Spain in the 8th to 13th century has played a significant role in the development of chess. This can be attributed to the influences of a mixed religious population of Muslims, Christians, and Jews and also to the influences of Spanish rulers during the period.
Much of how chess is played in Spain during this time is attributed to the underlying religious principles of the player. This is prominent in the different representations of chess pieces from religion to religion. For example, Muslim faith forbids the representation of humans and animals through idols “in forms as diverse as painting, sculpture, and chess pieces” (Yalom, 7). Therefore, Muslim chess pieces are portrayed abstractly using shapes such as a throne to represent the king or an obelisk to represent the vizier, a piece with similar function to the modern day queen (Yalom, 47).
The conflict of religion and chess pieces can also be seen in the appearance of the chess queen in Spain in the 12th century. The Muslim population refused to implement the chess queen, and similarly the Jewish population refused because they were prohibited from making ‘graven images’ (Yalom, 53). However, the Jewish population was less lenient in that the chess queen made its appearance onto some Jewish chessboards. On the other hand, players of Christian faith “both allowed and actively encouraged the representation of humans, animals, and the divine, including easily identifiable queens” (Yalom, 53).
Another contributor to the
development of chess is the Spanish rulers, kings and queens, through the 8th
and 13th century. One
of the most influential of these rulers is Spanish Queen Doña
Urraca. Yalom states that “Doña Urraca’s
birth around 1080 coincided with the chess queen’s youth, and the many battles
she fought as a reigning queen were mirrored on the chessboard” (Yalom,
48). Urraca spent a good portion
of her life fighting her ex-husband Alfonso I, “The Battler”, over portions of
land that each claimed as their own after their divorce. Known for her courage on the
battlefield and diplomatic skills, Urraca battled off her ex-husband and other
in-laws that tried to take advantage of her; a true testament to the importance
of the modern day chess queen.
In addition to Queen Doña Urraca, her
ex-husband, King Alfonso I of Aragón also contributed to the development of chess. He specifically funded a book, Disciplina Clericalis, written by his
court physician Petrus Alfonsi that supported the learning of chess. It required all knights to become
familiar with seven accomplishments, which included chess, making chess a
“mandatory skill for Spain’s elite warriors” (Yalom, 52).
Finally, probably the most important contributors to chess from Spain, is King Alfonso X’s book, The Book of the Games of Chess, Dice, and Boards. The book detailed how to play the game of chess and also who played the game during the period. It stated that “board games were especially suited to women” (Yalom, 57) and to other non-working class people such as the elderly. The book is full of illustrations some of which depict different genders and classes playing against one another in chess. One of the most intriguing of the images is one of King Alfonso playing against a woman with no sign of nobility or high rank, an interesting interaction of social hierarchies (Yalom, 60). In addition to the images, text is provided that specifically states what is necessary to play chess, including the size of the board and the number of pieces for each side, and how each piece can move. King Alfonso’s book, although not the only one of its kind, is a key factor to the history of chess and its evolution across different cultures.
Yalom, M. (2005). Birth of the Chess Queen. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
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