CHAPTER VIII.

On the odds of giving the King the Knight's move.

SOME persons give this kind of odds, allowing the adversary's King to have the move of the Knight besides his regular move. I do not deny than an agreement does away with every law, but this appears to me improper, on account of the check and mate which the King may give the other at the distance of a Knight's move, a power which ought not to belong to a King; however, as the odds are given, we will examine them.

In the first place he who receives the odds has two advantages, one is the power of moving the King like a Knight, and the other the difficulty of being checkmated, as it requires more force than usual to checkmate, so that the move of the Knight, added to that of the King, is evidently equal to a Knight, and the difficulty of checkmating must be nearly equal to another Knight; the odds, therefore, of giving the King the Knight's move are equal to a Rook and a Pawn. He who gives the odds must observe, that in order to give checkmate, he must have at least the Queen and a Piece, or the two Rooks, and even with them he must be careful, or he will not be able to checkmate in twenty-four moves. He who receives the odds should not play his King out early in the game; in the middle of the game he may be played but with caution, towards the end he should be played often, because then he is the most valuable Piece, still, however, with care and not rashly.

CHAPTER IX.

On the odds of giving the Queen the Knight's move.

THE odds of allowing the Queen to move like a Knight are sometimes given, and with respect to the effect is most important, for she is able, without any assistance, to checkmate, and by entering into the adversary's game, frequently does him much injury, but with respect to itself the odds are equal to a Knight. It is, however, true, that if an excellent player receive the odds of an indifferent one for some Pieces and Pawns, it may be considered as more than a Rook; but if he give it to the inferior player, experience proves that it is not quite equal to a Knight, the value depending on the knowledge how to use it.

The player giving the odds should keep his game close and united, not allowing the Queen to enter the game, and endeavouring to exchange Queens, even with the loss of Pawns or a Piece; he who receives the odds should be careful to avoid those checks which may force him to interpose the Queen. He ought not to suffer the Queen to remain inactive, but should venture into the adversary's game, as it seldom happens that she can be confined and her return prevented.

CHAPTER X.

On the odds of the Queen.

THESE odds may be given in several ways: in the first place, by one party depriving himself entirely of the Queen. This is very great odds, and can only occur between players of great inequality of skill. Secondly, one player has a Queen, and allows one of the adversary's Pawns to move as a Queen, so that he has two Queens; this is about a Knight less than the first way, because a Queen is given for a Pawn, and the player giving the odds can move his Queen to more advantage than his adversary can either of his, and may probably be able to gain something, which he could not have done had he no Queen, and his adversary only one. Thirdly, one player allows one of his adversary's Rooks to act as a Queen; this is considered as rather more than giving a Rook, and of course it would be still more, if one of the Bishops were allowed to become a Queen. If one party takes off the Queen and the other a Rook, this is equal to giving a Rook and Pawn, and perhaps more; the odds will be still greater if one party take off the Queen and the other a Knight or Bishop,

CHAPTER XI.

On the odds of a Rook, and of the other Pieces.

ALTHOUGH the two Rooks be of themselves equal, yet their position makes some difference. Sometimes it is better to give the King's Rook, sometimes the Queen's. If the player giving the odds intends to castle, he should take off the King's Rook, that he may remove the King in a few moves to a remote and secure place; but if he intend to castle elsewhere, or not to castle at all, he should remove the Queen's Rook, in order, with the King's Rook and other Pieces, to attack the adverse King, who perhaps may have castled on the King's side. Of the two Knights it is better to give the Queen's, and leave the other to defend the King; the King's Knight is more ready to attack the adverse King than the Queen's.

CHAPTER XII.

On the odds of the "Castled King."

THE manner of giving these odds is to allow your adversary, before any moves have been played, to place his King on the Rook's square, and the Rook on the King's. There are two ways of placing them, one is the King on the King's Rook's square, and the King's Rook on the

King's square; the other is the King on the Queen's Rook's square, and the Queen's Rook on the King's square. The first way of placing them is, however, always understood when these odds are given. It is equal to giving rather less than two Pawns. The second way is rather more, that is to say, not quite equal to giving a Piece. This arises from the King being in a more defensive position on the Queen's side; besides the Pieces and Pawns can be better directed against the adversary's King. Of the second way of placing the King it is not necessary to say more, on the first we shall enlarge. He who receives the odds should play the King's Pawn two squares, and as soon as he can, the Queen's Pawn two squares, and although sometimes an exchange takes place, he should endeavour to have two Pawns united on the King's and Queen's file; he should not delay advancing one or both Bishop's Pawns, and with the Pieces behind them he will have a good attacking and defensive game. He should be careful of the adversary's King's Knight, which with the Rook's Pawn is often very dangerous. The same may be observed of the adverse King's Bishop, at the Queen's Bishop's fourth square; it will therefore be proper to make exchanges with these two Pieces; care should be taken so as to advance the Pawn and Pieces, as to prevent the adversary from castling and making the game equal. The player giving the odds should not play a confined game as many do, because it enables his adversary to crowd his game. If the party receiving the odds begin with King's Pawn two squares, so should the other, endeavouring to exchange Pieces and Pawns, for the odds dwindle to nothing if the Pieces be exchanged, besides,