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may see his own hand, but not his adversary's. Thus the players will have taken up fourteen out of the twentyeight stones of which an ordinary game consists. The other fourteen remain on the table, faces downwards, to form

a reserve.

The winner of the pose now puts down on the table, face upwards, the domino that it suits him best to play (we shall give some advice on this subject presently). The adversary in his turn places a stone of his own, corresponding in one of its numbers with that placed by his adversary. Then suppose the first player to have played double-six, the second may play sixfour; the first then puts six-five, the second follows it up with five-four, and the first plays the double-four- the single numbers being placed lengthways, the doubles transversely; and so the game proceeds, till the player who has won the pose has expended all his dominoes, his adversary having one

DOMINOES.

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stone left-say six-three. In this case the first player will count nine towards the game, that being the number of points in his adversary's hand. The game itself is won by the player who first scores a hundred. The dominoes are then shuffled again, the second player having the pose this time, and the game continues with a fresh deal.

Generally, however, things do not go so smoothly. After two or three dominoes have been placed by the two players, one of them is unable to match any of the stones in his hand with the numbers at each end of the row on the table. In that case he passes, and his adversary plays instead of him, and continues to do so until an opening presents itself by which the first player can again make use of one of his stones. If both players are compelled to pass, neither of them having a stone that will suit, they turn their hands face upwards on the table, and the one who has the

smallest number of points counts all his adversary's points towards his own game.

The general rule for the player who had the pose is to play out the number which occurs the most frequently in your game. For instance, if the number four occurs four times in your hand, the chances are your adversary will have only one, or perhaps none at all, of the same number, and he will thus be compelled to pass, and you will gain a turn.

It is good policy, too, to get rid of the higher numbers in your hand as soon as possible; for, in case of a block, he who has the lowest number of points wins. Get rid of the doubles also as soon as possible, for they are the hardest to place.

It will thus be seen that the game of dominoes is one of mingled skill and chance. Of course, nothing can avail against a lucky hand; but the combinations of the game are various enough to give scope for a good deal of ingenuity.

The system of luying is sometimes resorted to with two players. That is to say, when one of the players cannot follow suit, he buys or takes a stone at hazard from the reserve; and if this will not do, a second, and so on, till his purpose is answered; but the last two stones in the reserve must not be taken.

Generally, the game is confined to two players, but four, five, or even six may join in it, each playing on his own account or divided into sides. In the latter case the partners sit opposite to each other, the players having first drawn for partners, in the same way as they would for the pose, and the two highest playing against the two lowest. He who has drawn the highest stone has the pose. The play is from left to right, and the side of the first player who is out wins, counting to its score the number of points still held by the opposite party. In this game there may be buying or not, according to agree. ment. If the players do not buy, and, on a block occurring, and the stones being turned up, both sides are found to have the same number, the deal counts for nothing.

1579. The Game of Draughts. -The game is played on a board consisting of sixty-four squares, alternately black and white. Two players engage, and twenty-four pieces are employed, twelve being allotted to each player. The pieces are all of the same kind, and are all equal.

The board should be so placed as that a black square should be at the right hand of each player. The pieces are placed on the white squares only.

The pieces are moved diagonally to the right or left, one square at a time. They must always move forwards until they reach the last line of squares on the opposite side of the board from which they started, each one on reaching there being then crowned a king. Kings so crowned may move backwards as well as forwards, either to the right hand or the left.

In capturing a piece, it is necessary that the square beyond that on which the piece to be captured stands should be vacant, as the capture is made by leaping over the unfortunate captive, who is immediately removed from the board.

A player can compel his opponent to take a prisoner if the piece be in a position to be taken. if the capture be neglected by the opponent, the piece by which the capture should have been made is forfeited, or, as it is technically called, huffed. Instead of huffing, however, the player may insist on the capture being made.

Two or even three pieces may be captured at one move, supposing they are so placed as to have a vacant square beyond each one-a square on which the victorious assailant may alight between the capture of each piece.

The game is brought to a close by one or other of the players losing all his pieces, or being unable to move; or by their being so equally balancedas, for example, one king each—that neither can wing; in this case it is a drawn game.

1580. Chess.-The board for chess is exactly the same as for draughts, only all the squares, both black and white, are resorted to throughout the game.

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The board is placed with a white square to the right of each player.

Each player has eight so-called pieces and eight pawns, the pieces being the king, queen, king's bishop, queen's bishop, king's knight, queen's knight, king's castle or rook, queen's castle or rook, and eight pawns or common men, each one supposed to belong to the more king's pawn, exalted pieces, thus queen's pawn, king's bishop's pawn, queen's bishop's pawn, king's knight's pawn, queen's knight's pawn, king's castle or rook's pawn, queen's castle or rook's pawn.

The kings must always commence on squares the reverse of their own colour black king on a white square, white king on a black square. Queens commence on squares of their own colour.

In chess, one piece takes another, not by leaping over it, but by taking its place; and no piece can leap over or pass by another piece at any time, with the exception of the knights, as described in the following particulars.

1581. Moves at Chess.-The king moves one square at a time in any When he is in such a positon that, direction, and never leaves the board. liable to be taken, he is in check, and were he any other piece, he would be when he is so surrounded that he cannot get out of check (either by moving, taking the adversary, or interposing a pawn or piece), he is said to be mated, and the game is over. Two kings are not allowed to stand next each other, as they would be mutually in check; a square must always intervene.

direction, backward, forward, across, The queen moves in lines, in every time. Her power extends over all the or diagonally, one or more squares at a forward or retreats at pleasure. unoccupied lines before her. She goes

The rook or castle moves only in right lines, up, down, or across the board, one or more squares at a time. His power also extends over both the right lines unoccupied by his own or his opponent's pieces or pawns.

The bishop moves to and fro diagonally on his own colour-the black

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bishop on the black, and the white bishop on the white. The bishops are also known as the king's bishop and the queen's bishop, and they are always known as such by the colour of the square on which they move. Each bishop commands the diagonal before it that is unoccupied by its own or its opponent's men.

The knight has a peculiar oblique move entirely its own. From its first place it has three moves-to the bishop's third square, to the rook's third place, and to the place of the king's or queen's pawn, according to which side it belongs. Thence by a series of forward or sideway jumps, it can pass over every square on the board. The other pieces require the interposing pawn removed before they can get out from the positions they occupy at the commencement of the game; but the knight merely wants a vacant square on which to make his move; or, in the case of an opponent's piece or pawn, removing it and taking its place.

to queen. The amateur will soon find that upon the proper handling of his pawns much of the success of his game depends. There is a move peculiar to the pawns, that is, if a white pawn, say, has moved forward into the fifth square, and a black pawn, in making the first move, takes a jump of two squares, the latter passes the empty square or field of his opponent. Then the white pawn has the privilege of removing the black one from the board and passing into the square he previously guarded. This move is called " taking in passing" (en passant.)

Castling is performed in this way :If the space between the king and the castle is unoccupied, the king moves two squares towards the castle, and the castle is brought to the side of the king farthest from his own square. It can be done by each player once only in each game, and when neither the king nor the castle have previously moved.

In the first game white always moves first, in the second game black moves

The above are the pieces' places in the order of their value-the king first, which cannot be taken; the queen, the rooks, the bishops, and the knights. Belonging to them, and called by their names, as king's pawn, queen's pawn. etc., are the pawns, of which we shall now speak.

The pawns are eight in number on each side. They move straight forward, one square at a time, except at their first move, when they have the privilege of moving two squares.

The pawns capture the enemy diagonally. They cannot retreat, like the pieces; but, if they arrive at the last square on the opposite side, they may be exchanged for, or promoted to the rank of, any other piece. Thus you may have two or more queens, three or more bishops, rooks, or knights. But the piece usually claimed is the queen; hence the move is generally called going

first, and in the third, white, and so on, alternately, no matter which side wins. The first move at the commencement is therefore decided by settling which side is to play with white pieces.

The first move is usually the king's pawn, two squares forward, and the opponent usually replies by moving his king's pawn two squares forward, whereby the two pawns so advanced mutually prevent further progress until one is taken, or until one can take and so get out of the way.

After such first two moves there is no course common enough to be regarded as usual, and such movements of the pawns are entirely optional.

Further particulars concerning chess cannot be comprehensively dealt with in a miscellaneous book, as space for complete study of the subject must necessarily occupy many pages for which a separate book is best adapted.

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is finished. The cards are then again shuffled and cut, and the second deal commences, the player on the left of the last dealer taking the deal, and his left hand player becoming the elder hand. In this way the deal goes round till the game is completed. It is usual for cach player to take the deal in turn, though in some companies they cut for deal at the commencement of every game.

1588. Relative Values of Cards. -The ace is the highest card in each suit, then the king, queen, knave, ten, and so on down to the two (deuce or deux), which is the lowest.

1589. Collection of Tricks.-It is usual for the partner of the player who wins the first trick to take it up and keep the score; and, for convenience sake, he commonly keeps the score throughout the sitting.

1590. Counting by Tricks.-Each trick above six reckons one point towards the game.

1591. Following Suit. Each player must follow the suit led of each trick, if he has a card of that suit. Failing to do so is a revoke, as hereafter referred to.

1592. Trumping or Renouncing. -If he be not able to follow suit, he may play a trump, and so win the trick, or throw away any small card of another suit, which is called renouncing.

1593. Counting by Honours.The ace, king, queen, and knave of trumps are called honours, and they reckon towards the game in the following manner :-The partners holding between them three honours score two to their game; if they hold the whole four, they score four; but if each player holds one honour only, or if each side holds two honours each, no score can be counted, and honours are said to be divided.

1594. Honours not Counted.If either side scores nine tricks, that side is not allowed to count honours.

1595. The Call.-When one side has scored nine, and the other side eight, the side holding eight tricks has the privilege of what is known as the call. That is, the player having two honours may--when it comes to his turn to play, and not before-ask his partner, "Can you one?" or, "Have you an honour?" If he has, he assents, and the three honours are shown, and the game won. The player at eight points may show the three honours in his hand if he has them.

1596. Honours before Tricks.— At eight, honours, if shown, count before tricks.

1597. Tricks before Honours.At less than eight, tricks count before honours.

1598. A Rubber is the best two games of three.

1599. Points.-Whist is frequently played without regard to points; but when they are agreed upon, they are governed in the following manner :

1600. A Single is when the losing side has scored more than four, which is one point to each winner.

1601. A Double is when the losing side has scored less than five, which makes two points to each winner.

1602. A Triple, or Lurch, is when the losing side has not scored at all, which makes three points to each winner.

1603. Paying for Points.—Independently of the game or rubber, each point has to be paid for separately, say at 6d. per point, or any other amount agreed upon. In some cases two of the players may agree to recognize points, though the other two may decline to do so.

1604. A Slam is when the winners score ten with their first hand. Where points are played for, it is, of course, a triple; but, in addition to that, it is regarded in some circles as equal to two games, whereby the whole rubber is won; but this is not universal.