Exeter Chess Club: Trawled from the 'Net

From info!strath-cs!uknet!EU.net!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!aimnet1.aimnet.com!aimnet.aimnet.com!not-for-mail Tue Apr  4 14:08:22 BST 1995
Article: 45666 of rec.games.chess
Path: info!strath-cs!uknet!EU.net!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!aimnet1.aimnet.com!aimnet.aimnet.com!not-for-mail
From: vasa@aimnet.com (Gustavus Vasa)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Chess Sins: Mediaeval Confession
Date: 26 Mar 1995 23:57:33 -0800
Organization: Aimnet Information Services
Lines: 39
Message-ID: <3l5r5d$6m7@aimnet.aimnet.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: aimnet.aimnet.com
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]


     An unknown ecclesiastic of the 17th century has penned a vivid
description of the kind of appeal that chess exerts.  He calls it
"The Evils of Chess" (20):

     I.   It is a great time-waster.  How many precious hours (which
can never be recalled) have I profusely spent in this game!

     II.  It hath had with me a fascinating property;
I have been bewitched by it: when I have begun, I have not had the
power to give over.

     III. It hath not done with me, when I have done with it.  It
hath followed me into my study, into my pulpit; when I have been
praying or preaching, I have (in my thoughts) been playing at chess;
than I have had, as it were, a chess-board before my eyes. . . .
     
     IV.   It hath caused me to break many solemn resolutions; nay,
vows and promises.  Sometimes I have obliged myself, in the most
solemn manner, to play but so many mates at a time, or with any one
person, and anon I have broken these obligations and promises. . .

     V.    It hath wounded my conscience and broken my peace.  I
have had sad reflections upon it, when I have been most serious.  I
find, if I were now to die, the remembrance of this game would
greatly trouble me and stare me in the face.  I have read in the
life of the famous John Huss, how he was greatly troubled, for his
using of this game, a little before his death.

     VI.  My using of it hath occasioned much sin, as passion,
strife, idle (if not lying) words, in myself and my antagonist, or
both.  It hath caused the neglect of many duties both to God and
men...


>From Harley, E. _The Harleyan Miscellany_. R. Dutton, London, 1808-
1811, as cited by Reubin Fine, _The Psychology of the Chess Player_,
Dover, NY (1956), p. 7.

---

Back to Chess Coaching Page



This document (Trawl\Sin.html) was last modified on 13 Aug 2005
by

Dr. Dave