Chess The Game of Kings
Chess is a game played between two players. Millions of people worldwide know how to play the game. It is set on square checkered chess boards called chess sets with 64 squares arranged in 8 X 8 dimensions.
At the beginning of the game, each player (one player controls the white chess pieces while the other controls black chess pieces) controls sixteen pieces: a king, a queen, two knights, two bishops, two rooks, and eight pawns. The object of chess is to checkmate the opponent’s king. Checkmate is when the king is in “check” and there is no other way to remove it.
Chess is the oldest skill game but it is more than just that. The history of chess is that the pieces were rooted from people of medieval times. Look at the pieces on the chess sets again. There is a history behind each chess piece. These represent medieval life.
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 ANTIQUE JAQUES OF LONDON STAUNTON CHESS SET Circa 1860 US $1,049.00
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Many centuries ago, chess was played in Persia, China, and India. There’s no confirmed country in which it originated. However, in the eighth century, the Moors invaded Persia. They learned the game of chess from them. When the Moors invaded Spain, they brought chess with them. Soon, the Spanish were into the game. From Spain, chess spread throughout the other countries in Europe.
The names of the pieces came from the Europeans. They probably had a difficult time spelling and pronouncing the Persian names. The pieces reflected the way they lived. It may not be considered modern but during their time, the game of chess represented medieval lifestyle.
The pawns are the serfs and laborers. There are eight pieces, not just two or one, because pawns are sacrificed in order to save the more valuable pieces. In medieval times, serfs were properties of the bourgeoisie. They were expendable. They worked hard but died young. During war, they were unprotected. They could even be traded so that their landowners could escape harm.
Chess sets are the refuge. Each player has two castles or the rooks. The knights represent the soldiers whose jobs are to protect persons of rank. Knights are more important than the pawns but less important than bishops, queens, and kings. They move within a lot of range but they can also be sacrificed just like the pawns.
Bishops represent the church, which was a mighty and rich force during those times because religion was crucial in the individual’s life. Queens are the only pieces which represent women but they are the most powerful pieces in chess. It is important to note that queens held powerful positions. Kings are guided by their advice. However kings could also imprison their wives and put them in nunneries.
Kings are the tallest pieces on the board. They are also well-defended just like how kings were well-defended in medieval times. Once the king surrenders, the kingdom is lost. In chess, if the king is not protected, then you lost the game.
Surely you’ll see things differently the next time you play chess. It’s nice to know that there’s a history behind the history of the game.
