Double Chess Board.
One hundred and sixty squares.
If the Double-chess player will remember that it is absolutely essential to watch his partner and second his moves, this state of things will speedily disappear. Those who wilfully neglect this may as well content themselves with Single Chess. No matter what their powers of calculation, they will never make decent Double-chess players.
Another imperative rule is always to make your attack to the right and defend on the left, taking care to guard your king against check by a double guard. These two rules will be referred to again at their proper time; but we cannot too strongly insist upon them, though, properly speaking, they have no place in the introductory remarks.
We have seen a very sensible and modest little brochure, by Captain George Hope Verney, which, unfortunately, is printed for private circulation only. We willingly bear testimony to its merits.
We must endeavour to combat the popular error that Double Chess is too complicated for ordinary players. Any one acquainted with the moves and rules of ordinary chess can soon become a proficient, and as for the notion that it requires a great Single-chess player to make a good Double-chess-player, we must call attention, by way of analogy, to the fact that gamekeepers generally make wretched rifle-shots.
Exception must be taken to the name, ‘Four-handed Chess,’ given by some players to this game. Why not Four-brained Chess, or Four-person Chess, on the same principle? Must we call Single Chess Two-handed Chess? Double Chess let it be called, since it has exactly double the number of pieces engaged.
The [diagram] which we give will afford an accurate idea of the board used in the game of Double Chess.
It should consist of one hundred and sixty squares, twenty-four extra squares on each side of the central squares.