New & Improved Chess Gambit

A Freely Selected Chess Piece Is Found To Have Been Circled By An Audience Member In A Chess Book Before The Show! “The Ultimate In Two Minds With A Single Thought Effects!”

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Chess Gambit By Devin Knight gam·bit : A chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position. Webster’s New World Dictionary I have always felt that a good mental act should have some visual and interesting props. If you go too far you will look like a magician doing mental magic, instead of a mentalist. Chess Gambit is the perfect blend. It gives the audience something to look at, but none of props appears to be something bought in a magic shop. It is one of my favorite stage pieces for college shows. Granted, this effect is not for every show. It plays best when working with alladult audiences. You will get the strongest reactions when most of your audience members know something about the fundamentals of chess. Even if some of the spectators do not understand chess, the effect is still easy to follow and quite amazing. When performed under the right conditions and for the right audience, this can be a real reputation maker. EFFECT: The performer tells the audience that, before the show he gave a chess book to a woman in the audience. He told her to take the book and secretly circle any chess piece image with a red crayon. She was told to seal the book, along with a short note telling which page she marked, in a large envelope. She was to keep the book in her possession and not to tell anyone, including the performer, which piece she had circled. The performer then asks for any spectators who play chess to raise their hands. The performer asks the woman who is holding the book to select any two spectators who have their hands raised. She then gives the sealed envelope to either of those spectators. Both chosen spectators then join the performer. The sealed envelope is placed on a table in full view of the audience. This table also contains a fully set-up chess set. It is important to note that the sealed envelope containing the chess book is in full view before anything else is done. The performer tells one participant to stand in front of table with a chess set on it, so the second participant and the audience cannot see what he does. This participant is given a paper bag. He is told to secretly choose any chess piece and place it inside the bag. He is to allow no one to see it. The choice is completely free. There is no force of any kind - the volunteer has a free selection of any of the 32 chess pieces. After he has secretly made his selection, he is instructed him to turn around (facing the audience) and stand in front of the chess set concealing it from the audience’s view.

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The performer then opens the sealed envelope and has the second participant remove the chess book. The performer does not touch the book once the second participant removes it from the envelope. There is a note in the envelope (or stuck to the book) that tells which page contains the circled chess piece. The second participant opens the chess book to that page number and shows the audience the page with the circled piece. We will assume it is a BLACK ROOK. The second participant is then asked to riffle through the pages and make sure there are no other marks in the book. No other marks are seen anywhere in the book. The performer says, “The chess piece circled in the book, before the show is the BLACK ROOK. Wouldn’t it be amazing if the chess piece secretly put into the bag is also a BLACK ROOK?” The first participant removes his chosen chess piece from the bag. It is seen to be a Black Rook! A very amazing coincidence that appears impossible. There are no switches or sleights. Your audience will go home wondering how such a thing is possible! HISTORY OF THE EFFECT This effect is an improvement of an early Al Mann idea called Knight’s Gambit. One basic principle behind this was Dr. Stanley Jaks’ non-existing person. Jaks wrote up the method in “One Is Face-Up” in the out-of-print Nelson’s More Miracles in Mentalism. The late Donn Davison also released a headline prediction called: DY-NOMITE using the principle of a non-existing person. The principle is not that well known, and has great potential. In this release, I give you several handlings, some based on Mann’s ideas, and others that were created in collaboration with Mel Strouse. Al Mann’s Basic Idea: There are 32 chess pieces in a chess set. However, it really boils down to six pieces: King, Queen, Knight, Bishop, Rook and Pawn. There are two colors, black and white. Although you give a person a choice of any one of the 32 chess pieces, his choice is actually limited to one of 12 pieces. The chess book is gimmicked to reveal any of the 12 pieces. Mann used a secret cue list on the back of a writing slate. It listed all the pages in the book with circled images. He also coated the long edges of the pages containing marks with rubber cement. This way when the pages were riffled, they would conceal the marks. The basic idea was to seal the book in an envelope and approach a woman before the show. The performer would tell her that Jodi Barrett had circled a chess piece in a chess book and sealed it in this envelope. However, due to a family emergency, she had to leave and go home. The performer would then ask the woman if she would hold onto the envelope, and LET NO ONE TOUCH IT OR OPEN IT, until it was called for during the show. All in all this was a very ingenious but simple bluff!

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Later, the performer would tell the audience that before the show, he gave a woman in the audience a chess book, and a red crayon. He told her to secretly circle a chess piece in the book, and to take note of the page number. She was further instructed to seal the book (along with a short note containing the page number) in a large envelope and to allow no one to touch it. The performer would then look at the woman he had given the envelope to before the show and say, “Do you have the envelope?” The audience falsely assumes this is the woman who circled a chess piece in the book before the show. This is word play at its best and creates a dual reality. The performer would walk over, get the envelope and return to the front. With Mann’s version, the performer would invite up a chess player. He would ask the chess player to call out any one of the 32 chess pieces. Assume the participant called out - BLACK ROOK. The performer would pick up the slate and write BLACK ROOK on it while also noting the secret cue list on the back of the slate. The cue list would show the performer the Black Rook was circled on page 87 in the chess book. The performer would commit this to memory. The performer would then go over and open the envelope. He would allow the participant to remove the book from inside the envelope without the performer touching it. Afterwards, the performer would look inside the envelope while saying, “There is supposed to be a note inside telling us which page has a circled chess piece.” The performer would then remove a slip of paper from inside the envelope and read: “If you open the book to page ____, you will see the piece I circled.” What the performer did at this point was to simply call out the page number memorized from the cue list. He simply bluffed reading the page number. NOTE: Al Mann suggested the performer could use a nail writer to fill in the page number. That way the note could be shown to the participant and left with him. The participant would then be instructed to turn to page 87. He would find the pages stuck together; (Mann said this was common in books) and after separating the rubber cement he would find the circled piece. The performer would then take the book and riffle the pages showing no other marks in it. This was the basic idea. It was seldom done because it was hard to find the proper chess book. You needed a book with over 300 pages. The one Mann suggested was out of print, and nearly impossible to find. It was often difficult to pull apart the rubber cement pages, and wax as an alternative was sometimes visible to the spectator and left a sticky residue.

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I felt the basic idea had merit, and could be made into a modern day miracle with a few revisions. I also wanted to find a way to overcome the rubber cement weakness. The results are what you have purchased – Chess Gambit. It is based on the original Al Mann idea, but goes much further. Several methods are given and some bypass the use of the non-existent spectator. As with most of my releases, you can pick and choose to perform the method best for you. I think Al Mann would have been very proud of this improved version of Knight’s Gambit.

HOW TO GIMMICK THE A CHESS BOOK You will need a chess book that has at least 300 or more pages. The numbers must be at the edges of the pages and NOT IN THE MIDDLE of the page, as found in some books. You can these in any major bookstore. These books will have usually hundreds of pictures of chess boards with various pieces on them. You will secretly circle 12 chess pieces hidden throughout the book. Amazingly, these marks will remain hidden until you want to reveal the chosen piece. If you riffle the book’s pages you will see no marks anywhere. Yet it appears you can see every page! The reason you need a book of 300 or more pages is so that you can circle a chess piece roughly 26 pages apart. It appears the image in the book was circled with a red crayon, however it is not! In reality if you actually circled a chess piece image with a red crayon, the pages would slightly stick together due to the wax in the crayon. The crayon could also leave a residue on the other page, which could be construed as another mark. For that reason, you do not use a red crayon. The 12 key pages are marked with a red pencil (the type sold in office supply stores and often used by teachers for grading papers) so it will not bleed through and show on the other side. In addition, each mark has been coated with repositionable adhesive. These 12 red circles will not leave a colored residue on the opposite page that could be construed as another mark. Go through the book and circle a chess piece roughly 26 pages apart. The pieces you want to circle are as follows: Black King – Black Queen – Black Knight – Black Bishop – Black Rook – Black Pawn – White King – White Queen – White Knight – White Bishop White Rook – White Pawn-

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When you mark the book, ensure that the circled pieces are closer to the spine of the book, rather than the edges of the book. Once you draw a red circle around a chess piece, you then coat the circle with repositionable glue. This glue is sold in office supply stores and also can be found in stores that sell scrapbooking supplies. These sticky marks will hold the pages together, you can riffle and see the outer edges of the page, but you will not see the marks. Now for the subtle part, if the spectator is asked to turn to, PAGE 330, he can cleanly turn to that page. He sees the page numbers, without the page numbers being stuck together, as with the original Mann method. AS HE OPENS TO THAT PAGE HE MAY NOTICE THE MARK HAS SLIGHTLY STUCK TO THE OTHER PAGE. It appears to be a red crayon mark, and if he touches it, IT FEELS LIKE RED CRAYON. He will just assume the crayon mark stuck to the other page, if he even bothers to think about it. This is so subtle it will fly by anyone, and arouse no suspicion at all. The tackiness of the marks are so light, most people will not even notice it when they open the book. If they do, they assume it is the wax from the crayon. If someone touches the mark, it appears to be the waxy feel of a crayon. If over time a page seems to loose its tackiness, then just take a repositionable glue stick, and go over the RED CIRCLE. Allow it to dry for about one minute, and then close the book. If a long time has passed since using the book I suggest opening the pages to each of the marked pieces to make sure the glued pages still pull apart easily. IMPORTANT NOTE: The chess pieces that you circle on the chessboards printed in the book SHOULD HAVE white space around them. This allows for larger circles, and makes them more visible to the audience. Just look through your book and find pieces that have lots of white space around them. In the original book Al Mann suggested using, it was often hard to find chess pieces set off by themselves. Mann’s book required using tiny marks that were not only nearly impossible for the audience to see, but also difficult for the participant to see. THE CHESS SET: Any chess board can be used for this. When performing the trick, have the chess board fully set up, with all the pieces in their proper starting positions. You need to be familiar with the starting set-up for a chess game. If you are not, then refer to the chess book you bought for this effect. Knowing this is an important part of the secret. Make sure you know the names of ALL THE CHESS PIECES, and where they are placed at the start of a game THE PAPER BAG GIMMICK: You will need a package of lunch bags sold in every grocery store. This is a very clever way to view the secret cue list. It allows you to view the cue list in plain view. The print is bold and easily seen. IT IS IN FULL VIEW OF THE AUDIENCE BUT NEVER SEEN! Previously, I was placing the cue list on the flap of the envelope that contained the book. However, Mel Strouse came up with the idea of placing the cue list on the back of the paper bags package. This made it easier to view the cue list, with no chance of the audience getting a flash of it.

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You need to make a small cue list with the pieces in alphabetical order with the page number the piece is circled on. See below for an example of what a list looks like: Black King – Page 330 Black Queen –Page 189 Black Knight – Page 270 Black Bishop – Page 300 Black Rook – Page 117 Black Pawn – Page 96 White King –Page 174 White Queen – Page 216 White Knight – Page 145 White Bishop - Page 39 White Rook – Page 233 Glue this cue list to the back of the paper bag package somewhere near the middle of package. HOW TO USE THE BAGS: When you pick up the package of bags be careful not to flash the cue list on the back as you walk toward your participant. Hold the package of bags so the cue list is away from the audience. REMOVE A BAG FROM THE PACKAGE, AND HAND IT TO THE PARTICIPANT. While doing this be careful that your participant does not see the cue list on the rear of the package. LEARNING THE NAME OF THE CHESS PIECE HIDDEN IN THE BAG This is very subtle but effective. You simply note which chess piece is missing from the chessboard! Since the chessboard was fully set for a game, once the person removes one piece you can easily spot what is missing. This is done in a way the audience will never suspect. The full handling will be detailed in the basic routine. Since you apparently do nothing in the routine, it will have no effect on the outcome, EVEN IF SOMEONE DID SUSPECT you saw what piece was missing. I have done this routine for many years, and no one has ever suspected I knew which piece was in the bag. The way the routine flows prevents this question from ever popping up in the spectator’s mind. PRESHOW WORK - Placing The Gimmicked Book Into The Audience Here is how you place the book in the audience before the show. This is same technique used by Jaks, Davison, Mann and myself. If you do not like pre-show work, I will give you an alternative method later in this manuscript. For now, here is my preferred handling. Before the show, approach an affable appearing woman. Here is the way the conversation goes:

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“Hi, I’m the entertainer for tonight and I wonder if you might help me? Earlier I had Jodi Barrett, you may know her, (pure bluff, but never challenged) take a book and circle a picture in it. I had her seal the book in this envelope,” you say. (SHOW HER THE ENVELOPE) “She was supposed to give this envelope to me while I’m performing, but she had a family emergency and had to leave. Would you do me a favor, and keep this envelope until I ask for it later? Great! It is important that you let no one handle or open the envelope. I’m depending on you for its safe keeping,” you say.

HOW TO CHOOSE VOLUNTEERS TO COME ON STAGE With this routine, you cannot just have random people come up to assist. It is imperative the participants know something about chess and how it is played. You also need to convince the audience that the choice was fair in bringing up volunteers. Here is how you do it. After you explain to the audience about the woman holding the envelope, you asked her to stand so everyone can see the sealed envelope. Point out for this experiment; you need two participants who play or know something about chess. Request that any spectators who play chess and would like to participate to raise their hands. Ask the woman standing with the envelope to choose any two of these spectators. You then asked her to hand the envelope to either chosen spectator. BASIC ROUTINE This is the basic routine, it is one many of you will prefer. Later, I will give you several alternative handlings to consider. This routine is bold and gutsy. It is what I term word-play mentalism. There is a lot of bluff involved, and you will get a mental high each time you do it. Those who prefer less bluff, and more concrete evidence, will be given ways of doing this too. For now, we will use the bluff techniques of Al Mann, as described in Knight’s Gambit. SET-UP: The gimmicked book is in the audience, sealed in an envelope. There is a slip of paper in the envelope with the message previously described in Mann’s original method. If you open the book to page ____, you will see the piece I circled. Ideally, you should use two small tables. One table is upstage (farther away from the audience) with the chess set on it. The other table is placed downstage (closer to the audience). This downstage table is where you will place the sealed envelope and the paper bags.

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PERFORMANCE Explain to the audience you are a chess player, and enjoy playing chess when you are not performing. Say that before the show, you gave a woman (do not mention any names) in the audience one of your favorite chess-strategy books. Further explain that you gave her a red crayon and had her open the book to any page. While you were not looking, she was told to circle a chess piece. She was further instructed to make a note of the page, and then seal both the book and note in an envelope. Look over to the woman and smile; ask her if she has the envelope. Have her stand as you say, “Has anyone touched or tampered with the envelope since the book was given to you?” She will reply, “No.” This play on words will make the audience think that she is the woman who circled the chess piece before the show. YOU DO NOT MENTION the name of the woman who circled the piece while performing. Somebody in the audience may recognize the woman holding the envelope and know that is not her name. (You only mention a name to the women before the show to add reality to the bluff.) The audience will assume you have not seen or touched the book since she circled a chess piece. The woman holding the envelope will think you are double-checking with her to make sure that nobody has tampered with the envelope since you gave it to her. This play on words fools both the audience and the woman. This makes for a perfect dual-reality. Now have her choose two spectators (who have their hands raised) to participate and give the envelope to either spectator. Have the audience give the woman who held on to the envelope a round of applause for her help. She is now out of the picture, and to the audience, she is your non-existent person. The table with the chess set should be upstage. We will assume you have a man and woman on stage as your two participants. One of them (assume it is the woman) will be holding the sealed envelope. Have the other participant (the one NOT holding the envelope) go over to the chess set. You pick up the package of paper bags, while explaining to the audience there are 32 chess pieces on the chessboard. Be sure the audience doesn’t see your cue list on the back of the package. Now remove a paper bag and hand it to the man. Tell the man that you want him to turn away from the audience, secretly pick up a chess piece, and drop it into the bag. Caution him NOT to let the other participant, or audience members see which piece he selects. NOW YOU TURN AWAY AND LOOK TOWARD THE AUDIENCE. DO NOT WATCH WHAT HE DOES. ASK HIM TO LET YOU KNOW ONCE HE HAS PLACED A PIECE INTO THE BAG. Have

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him close the top of the bag so you cannot see inside it when you walk toward him. Just say, “Close the bag so no one can see inside.” Walk over and tell him to stand facing the audience, and to block the view of the chess set. During this, you secretly catch a glimpse of the chess set on the table. It just takes a split second to look at the chessboard and notice which piece is missing. NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE CHESS SET. Just catch the glimpse as you tell him to face the audience. You now know the chosen chess piece unbeknownst to the audience. We will assume he removed the BLACK KING. As you place the package of bags (you are still holding it) on the other table you glimpse the cue list. In this case, you see BLACK KING—Page 330 and remember the page number. You are clean and the dirty work is done. Point out that you have not touched the envelope the woman is holding, and that NEITHER SHE NOR THE AUDIENCE HAS ANY IDEA WHICH PIECE the man has chosen. Avoid saying you do not know the piece either. Some astute spectators could question this. Ask her to remove the book from the envelope. DO NOT touch the book yourself. Then take the envelope from her. Stress again, you have not touched the book. Say there should be a note in the envelope, reach in and remove it. Open the note and read it: “If you turn to page ____, you will see the piece I circled.” Here you say the page number you saw on the cue list, in this case “330,” where the _____mark is. Fold up the slip, and put it in your pocket. It is of no further importance to the audience. Al Mann suggested in the original idea that with the paper pulled taut between your hands, you could use a nail writer, and fill in the page number as you apparently read it. If you choose to do this, I would suggest that you then walk to the participant with the bag, and SHOW HIM THE SLIP saying, “That is what it says, isn’t it.” Tell the woman to turn to page 330 and see if there is a circled chess piece on that page. She opens the chess book to that page. Have her turn the book toward the audience so they can see it is marked. Ask her what piece is circled. She will say in this case, BLACK KING. Ask her to riffle through the pages and make sure no other pages are marked. Thanks to the repostional glue, she can riffle the pages and no other marks will be seen. Tell the audience it would be an amazing coincidence if the piece the man secretly chose was also a BLACK KING. Have him reach into the bag and remove the BLACK KING for a climax. Have him hold the piece up so everyone can clearly see it. Ask for a round of applause, and take the bag from him, casually showing the bag to be empty. You do this because some spectators in the audience could think the man was in on it. They

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could think that other chess pieces were in the bag and he brought out the named piece. Showing the bag to be empty at the end dispels this theory. This basic routine has served me well for many years. In the next sections, I will cover alternative methods and a way that eliminates pre-show work.

ADVANCED METHODS- THE GAFFED ENVELOPE Window envelopes are a common tool in mentalism, but this method of covering and revealing the window is quite original. It is the brainchild of Mel Strouse, who prefers doing this to a bluff reading of the note. It takes preparation, but for those looking for a super clean way to reveal the page number, need look no further. You will use a special masking tape. Special masking tape is now available with different degrees of holding and releasing. These special tapes are designed to pull free after 14 days, 30 days and even 90 days. What you are looking for is the special masking tape that is called PERFECT RELEASE. Look for the type that is Super-sensitive, for use on delicate wallpaper. When you put this special masking tape on an envelope or post-it note, the tape will pull off without ripping or tearing the paper. This tape is readily available in Wal-Mart and paint stores, and you will find many different types designed for wallpaper. The Perfect Release tape is available in a blue or purple color. The astute performer will realize this is an exciting new tool for mentalists. The potential for the use of this tape in mentalism has almost unlimited possibilities. You will need to cut a small hole (about half an inch square) in the enclosed 9” x 12” inch envelope. This envelope is the best size to use. These are available in either Brown Kraft or plain white. I prefer the Brown Kraft. You will also need some Post-It Notes, available in any office supply store. After a small window has been cut in the envelope (refer to the photos showing the position) you will need to cover the small hole with the special masking tape previously described. When doing your show, the envelope should appear to have been sealed with the tape. Do not moisten the gum on the flap and actually seal the envelope. Just use the metal hasp to keep the flap closed. This allows you to use the same envelope repeatedly. THE POST-IT NOTE: A post-it note is stuck to the back of the chess book. This has a note written on it. The wording is: I Circled A Chess Piece On Page You do NOT put a page number on the slip. This is added later either with a nail writer, or by using double writing. Both methods will be fully explained later.

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PROPER PLACEMENT OF THE BOOK IN THE ENVELOPE The secret window in the envelope is cut out on the address side of the envelope. This way you can pull the flap backwards and have the person reach in and pull out the book. The book is placed in the envelope so the BACK SIDE with the post-it note is against the inner ADDRESS side of the envelope. The front cover of the book will be facing the inner seamed backside of the envelope. That way when the participant reaches in and pulls out the book, it will come out with the cover facing him. The post-it note will be on the back cover of the book. The post-it note is positioned on the book, so that the blank area BESIDE THE WORD “PAGE” is accessible thru the secret window. Take the special masking tape and start it right under the cut-out window, and go up and around the envelope. The tape is thin, so you will need to bring it under the envelope and overlap it to make sure the window does not show through. See photo below for clarification. Continue by putting tape on the left side. If the book seems to shift in the envelope then fold the sides of the envelope and put a piece of tape around it from that direction.

Picture Showing Window In Envelope

Start Tape At Bottom Of Window

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Bring Tape Up And Overlap At Window

Do The Same With The Left Side

The envelope is now ready to leave with someone in the audience before the show. When you open the envelope during your performance, you first lift up the overlapped tape on the left side and completely remove it. Now remove the tape from the right side. This will reveal the secret window. The envelope will look like the first photo. You can use your fingers or thumb to cover the hole. That way you can casually flash both sides as you open the top flap and fold it back for removal of the book. Here is how to use the secret window for best effect. USING A NAIL WRITER This is probably one of the easiest ways to use a nail writer. You have all the cover in the world. In addition, you have a hard writing surface. If you are using a LEAD writer then make sure the note is written with a pencil that matches the Lead Nail Writer. The Work: Have the nail writer in your pocket and secretly get it on your RIGHT THUMB. Pick up the envelope off the table and show it on both sides. Remove the tape on the left side, then the right side. Hold the book with hands. Use the nail writer to jot down (thru the hole) the page number you noted from the cue list right onto the post-it note. Reach over with the left hand and open the flap. Invite your participant to reach in and pull out the book. The post-it note will still be on the back of the book. Some performers like to tear the envelope up at this point (destroying the evidence) so the audience can see nothing else was inside. Destroying the envelope will also eliminate the idea of carbon paper inside to other magicians. Allow your participant to remove the chess book, and ask her to read the note stuck to the back of the book. She reads it aloud, and then turns to that page revealing the mark. Overall, you will find this to be VERY STRONG.

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The routine is the same as in the basic routine. The only change is that in this case, you do not have to bluff reading a page number. The participants get to see the slip, which is what I consider concrete evidence. Technically, you are not touching the chess book; it is sealed in the envelope. You are just holding the envelope while your participant reaches in and removes the chess book. DOUBLE WRITING Mel Strouse developed this handling. It does not use a nail writer and the handling is very clean. The spectators can burn your hands and see nothing that would tip-off the method. All you need is an index card and an ink pen. The post-it note is written as before, only this time using an ink pen. Proceed as in the basic routine. Remove the masking tape revealing the secret hole. Do not let the audience see the hole. Tell the audience, “I like to keep a record of these experiments so I know when they succeeded.” Pick up the index card and place it over the hole saying, “Today’s date is___.” Write the current date on the index card, allowing the audience to see you writing. Turn the envelope away from the audience as you look at your watch. Say the time aloud and write the current time on the card. Write it as -7:30 PM. However, you just say - 7:30. Here is the subtle part, slide the index card downward, revealing the hole in the envelope. Say, “I almost forgot, PM!” The audience thinks you are adding in PM. What you actually do is write in the page number on the post-it note! Slide the card back up covering the hole in the envelope so the woman can see the index card. She sees the date and time. Put the index card on the table or in your pocket for now. With your fingers conceal the hole in the envelope and allow your participant to remove the book and open it to the page noted on the back. (Optional: Tear up the envelope) After she reveals the circled piece, pick up the index card and write on it for example- BLACK KING. After the first participant removes the same piece from his paper bag, pick up the index card and say aloud - SUCCESS, and write that on the card. This never fails to get a laugh from the audience. Get a round of applause for your two helpers and send them back to their seats. Of all the methods, my preference is the Double-Writing, followed by Al Mann’s Bluff Method. I almost never use a nail writer.

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HOW TO ELIMINATE PRE-SHOW WORK With a smaller audience, you may not wish to leave the envelope in the audience. Especially, if most of the audience members know each other. The non-existent spectator is better suited for larger audiences where most people are strangers to each other. I realize some performers do not like pre-show work of any kind. Here is how to avoid any pre-show work. Simply address the envelope to yourself and mail it. For the perfectionist, you may want to actually put the book inside the envelope and mail it so it has the proper postage. An envelope with a single stamp may seem odd for a heavy book and create undue suspicion. Do not seal the flap. Use the hasp so you can reuse the envelope. After you get it, prepare it with the secret window and masking tape. Have it on a table in full view before the effect begins. During your presentation, you refer to your psychic friend. You explain you had him circle a chess piece, and mail the chess book to you. You pick up the envelope and show it. Then do one of the previous routines using either a nail writer or double writing. This is very strong, but not as strong as having a member of the audience apparently circle a chess piece before the show. Obviously, if the mentalist wants to take credit for the prediction he can tell the audience HE circled a chess piece in the book and sealed it in the envelope before the show. In my opinion, it is a much stronger effect if apparently the mentalist has no idea of which piece was circled in the book. This presentation is not recommended and only mentioned for completeness.

Doing This For One Person The mailed envelope bluff allows you to take the sealed envelope to one of your chess-playing friends. Your friend freely names any chess piece (including color). Secretly write the page number on the post-it note using either double writing or a nail writer. Have your friend remove the book and turn to the noted page on the post-it note. I sincerely hope you have as much success with this routine as I have. You will find this is something people will talk about long after many of your other effects have been forgotten. SPECIAL THANKS GO TO… The late Al Mann, without his original Knight’s Gambit, this routine would never have evolved. I also wish to thank Mel Strouse for his ideas involving the window envelope. His input was invaluable in developing these routines.

Devin Knight March 2012

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You may also wish to check out another effect of mine - Double Coincidence. It is a similar effect and method, but uses a dictionary and a novel. A freely chosen word from an ungimmicked novel is found to be the same word that an audience member previously circled in a dictionary. Available from most magic dealers. Chess Gambit is also available from your magic dealer already made up and complete. SUGGESTED READING KNIGHT’S GAMBIT—Al Mann –still available from Lybrary.com Original manuscript copyrighted 2005 by Devin Knight. Revised manuscript copyrighted 2008 by Devin Knight. Revised ebook copyrighted 2012 by Devin Knight All future manufacturing rights reserved.