Mr. Tinsley is native of Hertfordshire, and was born January 13th, 1847. His early days were spent entirely in the fields and woods, so to speak, miming wild among dogs, guns, pheasants, and all sorts of game and wild birds, animals and fishes. To put it mildly, he had no scrap of education, and has been obliged to pick up all he knows since he was suddenly transferred from country fields and woods to the dirt and bustle of London, in 1858. The process has been difficult and expensive, but an even disposition, constant thirst for knowledge and experience of all sorts, and very temperate habits, have kept him ever with the desire to rise up and go forward.

He learnt the moves of chess from younger brother when the real troubles of life began, at the age of about 20. Mr. Tinsley has found it, as many others have done, rather too much of fascination, but still, on the other hand, it has proved solace and welcome and healthful distraction when relief to the mind appeared necessity even of existence.

We do not think his forte is serious play, according to the modern plodding style, and until quite recent years he never played match game. He preferred innumerable skittle games, and played them too freely. He has reason to regret this, and now thinks serious games are in many respects beneficial, especially in regard to the cultivation of good style. He says this, as will be observed, rather against his own predisposition, for the benefit of younger men.

Mr. Tinsley has, however, occasionally played in serious contests, and, rather to his surprise, he beat Müller handsomely in two matches. Mr. Müller had just then come over from Berlin. Mr. Tinsley came out well at the Manchester International, and though unsuccessful in sense through bad luck and literary occupations, he played far better in the Hastings Tournament than hitherto. He came out, by the way, second (tie) in an important tourney, Black and White, 1893 and won second in very good first-class Divan tournament. 1892.

Tinsley belongs to another school, being brilliant, daring, dashing; not so sound as Fenton, but more dangerous, and not by any means rash. He appears at first sight to be getting on in years, but is in reality comparatively young. Coming to London at a very early age, fresh from the plough tail and the agricultural wilds of one of the home counties, with much less than the proverbial half-crown and no scrap of education or knowledge of the world, Tinsley has had to buy experience and knowledge dearly, and it has told on a highly-strung sensitive disposition, but his spirits are ever buoyant and juvenile. His first chess experiences were acquired in a good school. Who remembers the Divan thirteen or fourteen years ago? "All the talents" were there daily, and Saturday afternoons were especially attrac tive. W. Steinitz, J. H. Zukertort, J. H. Blackburne, W. N. Potter (a truly great and good English chess player and analyst), L. Hoffer, James Mason, H. E. Bird, Boden, and McDonnell— really those were palmy days ! What warm discussions there were on positions, endings, problems, games, and all sorts of chess matters ; and how frequently Zukertort, Steinitz, and Hoffer quarrelled and made it up in five minutes ! How heartily Boden enjoyed a game with Bird or McDonnell ! Tinsley was a pretty frequent listener and spectator, and having a retentive memory and an insatiable thirst for knowledge of all kinds, it is not to be wondered at if he picked up a few good chessy ideas under such favourable conditions. In off-hand play he holds with giving your opponent a chance, and cannot bear the idea of a hum-drum-dead-level solemn game, lasting for an hour or two without a whisper or a murmur, as if it were a matter of life or death ; unless indeed you profess to play a serious match game. He is fond of a trap, and it will not be wise to rush at once to the conclusion that any particularly obvious line of play will be to your advantage. He is usually careful and deep, and sees far ahead in a short time, and few can beat him at the pace. That at Purssell's he is popular is obvious ; witness his informal receptions after the Manchester Tournament and the recent match with Mtiller. He says many cutting things, but the Purssellites know him and make allowances, feeling that he has their interests at heart, and is strictly impartial.