a square of a different colour from that on which he first stood. No matter what pieces might occupy the squares between him and the place to which he was about to move; he would leap over them with impunity.

The other Knight, being placed nearer to the centre of the board, commands no less than eight squares, indicated by the numbers 1 to 8; to either of which he might leap at one bound, but his choice does not extend beyond those eight. The squares commanded by the Knight always appear to be in pairs. Suppose the white K. Kt. to be at home, as placed on commencing the game; how many squares does he command?

The Pawns have the shortest move forward of the Rook when they do not capture, and the shortest move forward of the Bishop when they do. Thus the humble Pawn moves forward, in a right line, but cannot move either backward, obliquely, or sidewise (except in capturing, when it moves obliquely as mentioned above). The Pawn can only move one square at a time; each Pawn has, however, the privi lege, to be exercised at the option of the player, of being advanced, on the first move he makes, either one or two squares. In exercising this privilege, the Pawn is liable to be taken en passant" by an adverse Pawn, as will be hereafter explained, under the article on the meaning of the phrase "en passant." Your Rook's Pawns command only one square each, viz., K. or Q. Kt. 3d; the other six Pawns command each two squares. Remember that all the pieces can be played backward as well as forward, to the right or to the left; but the Pawn has a forward move only; it can never retreat from danger like the other pieces, but continues to advance until it reaches your adversary's royal line, when it is entitled to a reward which none of the pieces can claim; its immediately promoted to the rank of a Queen, or a Rook, or a Bishop, or a Knight, as you may desire, but can in no case remain on the royal line as a Pan.

LESSON III.

ON THE MANNER IN WHICH THE CHESS-MEN TAKE EACH OTHER.

MR. WALKER, in his elementary treatise already quoted, has explained in so very lucid a manner the mode in which captures are made at Chess, that we are tempted to give his remarks in full, with his explanatory diagrams.

The different pieces (the Pawn is not here included) take, in exactly the same direction as they move. In taking, you lift off the adverse piece from the board, and place your own piece in the square hitherto occupied by the adversary; and not, as in the game of Draughts, on the square beyond.

You are never compelled to take, as in the game of Draughts, but may do so, or not, according as it may be to your advantage, without incurring any penalty for refusing the offer.

To illustrate the manner in which the men take each other, examine the preceding diagram.

Here is the white Queen opposed to a black Rook. If it be White's turn to play, the Queen may take the Rook; to do which, you remove the Rook from off the board, and seat the Queer. on the square now occupied by the Rook. Were the Rook on either of the adjoining squares (marked 1 and 2), the Queen could not capture it, because it would not be in her line of march.

If the Black in this situation, had the first move, the Rook might take either the Queen, the Bishop, or the Knight; lifting the piece taken, off the board, and occupying the square thus vacated.

You can never take two men at once, as in the game of Draughts. All the pieces are reciprocally liable to be taken, as well by the lowly Pawn, as by the haughty Queen: the King is the only exception to this rule, as we shall find under the head of "Check."

Let us set up another position:—

In this case we have a black Bishop, and two white Knights. If Black have the

move, the Bishop may take the

Knight in the corner, as before explained, but could not take the nearer Knight, because, to do so would be a departure from the line of march proper to the Bishop. If, on the other hand, the White have the first move, the Knight in the corner cannot

+

harm the Bishop, because the latter does not stand within its limited and peculiar range; but the other Knight can take the Bishop, by stepping into his place, and handing hum of the board.

BLACK.

The Pawn is the only man which does not take in the direction it moves; for, whereas it moves only straight on (in right lines), it takes diagonally. In other words, the Pawn may be said to march, on ordinary occasions, like the Rook, except that it can neither move backward nor sidewise, nor can it advance more than one square at a move; but when the Pawn

WHITE.

takes, it appears to borrow the power of the Bishop, and to take in the same manner, but only one square forward, diag. onally. Example being, however, better than precept, let us revert to the Chess-board :

We have here a white Pawn, which may take either the Queen or Knight, exactly as a Bishop would do, if seated in the square of the Pawn. But the Pawn cannot capture the Bishop, because he may not take straight forward. I suppose the white pieces to have occupied the lower half of the board, as in the first diagram, and the Pawn is, therefore, advancing up the board.

The Pawn can never capture any piece or Pawn, which is not thus placed on the first square of the fronting diagonal. When, therefore, the Pawn is advanced, on first starting, two

squares, it follows that he can never, on that move, take any of the adverse men. The Pawns may take each other, as well as the pieces take the Pawns; of course your own men cannot take each other.

LESSON IV.

CHECKING THE KING-CHECK-MATE-A CHESS PROBLEM EXPLAINED-VARIOUS KINDS OF CHECKS-SIMPLE CHECK-CHECK BY

DISCOVERY-DOUBLE

CHECK-PERPETUAL

CHECK-DRAWN

GAMES-VARIOUS KINDS OF MATE-STALE-MATE-FOOL'S MATE-SCHOLAR'S MATE-SMOTHERED MATE.

BEFORE we proceed to play our first game of Chess it will be necessary to explain a few of the technical terms which are in constant use among Chess-players, as also the code of laws which regulates their proceedings.

The King is the principal character in the Chess-field; his person is sacred, and he can never be captured; he is nevertheless liable to the attacks of your adversary's pieces, which must be instantly warded off, for if being under attack he is unable by any means to escape therefrom, he is said to be check-mated, and the game is at an end. The grand object of Chess is therefore twofold, namely, to guard your own King from danger, while at the same time you form a syste matic attack on your adversary's King.

Whenever you make a direct attack upon the King, you must inform your adversary of the circumstance by calling out "check," and he must immediately attend to the warn ing and escape from check, or get out of check, by one of the three following methods:-1. By moving the King out of check. 2. By capturing the piece or Pawn that checks,