Убийство на улице Морг

           Iamnotnowwritingatreatise,butsimplyprefacingasomewhatpeculiarnarrativebyobservationsverymuchatrandom;Iwill,therefore,takeoccasiontoassertthatthehigherpowersofthereflectiveintellectaremoredecidedlyandmoreusefullytaskedbytheunostentatiousgameofdraughtsthanbyalltheelaboratefrivolityofchess. Inthislatter,wherethepieceshavedifferentandbizarremotions,withvariousandvariablevalues,whatisonlycomplexismistaken(anotunusualerror)forwhatisprofound. Theattentionisherecalledpowerfullyintoplay. Ifitflagforaninstant,anoversightiscommitted,resultingininjuryordefeat. Thepossiblemovesbeingnotonlymanifoldbutinvolute,thechancesofsuchoversightsaremultiplied;andinninecasesoutoftenitisthemoreconcentrativeratherthanthemoreacuteplayerwhoconquers. Indraughts,onthecontrary,wherethemovesareuniqueandhavebutlittlevariation,theprobabilitiesofinadvertencearediminished,andthemereattentionbeingleftcomparativelywhatadvantagesareobtainedbyeitherpartyareobtainedbysuperioracumen. Tobelessabstract—Letussupposeagameofdraughtswherethepiecesarereducedtofourkings,andwhere,ofcourse,nooversightistobeexpected. Itisobviousthatherethevictorycanbedecided(theplayersbeingatallequal)onlybysomerecherchemovement,theresultofsomestrongexertionoftheintellect.