PREFACE. AMIDST the rage for novelty of the present day, when periodicals spring up and disappear with a celerity so marvellous that the public can scarcely catch their names, a Magazine which has attained the unusual longevity of nearly two years, may fairly entitle its Editor to the privilege of indulging in a few remarks explanatory of his hopes and future intentions concerning the work intrusted to his manage ment. At the outset of "THE CHESS PLAYER'S CHRONICLE," it was freely predicted that no candidate for popularity so restricted in interest could ever find supporters enough to keep it on its legs, and the Editor was beset on all sides by arguments in favour of introducing other games to a place in his pages. Strong, however, in reliance upon the increasing influence of his favourite pastime, he determined to try the experiment he had projected, whether Chess, and Chess alone, had stamina enough to give enduring vitality to a well conducted pe riodical. Two years' experience has justified the correctness of his anticipations; but it has also taught him that a far higher degree of success may be achieved by some modification of the plan upon which "THE CHRONICLE" was heretofore conducted; and it has been deemed expedient, therefore, to issue the work in Shilling Numbers, once a month,—thus bringing it within the reach of every class where Chess has superseded the frivolous amusements which formerly 'prevailed, and insuring it from those errors, typographical and |