LIVING CHESS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1226, 29 January 1883, Page 2

LIVING CHESS.

A chess tournament with living characters was placed for the first time in Lhe Southern Hemisphere at the North Adelaide bnzaar, in the town hall,, on the |20fch ult. The following extract from the Illustrated London News of the 23rd Lecembcr last will give an idea of the novel performance :— " In Itedwooil Park, by permission of the owner, 2-Ir : '. E. ijm-

tees, and under the patronage o£ twentyfive ladies, headed fry Lady Chaytor and Lady Pease, a game of chess was played by living pieces — that is to say with human figures dressed in quaint 15th century costume, thirty-two in number, the reds against the greens, moving properly from square, each side acting under the orders o£ a director or commander in chief, as in the manoeuvres of a military field day. In playing the first game the rival commanders were .Rgv. Mr Chevalier and Major Thompson, who in turn called out the moves, the figures answering with the precision of automata. Afterwards, on Thursday,an impromptu game was played by the Keys. H. Spurrier and W. H. J. Stephens. Next day after the set game, Dr Hardy and Mr Thompson, schoolmaster, of the villiage, played, the victory being with the latter gentleman. The young ladies, who appeared as castles, were encircled with a pasteboard imitation of ancient masonry, with ivy clinging about their walls, and with battlements and flags overhead. The queens wore the tall, peaked hate of Edward IV. 's regin, and the costumes generally were taken from old engravings of that period in Caxton's book on chess, Mr Eton, of the Darlington School of Art, and Mr Thompson, the Heightington schoolmaster, lent their assistance to contrive this pleasant sight, It was greatly enjoyed by a vexy largo company, and was repeated a third time on Saturday for the enjoyment of all the villagq folk, ; . and at Darlington I on Monday."