Always be willing to accept odds of a better player, so that the game may be interesting to him. If you should lose, it is natural that you should feel inwardly chagrined, but do not let your disappointment be perceived. "Keep your temper" is a golden rule. Do not give up the game before you are quite sure it is lost. On the other hand, you should not too hastily jump to the conclusion that you have won it.
It is necessary that you should occasionally study some of the best book games, but without actual practice proficiency can seldom be attained.
Endeavor to understand the reasons which lead to your adversary's moves, and take measures accordingly.
"Openings" of Games.—The principal openings are the king’s gambit, the queen’s gambit, the king's knight’s opening, the king’s bishop’s opening, etc. From these spring the various gambits, known as the Evans, the Muzio, the Cunningham, the Allgaier, the Cochrane, the Giuoco piano, etc., most of them deriving their names from the inventors. All these gambits have a variety of subdivisions, and openings not founded on them are termed irregular openings. We shall, after defining each of the most celebrated of these openings, give illustrations of them.
The King’s Gambit.—In this gambit, the first player advances his K. B. P. two squares at his second move.
The Queen's Gambit is when the first player, at his second move, advances his Q. B. P. two squares.
King’s Bishop's Gambit is so styled because the first player brings out the K. B. at his second move.
King's Knight's Gambit—In this much-used opening the first player brings out his K. Kt. at his second move.
The Evans Gambit, so styled from its inventor, Captain W. D. Evans, R. N., is when the player advances Q. Kt. P. two at his fourth move, and sacrifices it, with the object of recovering at least its equivalent, at the same time obtaining a decided lead.
Besides the above, there are the queen’s pawn-two-opening, the queen’s bishop’s pawn’s opening, the Lopez gambit, the king’s pawn-one-opening, the queen’s counter-gambit, the king’s rook’s pawn’s gambit, the Allgaier gambit, the Muzio gambit, the Cochrane gambit, the Cunningham gambit, the bishop’s gambit, the Damian’s gambit, the Greco counter-gambi , etc., etc.
In an article of such limited scope as the present, it would be impossible to treat at any length upon every one of these openings. We shall therefore content ourselves with making a selection which will be at once interesting and suitable for beginners. In every case we have preferred to give those variations which are considered the best and most legitimate, believing that the study and practice of such positions will be more advantageous to the learner than giving, as some writers do, inferior play and positions, and then afterward giving the correct ones.
The King’s Gambit.—
| White. | Black. | |
| 1. K. P. 2. | 1. K. P. 2. | |
| 2. K. B. P. 2. | 2. P. takes P. | |
| 3. K. Kt. to B. 3. | 3. K. Kt. P. 2. | |
| 4. K. B. to Q. B. 4. |
There has been much difference of opinion as to the move which black should now make, Some writers prefer advancing K. Kt. P., whilst Walker and a whole host of authorities think it better to place the K. B. at Kt. second: "Although," says Walker, "playing the pawn is productive of more brilliant situations." He advises both moves for practice.
King’s Bishop's Opening.—This opening is considered by the great chess master, Phillidor, as the very finest opening. for the first player, as it brings out the bishop at the second move, and immediately attacks black’s K. B. P., his weakest point. From this opening spring some of the finest and most difficult combinations known. It commences thus:
| White. | Black. | |
| 1. K. P. to K. 4. | 1. P. to K. 4. | |
| 2. K. B. to B. 4. | 2. K. B. to B. 4(best). | |
| 3.P. to Q. B. 3. | 3. Q. to K. 2(good). | |
| 4. K. Kt. to B. 3. |
Some prefer to play the Kt. to K. 2, but in our opinion this is not so good as to B. 3, because in the former case black could take K. B. P. with his bishop (check); and if white K. takes bishop, black queen gives check at her B. 4, and white loses bishop.
| White. | Black. | |
| 4. K. Kt. to B. 3. | ||
| 5. Q. to K 2. | 5. P. to Q. 3. | |
| 6. P. to Q. 3. | 6. P. to Q. B. 3 |
If black plays his Q. B., pinning Kt., white will advance R. P., which will cause black either to retire bishop (which will be losing time) or force an exchange, which will open the game to white’s queen. Therefore it will be better for black to play P. to Q. B. 3, as we have given it, which will leave the game pretty equal up to this point. If black, at his third move, replies as follows—which is an inferior move—then the game proceeds thus:
| White. | Black. | |
| 3. K. Kt. to B. 3. | ||
| 4. P. to K. 4. | 4. P. takes P. | |
| 5. P. to K. 5. | 5. Kt. to K. 5 | |
| 6. Q. to K. 2. | 6. Kt. to K. 5 | |
| 7. P. to K. B. 4. | 7. Kt. to K. 3 | |
| 8. P. to K. B. 5. |
If black no play
| 8. Kt. to K. B. |
white has the best of the game, and ought to win; but if black play Kt. to Kt. 4, white will play Q. to K. R. 5, and then P. to K. R. 4. If whiteat his third move should play Q. to K. 2, attacking K. B. P. and threatening ch. with Q. and capture of bishop, and if black advance Q. P, one, it may then become the Ruy Lopez gambit by white playing as his fourth move P. to K. B. 4. If the gambit referred to be not properly met, it leads to strong positions of attack. It is better for the second player to refuse the pawn offered.
King's Knight's Opening.—This is a sound opening, and has been largely treated upon by many writers, Some fine situations spring from it. At the second move, white directly attacks K. P. with K. Kt. We will give the opening, and a few brief remarks thereon, together with a game arising from it:
White. Black.
| White. | Black. | |
| 1. P. to K. 4. | 1. P. to K. 4. | |
| 2. K. Kt. to B. 3. |
For black, in reply to this, to move P. to K. B. 3. would
