The same opening as in the fourth game with the improvement suggested in our comments on the latter, namely, that the white Q was developed at K 2. Black (Zukertort) also made an alteration in his plan by opposing his B at K 3, which must have been a lost move, as it turned out ; for he had afterwards, as in the 4th game, to capture with that B the adverse Kt, which came in at B 5.

It was all manœuvring up to the 24th move, when Black exchanged the first pawn — rather too soon, we believe ; and we do not think there was any difference in the respective positions.

Zukertort, with another precipitate advance of the Q P, brought his Kt at Q B 4 into a loose position, which caused him some trouble. On the 30th and 31st move he proceeded with a similar incautious line of attack with the pawns on the right wing, where he had castled ; and, to speak in the parlance of Dr Meitner — who first introduced the joke in criticising some of the games played by Herr Steinitz in the Vienna tournament — “White came out with half a pawn ahead ;” and after that the exchange of queens, which soon followed, Blackburne’s advantage grew in natural course to the extent of a tangible P.

As usual in hard endings, analysis finds that the ultimate winner might have despatched the game quicker ; but there was some fine play nevertheless on both sides.

The game was adjourned about a quarter to eleven at night, and finished next day at the St. George’s, when Blackburne seized the right moment for exchanging rooks, and forced victory with B and a passed Q R P against Kt in excellent style.

Duration, seven and a half hours.

Both players seemed to suffer severely from the excessive heat of the weather which prevailed last week ; and as they had already played on three successive days, it was agreed that the match should be continued to-day at Simpson’s.