Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_chess
Did you know that each of the chess pieces has a role in medieval kingdoms? Read more to find out…
- Pawns. Pawns are generally the weakest pieces on the board, as they can only travel forward and capture pieces diagonally. Pawns are symbolized as peasants or nobles that work hard but are weak in the hierarchy. Unfortunately, in the Middle Ages, many peasants work but die very young in their thirties or forties. Like the actual chess game, pawns are often sacrificed for other pawns or major pieces.
- Knights. Knights are honored in the castle and are knighted at age twenty-one, but sometimes they make sacrifices that are crucial for the kingdom. Knights also often storm castles, of which they can force a surrender on the enemy’s side. In chess, knights are usually sacrificed but they sometimes survive to guide the king. Knights are also pieces that can commonly fork the royal family, which is basically attacking two pieces at the same time (aka the queen and the rook, for example).
- Bishops. Bishops are represented as the church in medieval times. The church also dominates the power of the king and queen in some cases, but they do so rarely. Bishops in chess are placed right next to the king and queen to protect them. In chess, bishops are sometimes sacrificed but they can serve a big purpose in attacking tactics such as the fianchetto.
- Rooks. As there is no “rook” in the Middle Ages, the rook is served as the king’s protector and as the “castle”. In chess, there is a special move called “castling” where the king and rook exchange places(almost!) and the king is moved to the corner of the board, where it is the safest but also can get attacked easily.
- The Queen. The Queen is the most powerful piece in chess, as it can move sideways and diagonally. The Queen in royal times was very powerful, but not nearly as powerful as the King, which contradicts the actual chess piece powers. In chess, the Queen can move diagonally or horizontally/vertically. It is a combination of the bishop and the rook, except the fact that when a pawn reaches the other side of the board, it can get promoted to a Queen and can easily win the game for white/black.
- The King. The King is the most important piece in chess, but it can be very week as it can be threatened by check many times in the game. In ancient times, the King was the most important ruler of the kingdom and when a king falls, the land under the rule of the royals also falls. Without the king, the land can turn into absolute anarchy with no control. This also applies to chess, and when a king is in checkmate, the game is over and you lose. So in the game of chess, it is important to protect your king but also bring your king into the game when there are fewer pieces left on the board, especially if the endgame is a king and pawns endgame.