The Razi referred to above (called by our medieval writers Rhasis)
was a celebrated physician of Bagdad, where he died about A.D. 922.
The Author of the British Museum M.S. says:
"Some men from long practice, have arrived at such a degree of
perfection in this art, as to have played blindfold at four or
five boards at one and the same time, and never to have committed
a mistake in any of the games." He further tells us that--"some
have been known to have recited poetry, or told amusing stories,
or conversed with the company present, during the progress of the
contest." In another sentence he says--"I have seen it written in
a book, that one man played blindfold at ten boards simultaneously,
and gained all the games; he even corrected many errors committed
by his opponents and friends, in describing the moves.
It was a saying in the East, "He plays at chess like Al Suli."
So that many believed him to be the inventor of this game, but
erroneously.
The Arabians say that a certain great man showed one of his
friends his garden, full of fine flowers, and said to him,
"Did you ever see a finer sight than this? Yes," he replied,
"Al Suli's game at chess is more beautiful than this garden
and everything that is in it.
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