sneaky pete: THESE ARE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF CHESS
I am the Wisdom, which summons thee from the servitude of the sideboard at the chessboard of reason.
The First Commandment
Thou shalt on that board make no nonsense before my face.
The Second Commandment
Thou shalt set up no other gods in the Chess temple, neither Muzio, nor Salvio, nor Philidor, nor Stein, nor threechess, nor fourchess, and thou shalt not serve them.
The third Commandment
Thou shalt not take the name of Chess in vain, nor use it for all kinds of bungling, for I greatly abhor this and will most certainly get even with thee.
The Fourth Commandment
Longer than six days a week from early in the morning till eleven o'clock in the evening may ye not play Chess, for that is long enough and ye should take a walk sometime.
The Fifth Commandment
Buy the <Churchfathers> and honour them through study, for in doing so ye will prosper on the <Via Dolorosa> to the Chess heaven.
The Sixth Commandment
Thou shalt not steal, neither openly the time when playing simple moves, nor stealthy the pieces if thy partner steps away from the board.
The Seventh Commandment
Thou shalt not commit adultery, indeed, thou shalt not even touch a piece indecently.
The Eighth Commandment
Thou shalt not kill pieces or games without a sensible plan.
The Ninth Commandment
Thou shalt not bear false witness if thy game is lost, neither about headache, nor about being in a hurry, nor about auntie, for in doing so ye shall behave like a Chess clodhopper.
The Tenth Commandment
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's Queen, nor his Bishop, nor his Knights, nor his Rooks, nor his pawns, if ye can not get them anyway, for this is a mental torment and does not help ye the least bit.
Antonius van der Linde, <De Schaakwerld>, 1875.
Kibitzing
