The short dialogue which preceded this game on which so great a
stake depended, as narrated by the hero of the story to his sons
is characteristic, and has thus been modernized by the Compte de
Tressan, "I bet," said the Emperor to me "that you would not play
your expectation against me on this chess board, unless I were to
propose some very high stake." "Done, replied I, I will play then,
provided only you bet against me your Kingdom of France." "Very good,
let us see," cried Charlemagne, who fancied himself to be strong
at chess. We play forthwith, I win his Kingdom, he falls a laughing
at it, but I swear by St. Martin and all the Saints of Aquitain, that
he must needs pay me by some sort of compensation or other. The
Emperor therefore by way of equivalent surrenders to Guerin, all
right to the City of Montglave, (Lyons), then in the hands of
Saracens which is forthwith conquered by the hero, who afterwards
names Mabolette the Soldan's daughter.
The earliest chess anecdote in France is given by Augustus,
Duke of Luneburg in his great work on chess. It is extracted
from an old Bavarian Chronicle, then in Library of Marcus Welsor,
and states that Okarius, Okar or Otkar, Prince of Bavaria had a
son of great promise, residing at the Court of King Pepin.
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