A Recommendation

Maybe it's just because I was born in the wrong century, but I've always found this particular chess short story engaging and I just now figured maybe someone who never heard of it may want to read too.

It's Vincenzio the Venetian, a story written by  George Walker, the 19th century London chess writer and publisher (and player) who first published it in his 1850 book, "Chess & Chess-Players" and is a take on the old theme of playing Satan for you soul - Click the name above to go to Mark Week's easy-to-read digitalized version.

note: you can read a bit about Geo. Walker here.

I'll have to check it out when I'm not about to sleep, thanks.

This coming from you, I'm sure that I'm in for a really good reading :-)

So the chess clock is an invention by... ?!

It was very pleasant reading - and I now understand <Pulpofeira>'s comment...

I can't see the devil do anything of the sort, by the way (to say more would be too much of a spoiler, so I keep this part of my comment somewhat vague intentionally)

Really great story. Are there more like this?

Nice story.

Those that read the story may have noticed at the end that Walker credited William Bone with supplying the positions in the story.  If it interests you, you can read something about Bone, one of the early great English probemists HERE.

<Nic-olas>

There are actually. Go and google "the brisbane bombshell master jacobson"

Then come back and thank me. 

Wow - TheodorisH - thanks for posting the solutions!! I was wondering but couldn't be bothered to turn on the engines... 

(except for that mate in three - which I did find)

(but I should have suspected the "staircase" thing in the mate in ten - I'm already familiar with the theme... that's bad!!!)

<BatGirl> no thanks. I will wait until YOU will prepare a story about him on one of your pages... :-)

Why go for second-rate? :-)

Walker wrote a stylized history abou the great Italian Knights-Errant of chess, Paolo Boi and Giovanni Leonardo di Bona, entitled the Light and Lustre of Chess - also digitalized by Mark Weeks. It can be read HERE.

The links to both George Walker and Wiliam Bone are to my own Articles about them.

You welcome solkytz. And I didn't use any engines. The third one took me nearly an hour.

<Batgirl> - oh, I see now :-) thanks for letting me know. It will surely be worth the effort!

<ThodorisH> I'm impressed! I did crack my wits on these puzzles - but alas, no luck...

I wonder if you would find the winning shot in the following game though? 

(don't look at my other threads, and if someone knows the game, please don't help him!)

Find white's twenty-second move!

(and explain why...)