Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1875 — Blindfold Chess-Playing. [ARTICLE]

Blindfold Chess-Playing.

Some of the strongest chess-players have been unable to play blindfold, precisely as some of the greatest mathematicians have been unable to deal mentally with any but the very simplest problems. Philidor and La Bourdonnais could both pplay without seeing the board, but McDonnell, St. Amant and Staunton never accomplished the feat (at least in any recorded partie). Harrwitz could play blindfold; his rival Horwitz could not. At the present day Blackburne and Zukertortcan play ten or twelve games blindfold, but several of the strongest chessplayers living do not, we believe, possess the power. We must, therefore, find an explanation which shall not require the blindfold player to be superior in chessstrength to the player who is unable to carry on a contest without seeing the board. The explanation'is simple. The blindfold player is aide to picture to himself the boardand men, at any stage of a game, and thus plays mentally with as much ease and confidence as if he had the board before him. If he is conducting a dozen blindfold games siifrultaneously, his method is the same. We are unable to way, however, whether he pictures all the games at once, as though the boards were ranged before him; or calls up=a mental of each board, with the meh properly placed for that .game, as its turn copies round. Probably, in most cases, the jatter is the method adopted.— OemMUJMtanint. . 'J' .1 .o -J