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Hastings 1895 - Enter Pillsbury!
(More thoughts from Bill Hartston)

What does the following curious list of  words have to do with chess?
(All will be revealed later dear reader.)

'So, with the chess world in some doubt about who was truly its best player, the great tournament of Hastings 1895 began.

When it was over, the confusion was even greater. The winner was a new American star, Harry Nelson Pillsbury, playing in his first major event.'

'Pillsbury died in 1906. The New York Times attributed his death to 'an illness contracted through over-exertion of his memory cells.' 
A later diagnosis suggested that it was not his brain which had been over-exerted; in fact he died of syphilis, probably picked up during the St. Petersburg tournament of 1895-6.'

Pillsbury was the most remarkable simultaneous player. He'd play up to 22 simultaneous games of chess and draughts blindfold while taking part in a game of whist. Before the display he would ask the audience for lists of words or objects, and repeat them at the end of the display.

Oh yes...that list of words at the top of the page was given to him on one famous occasion in London. He looked at the list, repeated the words, and then again in reverse order.
The next day he recited them again.