The complimentary dinner of
the St. Georges Chess Club in honour
of MM.
Morel and Rosenthal, came off, in accordance with our previous
announcement,
on Thursday last, at the Criterion Restaurant. The Earl of Dartrey
presided.
After the repast the noble chairman, in proposing the loyal toasts,
expressed
his gratification, amidst loud cheers, at the club having the honour of
counting a member of the royal family (H. R. H. Prince Leopold) amongst
its members. The noble lord next proposed the health of M. Grévy,
the President of the French Republic, who, before and since his
elevation
to his exalted office, had given his warmest support to the cultivation
of the game in France. The next toast proposed by the noble lord was the
health of M. Morel, one of the guests of the evening, who was received
with warmest applause when returning thanks in French. Mr Lindsay, in
proposing
the health of M. Rosenthal, said that the members of the club felt the
highest satisfaction at the election of M. Rosenthal as an honorary
member.
The French master numbered amongst his pupils some of the highest
personages
of all parties in France, and had also during his stay amongst us gained
a great many friends through his personal qualities. M. Rosenthal was
chivalrously
fighting against one of the finest players in the world, and he (Mr
Lindsay)
hoped that both parties would be able to develope their best abilities,
feeling sure that the members of the club only wished the success of
superior
skill, quite apart from the least personal considerations. (Loud
cheers.) |
M. Rosenthal, who returned
thanks in French, said that he felt deeply grateful for the honour
accorded
to him, and, no matter what might be the result of the contest in which
he was engaged, he would always entertain a vivid recollection of the
hospitality
bestowed upon him by the members of the St. Georges
Chess Club. He had been treated with perfect fairness in reference to
the
match, and with great kindness and consideration in his private
capacity,
and he felt proud of belonging to a body of devotees to the game who
were
so evidently inspired by sentiments of honour and justice. |
Lord Randolph Churchill, M.
P., next proposed the health of the hon. members, coupled with the name
of Herr Zukertort. The noble lord, amidst loud cheers, expressed his
deep
regret at the loss which the club had sustained by the death of
Professor
Anderssen, but he was happy to see that the other luminaries of chess
who
were on the list of honorary members were still living, though not all
present. His Excellency Baron Heydebrandt von der Lasa had, with his
great
analytical works, raised the noble game to a real science, and Paul
Morphy,
probably the greatest chess genius who ever lived, had left an indelible
mark on the history of our pastime. The noble lord then alluded in
handsome
terms to the hon. members present, Messrs Rosenthal, Steinitz, and
Zukertort,
and especially bestowed high praise on the latters
anaytical labours in the Chess Monthly. |
Herr Zukertort briefly
returned
thanks. |
Mr F. H. Lewis, in a
humorous
and complimentary speech, proposed the health of the chess-masters,
coupled
with the name of Herr Steinitz, and, in the course of some
clever-observations
in reference to the game, he wished an answer to the question, what were
the necessary mental qualifications for forming a chess
master? |
Herr Steinitz, who warmly
returned thanks, said that he could not answer the question from a
scientific
point of view, but he felt sure that chess was a school for strict
honesty
and truthfulness. The game was free from trickery and deception, and he
had always observed that the strongest players were those who merely
tried
to arrive at true conclusions, without speculating in the least on the
opponents weakness. The illustrious
President
of the French Republic, who some time ago wrote in the album of a French
lady the true words Life is a game of chess, and he
expressed the hope
that people would come to the conclusion that deception does not play in
the long run, any more in life than in chess, for the deceiver merely
deceives
himself. |
The Rev. W. Wayte, who, in
a humorous address, proposed the health of the hon. secretary, Mr
Minchin,
congratulated the latter on having come out decisively as this
years
champion of the St. Georges Chess
Club, by
winning both the Lowenthal tournament and the winter handicap of the
club.
The speaker then related some anecdotes from the Life of Lord
Palmerston
to show that chess had been a favourite game with the late Prince Albert
and Her Majesty the Queen, the following amongst others: On one occasion
Her Majesty played a game with the Queen of the Belgians, who was then
on a visit to England, and in the course of the contest Lord Palmerston
strained his constitutional privileges so far as to give his sovereign
some hints about the game, which, notwithstanding his assistance, was
win
by the Belgian royal lady. It was the fault of your
Majestys
humble adviser, said the Prime Minister, consolingly. The toast
was received
with great applause, and with musical honours. Some other speeches
followed
after Mr Minchins reply. The greatest
cordiality
prevailed throughout the meeting, and the French guests of the evening
were duly honoured in most of the speeches. M. Sipier, a member of the
Paris Cercle des Echecs, was a visitor at the dinner. |
The Field,
1880.06.12
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