Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 232, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 September 1916 — Why Soldiers Play Chess. [ARTICLE]

Why Soldiers Play Chess.

There is an increasing demand for chess and draughtsmen in every hospital and nursing home for the wounded men from the front. Men who are confined to a bed and who are,, perhaps, nervous wrecks from the din of battle, find solace in a game of chess. The reason is the men are so fond of chess and draughts is mainly because they enjoy the element of competition. Yet all the while tha game is quickly making their shat* tered nerves settle down again. X man’s spirit cannot be altered or dampened by hardships, but his nerve* in most cases are broken up entirely, and for those who are not strong enough to play billiards, tennis or other strenuous games, chess and draughts prove as effective. Chess originated in China, and is the oldest methodical game In existence. The first mandarin wanted a new and complicated game and Invented chess, the first game being played upon the stone squares of his palace, -