Chess, Cards, Boards Games etc

Aces Made Easy [Cheating at Bridge - Our Emphasis] – McCullough and Fogasse.

Published by Methuen, London in 1945, having first been published in 1934.

Small octavo, 134 pages, illustrated by Fogasse. I very good copy albeit with dust jacket chips.

We love this little book which is essentially all about how to cheat well at the card game Bridge. Bridge players on the whole are rather snooty self important individuals. It’s a game that can lead to divorce, and lost friends, so cheating on those so self consumed seams to Voyager to be rather fair.

The Author wrote a few books along these lines – another we like is tilted “Card-playing for Profit” .. another “What shall I tell my Partner?”.

Get over the moral dilemma and cheat at Bridge it’s much more fun than the game.

$30.00

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Illustrated Games of Patience – Lady Adelaide Cadogan – 1880

Card games of all sorts were all the rage in Victorian times among all classes. Here we have none other than Lady Cadogan the leading expert on the many many variations of a card game generally known as Patience.

This is fourth more glamorous edition published by Sampson Low, London in 1880. Quarto, strangely paginated around the description both in narrative and pictorially of each game. The images are truly delightful a feature that is carried over to the decorated green cloth binding. A very good copy of a scarce form.

The names of the various game forms points to the French derivations .. La Belle Lucie; Le Cadran; La Quinzaine; La Loi Salique; Les Quatre Coins; Le Moulin; Le Shah etc although ending with the rather drearily named “the British Constitution”

Patience is a blessing .. let’s have more of it!

$80.00

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Early 19th Century Pope Joan Card Game Staking Board

A striking example of a Pope Joan Staking Board, likely Georgian.

A red lacquered board probably made in China for the English market. The circular pot to hold counters is surrounded by eight divisions. The borders embellished to describe each of the compartments … the Nine of Diamonds (Which represents “Pope Joan”; The Ace, King, Queen and Jack of Diamonds, and the words Matrimony, Intrigue and Game with floral devices in gilt in-between. Still has the top to the pot (often missing) with more card decorations. Does not have a wooden pedestal foot which would have screwed on below. 24cm in diameter. Likely made from Birch or some other decorative light wood. A really super example.

An 18th Century round game of cards for three to eight players derived French games and related to but less elaborate than Newmarket. It did not appear in Hoyle until 1814 but had been mentioned in early dictionaries. Pope Joan refers to the suspicion that Pope John VIII was actually a woman.

Two Hundred Year Old Staking Board for Pope Joan – a lovely decorative piece

$290.00

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Chess: The Middle Game – John Littlewood

Published by Collins, London in 1974 a very good copy.

The Beginning and the End meet in the Middle. Master this phase of the game to become a Champion (maybe). Packed full of “Tactical Ideas” understandable to the Novice and useful to the Chexpert!

Master the Middle and take the ground

$30.00

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Chess: Games to Remember – Horowitz

Published by Pelham, London in 1973 a very good copy.

Three hundred odd of the best games ever played. Hard to pass over Spassky but there is Bobby Fischer, Tal, Byrne, Czerniak, Reshevsky, Larsen etc.. the full spectrum of the great chess minds of the 1960’s no greater chess era.

Greatest games many of them!

We have a number of Chess books and often good sets – search “Chess”

$30.00

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White Knights of Reykjavik – George Steiner

Published by Faber, London in 1973. Full title The Sporting Scene … White Knight etc a somewhat confusing full title. A pretty good copy.

Well anyone of Voyager’s vintage will remember the confrontation of Fischer and Spassky and all that it stood for. A brilliant book about the event and the genius individuals.

When chess was a heavyweight sport

$25.00

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Aces Made Easy [Cheating at Bridge - Our Emphasis] – McCullough and Fogasse.

Illustrated Games of Patience – Lady Adelaide Cadogan – 1880

Early 19th Century Pope Joan Card Game Staking Board

Chess: The Middle Game – John Littlewood

Chess: Games to Remember – Horowitz

White Knights of Reykjavik – George Steiner

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