The Long Ago Times

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LONDON, February 19th, 1824 — In a recent development that has intrigued both the chess and diplomatic communities, the renowned Parisian chess society, Le Cercle de Philidor, issued a challenge to its counterpart in London, the London Chess Club, for a match of wits over the chessboard. The proposal, ambitious in scope, suggested the transmission of moves by post or special courier, with the stakes set at fifty guineas per game.

However, in a twist, the eagerly anticipated contest has been shelved. M. de La Bourdonnais, Paris’s second-ranking player, conveyed the French club’s withdrawal from the match. The reason cited is internal discord within the Parisian ranks, hinting at an imminent dissolution of the club. The planned duel was to feature two games concurrently, with each club taking the initiative in one game, predicting a drawn-out engagement possibly extending over a year.

The London Chess Club, not to be deterred by mere logistics, floated a novel solution to expedite the match. In light of the national prestige seemingly at stake, there was talk of petitioning the government to resurrect the defunct telegraphic link between France and Britain. This ambitious proposal aimed to slash the games’ duration significantly and was estimated to burden the exchequer by no more than £10,000—a paltry sum for advancing national honor in this intellectual arena.

While the match between these two venerable institutions may not proceed as planned, we look forward to the time when the Cercle is able to restore its internal order sufficiently to revive this friendly outlet for rivalry across the Channel.

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