September 17 1881
Manchester Evening News, Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, Saturday, September 17, 1881
THE GREAT CHESS CONTEST.
The great chess contest at Berlin is approaching a conclusion. Mr. Blackburne, the English competitor, appears to be sufficiently in advance of the other competitors to be sure of the first prize. The total scores yesterday were as follow:—Berger, Graz, 7½; Blackburne, London, 13; Mason, New York, 8½; Minckwitz, Leipsig, 7; Dr. Noa, Gr. Becskerek, 5½; L. Paulsen, Blomberg, 7½; W. Paulsen, Nassengrund, 6½; Riemann, Berlin, 6; Schallopp, Berlin, 7; Dr. Shmid, Dresden, 3; Von Schutz, Luneberg, 1½; J. Schwartz, Wien, 8; Tschigorin, St. Petersburg, 8½; Wemmers, Kolr, Winawer, Berlin, 9½; Wittek, Graz, 9; and Zukertort, London, 10.
The Daily Telegraph says: England has, perhaps, a right to be proud of its chess-players. In the great tournament now coming to a close at Berlin, her representatives come out with flying colours. Herr Zukertort, of London, who at Paris won the principal prize last year, gains fresh laurels, while Mr. Blackburne, also of the metropolis, stands as quite the best player at the present time. He has beaten nearly everybody opposed to him, including such men as Herr Schalopp, Herr Winawer, Mr. Zukertort himself, and Herr Paulsen, and he only succumbed in one game to the conquering skill of Mr. Mason, an American. This proficiency in chess-playing is a gratifying fact. It may not mean so much as some are inclined to think, but it shows this, that whatever Englishmen may be, they are not behind the nations in those things which go to mark out a daring and an inventive people. The peaceful victories of chess on the part of our representatives are events with which we may be pardonably content.
