It is impossible to win gracefully at chess. No man has yet said “Mate!” in a voice which failed to sound to his opponent bitter, boastful and malicious. – A.A. Milne, Not That It Matters, 1919

As a game of mingled skill and chance, Billiards stands at the head of what may be called Indoor Athletics. Requiring far less mental exertion than Chess… it provides amusement for the mind, it also affords exercise for the body. – Captain Crawley (George Frederick Pardon, 1824–1884), The Billiard Book, 1