St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Their First Game Steinitz and Zukertort

THEIR FIRST GAME STEINITZ AND ZUKERTORT, CHESS CHAMPIONS, BEGIN THEIR ST. LOUIS SERIES

A Light Attendance at the Harmonie Club &mdash; The Ruy Lopez

Gambit Used in Opening Contest &mdash; Status of the Tourney

Quite a number of gentlemen interested in the scientific game of chess gathered in the directors room of the Harmonie Club this afternoon to witness the continuation of the match between J. H. Zukertort and Wilhelm Steinitz. Amongst the strangers present were W.H. Ripley, secretary of the Indianapolis Chess Club; Major Henry Turner, president of the Brooklyn club; D. McAffee of the Quincy club; Dr. E. Hoelke of Leadville, Colo.; Mr. Intrepidie of the Manhattan club, New York; and Mr. Foster of the Baltimore club. Arrangements had been made for the seconding of players so that Dr. Zukertort had for his best man Mr. William Duncan, and Steinitz, Mr. Ben R. Foster. The terms of the match are $2,000 a side and the championship of the world, a limit of fifteen moves an hour. The match will be continued in St. Louis until one of the players wins three games. Five games were played in New York, of which Dr. Zukertort won four and Steinitz one. The match will be finished in New Orleans and will be continued until either of the chess men shall have won ten games.

At the Hall

It was not until 1:30 that many of the chessplayers of the city began to gather at the Harmonie club. They immediately sought the dining room on the first floor, where six rows of eleven chairs each had been placed for the spectators. The chairs faced the west and the spectators followed the game from a large board with a forty-eight inch field, elevated on an easel. Mr. Lewis Haller manipulated the pieces on the board. The champions themselves were to sit in the center of the reading room facing east and west upon a platform eight feet by six, and one foot high. This platform was placed directly in the center of the space afforded by folding the doors which were thrown open, giving the audience a side view of the great players who sat in such a position that they could throw side glances out on Olive Street. The board and pieces were loaned by Judge Chester H. Krum, the board being of morocco with red and cream squares. The pieces were club-size Staunton. The rules of the match required 30 moves in the first two hours. The time was measured by a unique arrangement of two small clocks, one for each player, hung on a balance, like a seesaw, and so adjusted that neither would run unless it was depressed. Each second looked after the clock of his champion, and as soon as the play was made pressed down his clock, and the time of the move began to be ticked off. At 2 oclock the distinguished players had not arrived, but the following gentlemen were among the fifty persons present: Wallace Delafield, Maj. Humphreys, Max Judd, Isador Judd, L. Hellman, Judge Woerner, D.V. Haydel, Fred Cochran, Ed Martin, A.H. Robbins, William E. Ware, W.F. Woerner, Col. Rowley, S.M. Joseph. Mr. Steinitz had chosen the white, and Mr. Zukertort the black men. The two players arrived at the hall about 2:15 pm and the game was started about fifteen minutes after. It will seem that Steinitz, who opened first, used the well known Ruy Lopez gambit. After sixteen moves, Steinitz was acknowledged to have a shade of an advantage.