Medieval Information

Medieval chess is several thousand years old. Where it was invented is unknown, but it is popularly (and now scientifically) believed that its origins date back to India where it was invented by poor peasants who had no other form of entertainment. Other theories suggest that it was invented somewhere in the Middle East or maybe even in China.

Where chess was invented is irrelevant because the chess we know is not the way it was a thousand years ago - it has suffered innumerable changes.



There's more than enough evidence to support the existence of chess in Persia before the third century - a common piece of evidence is the image above which outlines the Persian youth playing a very entertaining game of chess.

How Chess Traveled to Europe :

About a thousand years ago, chess appeared in Babylon through commerce. Chess was a game played by both the rich and the poor and it was, in a way, similar to the chess we know today. Many basic concepts date back from the Babylonian Age such as the board's style, etc.

Below is an image of an Arabian chess piece:



Centuries later, Babylon was invaded by the Arabic Moors who, along many other things, learnt to play chess and practically adored it. Chess was then transferred to most of the Middle East and even to Northern Africa. Until this time, chess was unknown to most of Europe.

It wasn't until the Moorish Conquest of Spain in the year 711 A.D when chess was finally introduced to Europe. By the X century, chess was known in England, France, Germany and other European countries.

Game:

Chess is a game of mental skill - and it is enough to see a chess board to figure out how medieval people lived. Of course all the medieval-like chess pieces of the board were introduced by the Europeans, and that's why there is so much resemblance between a game of chess and warfare per se.

Let's analyze the board a little bit.



A game of chess can be easily resembled to a medieval battle. A lot about medieval life can be learnt by simply examining a chessboard because it contains much information about how our ancestors lived 1,000 years ago.

Chess Pieces and Their Meanings :

Pawns are the peasants or the serfs. They are the most numerous piece in the game and they are in front of the major pieces in order to protect them. Something very interesting about pawns is their availability to become a queen (or any other piece) when the other end of the board is reached - this is possibly because pawns did have an almost non-existent possibility to become a knight or achieve other high and relevant positions. Even though almost non-existent, it was still possible.

A pawn may also move two squares to the front in his first move; the reason as to why this is historically allowed is debated today.



Bishops represent the church. They come from the Persian word pīl which means "elephant." Since Europeans knew nothing about elephants at all, they instead changed this piece altogether and made it represent the church by the bishop. Elephants for Indians were adored, and in terms of chess it was considered one of the most powerful pieces. The medieval Europeans took advantage of this and incorporated the bishop in order for the church to look more appealing and powerful.

When Knighthood began in Europe, the horse was changed from being simply a horse into a knight. For this reason, the horse has such an unique way of movement and 'jumping' on the board - this is believed to be because of a knight's agility and having his own style. Because no other chess piece can move equally to the horse, this is evident.

The Tower, sometimes referred to as "rook", is a symbol of medieval fortresses. Medieval castles were especially important and thus; they couldn't be avoided for such a popular game. Their position begins in the four corners of the chessboard - likely representing the fact that castles were a means of defense and not attack contrary to, for example, the horse. Their movement is in a straight line as far as the chessboard will allow. Castles were not able to "move" but they could nevertheless control a vast amount of land.

The Queen is the only female piece in the game. She, however, is the most powerful piece of them all and can move like any other piece except for the horse. This represents the enormous role of women during the Dark Ages. The queen was the most important and she would frequently aid the king in most of his affairs as a ruler. Of course the queen could rule as well, but it was much more frequent for her to help the king which can be translated into chess easily - the queen is next to the king protecting him.



Finally the King is the most valuable piece of them all. He must be protected by all means and if he is trapped, the game is lost. The term checkmate comes from the Persian shāh māt which literally means, "the king is finished."

It should be additionally noted that the hierarchy of chess also plays an immense role in how medieval life is perceived. Pawns are short and seemingly weak while the king is the tallest piece in the game.



Next time you play chess, don't just look it as entertainment and try to visualize it as how medieval life once was, you will play much better.