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Ferenc Molnar, the internationally famous playwright and bon vivant, delighted in telling this one. Although he had been playing chess for years, he was one of the world's worst players. Soon after learning the game, years ago, he met the chess champion of Germany and the chess champion of Austria. He watched them play for a while and then sneered at their ability.

"I could lick both of you blindfolded," he jibed. "Even that would be too easy. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll play simultaneous games against both of you champions. You can sit in front of your chessboards and I'll sit out in the hall. I'll play you without even seeing the boards. We'll make our moves by sending each other notes. All right? I'll play white against the German champion and black against the Austrian."

So Ferenc Molnar walked out of the room. The German champion made his first move and sent Molnar a note describing it. Molnar merely copied the note and sent it along to the Austrian champion as his own first move. When the Austrian made the return move, Molnar copied that, and sent it to the German as his own first move.

At the close of the two matches, the inevitable result was that Ferenc Molnar, the novice at chess, had beaten one great champion and lost to the other.