
which of five favourite foreign players will be entitled to
rank as the world's champion of chess, so far as can be decided
by matches played on existing conditions.
Chess with clocks and the tedious slow time limit of fifteen
moves an hour (say a working day for a single game) must not be
confounded with genuine, useful and enjoyable chess without
distracting time encumbrances as formerly played. Played at the
pace and on the conditions which the exigencies of daily, yea
hourly, life and labour admit of experience shews that there are
yet English exponents that can render a good account of any of
the foreign players.


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