Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/82

 Mr Watson Rutherford, M.P., has very kindly sent the following reminiscence:

"In the course of the few years which followed my entering the House of Commons in January, 1903, several matches were played against the joint teams of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, each of which was organized and largely carried out by H. H.

"He was passionately fond of the game, and though he did not attain first place amongst its skilled devotees he was remarkable for the rapidity of his games, and the amount of good humoured enjoyment which he was able to get out of them, whether he won or lost.

"H. H. also was principally responsible for the arrangements made in connection with two or three annual tournaments amongst the members of the House of Commons itself, chiefly in connection with the challenge cup which was given by Mr Bonar Law, which cup afterwards was won by that gentleman himself, and subsequently presented by him as a sort of trophy between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and the House of Commons, and is at present held by the Universities in consequence of their having won the last match.

"Although H. H. was not in the first rank of chess players from the point of view of chess skill, yet his presence and services were of the greatest possible utility to the chess players in the House in consequence of his being a universal friend and favourite. His high powers of organization and the amount of persuasiveness he brought to bear upon any project he had in hand were sufficient to carry it to a successful issue under almost all circumstances.

"Although the chess playing group in the House of Commons has suffered very severe diminution as regards both number and talent, as will readily be seen from the list of names above mentioned, I believe that on the whole the playing standard to-day is