ON CRICKET AND CHESS
SIR,—The Greek Test cricketer referred to by Michael Llewellyn Smith (September 4) was X. Balaskas, a leg-break bowler who was a member of the South African side which toured England in 1935 under H. F. Wade. This was the leather-jacket year at Lord's, and Balaskas—'the terrible Greek'—had a match analysis of nine for 103 in fifty-nirte ovens in the Second Test, played there on June 29 and July I and 2. South Africa won the match by 157 runs—their first Test victory in England and the only decisive Test in the series. Very little was seen of Balaskas after this match.
The Chinaman was Ellis Achong of the West Indies.
Quoodle v. Philidor.----Quoodle's revelation that his pocket chess set has three black pawns missing and that this prompted him to the sacrifice of a piece for three pawns provides food for thought. I have noticed in my own play a disturbing tendency to schizophrenia schaccistica: a dull materialism with the White pieces contrasting oddly with wild counter- gambits when Black. There is a Black pawn missing in my set, too. Whatever the result of his game. Quoodle may console himself with the thought of the mental suffering his sacrifice must have caused Philidor, for whom pawns are the soul of chess. If he loses, I recommend Quoodle to insist on Philidor handicapping himself, as he used to in 1790, by playing blindfold and without his King's Bishop's pawn. And what is Philidor thinking of, playing so daringly modern an opening as the Classical Defence to the Ruy Lopez?
J. D. TAYLOR /2 Su ttttt terfield, Ashdell Road. Sheffield, /0
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