; but it will
satisfy the demands of the great number of lovers of the game who
do not aspire above the second rank. Mr. Bird's ability and
ingenuity is beyond doubt, and there is ample evidence of his
qualifications in the book before us, but he has not yet acquired
that element of genius which has been defined as the capacity
for taking pains. Mr. Bird could produce a much better book than
this, and we hope he will.
Variously estimated from 3,000 to 1,000 B.C.
CHATURANGA.
The Primeval Hindu Chess.
bp--krnb
np--pppp
rp------
kp------
------pk
------pr
pppp--pn
bnrk--pb
[Diagram of a Chaturanga board with 4 armies. Yellow is in upper
left. Black is in upper right. Green is in lower left. Red is in
lower right.]
------
The Medieval and Modern Chess.
White
RNBKQBNR
PPPPPPPP
--------
--------
--------
--------
pppppppp
rnbkqbnr
Black
[Diagram of a standard chessboard, white pieces at the top,
black pieces at the bottom.]
Derived from the Persian Chatrang, 537-540 A.D.
------
833-842.
Problem I. by the Caliph MU'TASIM BILLAH.
Black
-k------
RnR-----
bN-p--r-
p-nQpB--
p--N-b-r
--------
-P--P---
-qBK----
White
White to move, and give checkmate at the ninth move.
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