About Medieval Chess Sets

History

• While it is agreed that the game of chess was played in ancient Egypt, in the 10th century by Viking explorers and in China, India and Persia, the debate remains as to where it originated specifically. Some archaeologists claim that its birth place will never be known, others contend that it began in India during the Gupta Empire. Only there, it was called caturanga. Translation: "four divisions of the military."
  In this case, those four divisions are infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariotry.
  What is known is that, by the year 1000, chess was well known throughout Europe, though it mostly remained a pastime for the nobility.

Features

• The Medieval chess set was distinct in that analyzing the board is much the same as analyzing society at that time. The six different types of players are symbolic of tiers of social order and the echelon between leaders, warriors and serfs. When it came to the "expendable pieces," they were usually the more diminutive pawns on the board.
  "Pawns" are the serfs, the laborers, those castle inhabitants that were mere property and hardly human. They outnumber the other players, as it was always considered that they could be sacrificed. In essence they were expendable. If they were not working, they were persona non grata and were the first to be sacrificed.
  "Castle Pieces" represented the home and hearth of medieval society. The walls equated safety, which is why there are two castles on each side, ergo only two strongholds that must be defended.
  "Knights" fulfilled the chivalric duty. As in reality, the knights were the first line of defense whose sacred duty it was to defend the upper classes and the stronghold itself. Though they were more important than the serf pawns, they were not nearly as important as the bishops, kings and queens and therefore considered expendable as well.

Types

• The upper classes and their importance and dominance in society was clear, not only by their greater height, but by their board placement and their few numbers, which indicated that they were absent from the fight, for the fight was to protect them.
  "Bishops" were more formidable figures as they represented the church, and the church, in those days, was where it was thought God sometimes dwelled on Earth. There are two on each side, and they are among the main characters that must be defended.
  "Queens" are the lone female character in this medieval tableau. Queens--as women of second-class status--initially appear to be at a strategic and power disadvantage as opposed to their lords and masters, the king, but it is also well known that the queen was one of the most powerful figures, if not the most important. Her death or capture would not signal the fall of the kingdom, but by this time in history, women of such power and prestige had cultivated the art of subtle suggestion and intrigue. They were the whisper in their husband's ear and wielded power behind the scenes, despite the precarious positions they held.
  It should also be said that a queen's power, as well as the power of any noblewoman, rose during the time of the crusades. With the men fighting in the Holy Land, it was the women who ran the estates and solidified their importance.
  "Kings" are, naturally, the tallest piece as well as the most important. Just as it actually was in the days of Richard the Lionheart, the imprisonment of the king meant the downfall of the kingdom. Hence, losing a king in a game of chess meant losing the game.

Significance

• More than just a game, chess during the medieval era had much in common with warfare simulation games of today. Chess worked the mental muscles and honed instincts, forcing players to think quickly, formulating strategies, assessing an enemy's weakness and making decisions when the pressure is overwhelming. In essence, the chess board was equivalent to a battlefield.

Geography

• If there was ever any doubt as to the popularity of chess, particularly among the upper echelons, the below roster affirms that chess was a game for the elite, the elegant and those of the most royal blood. Kingly chess enthusiasts included:
  *King Canute of England (995-1035)
  *King Alfonso the Wise of Spain (1221-1284)
  *Charles V, King of France (1338-1380)
  *Edward III, King of England (1312-1377)
  *Henry II, King of England (1133-1189)
  *John I, King of England (1167-1216)
  *Louis VI, King of France (1081-1137)
  *Richard I, the Lionheart, King of England (1157-1199)