I have a confession to make.  I am an active observer of life in several ways but have found that the game of chess is the most unique and accurate way to understand life as it really is.

As a very active traveler, I have found that chess is an excellent way to relieve stress and keep my brain sharp. The game also allows me to vent my frustrations by challenging my computer opponent.

There may be many methods to stimulate brain activity and enhance the movement of neurons through existing neuropathways, as well as promote neuroplasticity.

However, I have found that chess is one game that can contribute to these cognitive processes simultaneously, while remaining particularly thought-provoking and highly enjoyable!

Before I go on with my understanding of chess as it strategically applies to life as I see it, allow me to say that I am not out to offend anyone.

My purpose in this observation is to show life as the creators of the game of chess probably were thinking about life (as they saw it and maybe lived it to some degree).

Having done some research, I’ve discovered that chess has mainly been played by men throughout its existence (and most likely still is) and was somewhat a game of strategy that surrounded Sigmund Freud’s most popular topic – sex.

I am not being perverse in my observation, only seeing what you may see, as I do, to be the reality of life in it.

OK, so let me give you an understanding or two of others before I give you mine, this way you won’t take me wrong for the explanation.

Here are some things that anyone who surfs the internet will find online about chess and sex:

• (Check) Mating the Grand Masters: The Gendered, Sexualized Politics of Chess in Renaissance Italy

 

• Google Search: The history of chess and sex

 

“The relationship between chess and sex is multifaceted, encompassing historical connections, symbolic interpretations, and modern discussions of gender within the chess world.

1. Historical Connections and Chess as a Metaphor:

• Medieval Symbolism: Chess, particularly in medieval times, has been used as a metaphor for sex and courtship. This connection was amplified with the introduction of the powerful Queen piece, leading to plays on words and symbolic interpretations of “mating”.
• Examples in Literature:

• • The 13th-century poem “Huon de Bordeaux” features a chess match where the reward for winning is the king’s daughter for a night.

• • The 14th-century poem “The Avowyng of King Arthur” depicts a chess game between King Arthur and a noble lady, hinting at a night of intimacy through repeated “mating” on the board.

• Modern Interpretations: This symbolic link between chess and sex continues in modern literature and film, such as in the movie “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968) and in “The Queen’s Gambit”.

2. Gender Dynamics in Chess:

• Historical Underrepresentation of Women: Historically, chess has been a male-dominated domain, with significantly fewer women reaching high levels of play.
• Factors Contributing to the Gender Gap:

• • Societal Norms and Gender Stereotypes: Traditional gender roles and societal expectations may have discouraged girls from pursuing chess.

• • Lack of Role Models and Supportive Environments: The scarcity of female chess players and coaches may have hindered the development of young girls.

• • Sexist and Harassing Behaviors: Some women in chess have reported experiencing sexism and harassment, potentially impacting their participation and advancement in the game.

• Efforts to Promote Gender Equality:

• • FIDE Commissions for Women’s chess: These commissions advocate for increased female participation, gender-sensitive policies, equal opportunities, and training programs.

• • Women-Only Tournaments and Initiatives: Events like the Women’s World Chess Championship, the Women’s Grand Prix, and various national women’s championships aim to elevate the profile of female chess players.

• Success Stories and Notable Figures: Despite the challenges, some women have achieved remarkable success in chess, including Vera Menchik, Nona Gaprindashvili, Judit Polgar, and Hou Yifan, among others.

3. Psychological Interpretations and Sexual Symbolism:

• Freudian Interpretations: Early psychoanalysts like Ernest Jones suggested that chess could symbolize repressed desires and conflicts, with the King representing the father figure and the Queen symbolizing the mother.
• Modern Perspectives: While some psychoanalysts still explore sexual symbolism in chess, it’s widely recognized that such interpretations can be overdrawn.

In summary, the relationship between chess and sex is diverse and complex, encompassing historical metaphors, discussions on gender inequality within the game, and psychological interpretations of its symbolism.”

• Audere Magazine Article On Chess & Sex
• Wikipedia article about chess

• Specifications about chess in Wikipedia article:

 

• Chess spread throughout the world and many variants of the game soon began taking shape.^[7]Buddhist pilgrims, Silk Road traders and others carried it to the Far East where it was transformed and assimilated into a game often played on the intersection of the lines of the board rather than within the squares.^[8][9] Chaturanga reached Europe through Persia, the Byzantine Empire and the expanding Arabian Empire.^[10] Muslims carried chess to North Africa, Sicily, and Iberia by the 10th century.^[11]

 

• The game was developed extensively in Europe. By the late 15th century, it had survived a series of prohibitions and Christian Church sanctions to almost take the shape of the modern game.^[12] Modern history saw reliable reference works,^[13] competitive chess tournaments,^[14] and many new variants. These factors added to the game’s popularity,^[14] further bolstered by reliable timing mechanisms (first introduced in 1861), effective rules,^[14] and charismatic players.^[15]

 

OK, now let’s jump right into the understanding that I came to today after conversing with 3 different women.  These women were very confident about their influence in the world, via the spirit realm as occultic queens.

DISCLAIMER

First and foremost, it must be understood that I see life through the lenses of Christian thinking.

I am not a chauvinist but do believe in equal opportunities in the workforce for women if they choose to do a man’s job, but….

My observation over 54 years of life, has been that women generally don’t want to do men’s jobs.

Only sometimes does this happen, as most women are not that motivated to do men’s jobs, but if they have the ability and desire, more power to them.

Anyway, this observation about chess may offend some women and men, but I did not create the modern-day version of the game and am only making some avid observations.

I appeal to your sense of symbolism and metaphorical interpretation, so try not to get upset if you cannot see things as I do.

This article is not about sex, as much as it is about how sex and chess seem to be quite related, at least the modern version developed in 15th Century Europe.

This is also an observation that is not sexist nor prejudiced nor discriminating towards anyone, either male or female, heterosexual or homosexual, fornicator or chaste or loyal in marriage.

The symbols in chess are many and are there for a reason.  I will do my best to explain them from my perspective.  You may agree or disagree, but it is up to you to decide for yourself what you think about the subject matter being discussed.

Even though I really don’t think this avid observation on chess will make you mad, some people may have a hard time stomaching it.  Either way, I am not out to offend anyone who loves the game of chess like I do.

Take it for what it is – one man’s understanding of the game of chess and how it relates to the aspects of the game, both pieces and plays – from his viewpoint.

Thank you, and now – here it is – drum roll, please!

 

CHESS IS DIVIDED INTO TWO TEAMS AND IS BASICALLY ABOUT THE TWO TEAMS OR TWO GROUPS GOING TO WAR.

Yes, this is true, but you could also see it as a war between the sexes!

Now, why would I say this and how in the world would this apply to a board game?

Well, it is suggested that some Medieval king (around the 14^th century) from Scotland apparently was seeking a wife and took the game of chess and adapted this perspective to his version of the game and chose to corner a woman so he could make her his helpmate or wife.

Scotland was very Christian by then and the game of chess had been around for some time, so to adapt it to a Christian theme and change it to be a board game for getting a wife is quite conceivable for the people of this time.

Kings had courts and men courted women – so why not?

I got this information from a friend who got it from the Lord Jesus Christ via the Holy Spirit, who knows all things, so you will have to inquire of God yourself if you are to verify this.

Though if you are a great researcher or historian, you may be able to find this information and validate it too.

Another unique idea that I got the same way, was that this king, whomever he was, came up with the idea of ways to corner a queen or take her off the board, not unlike checking a list of ways to do it.

This is similar to putting a king on a chess board into check.

At the end of a game a king is either checkmated or stalemated – which means he has no more moves – like checking off a to-do list.

Anyway, the modern-day version of chess goes after the king, not the queen, so things may have changed a bit since the 14^th century, but that is my conjecture on the matter.

Further, if you look at the pieces on a chess board, you will see that the various pieces can only move in certain ways, allow me to digress on the matter…

 

1. The king piece only moves 1 space forward, 1 space backward, 1 space diagonally or 1 space to the left or right. In terms of sex, he can be seen as a heterosexual, a homosexual, or a bi-sexual and is either a liberal or a conservative.

 This is illustrates how kings act sexually, at least from an historical perspective.  See the movie: “History of the World Part I, (by Mel Brooks) to see the chess game the king plays and how he is depicted as a sexually active man, this may be closer to the truth in many a king’s life, historically speaking, than is written about in the history books.”

 

2. Queens, like kings, can move in any direction on the chess board and are also the most active players on the board.  Queens, as wives, follow the lead or are under the control of their husbands, the kings, thus do what is expected of them.  In real life, Queens often have sex with leaders that come after them (when their husbands use them for profit), whether fraternal order leaders, religious leaders, merchant leaders, military leaders, minstrels, prognosticators, court jesters, as shown in Woody Allen’s movie:  “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)”, etc…”

 

3. Knights, the horses with men on them (which often just appear as horses, are really cavalry men or horse-riding soldiers). This chess piece move in an “L” formation and it can be seen as the sexual conqueror of the game.  The “L” move is to remind you of the knights horsing around a bit, as it is a sign of a pistol or gun – go figure and do the math to see what is meant by this.  If you look at the name Sir Lancelot, it referred to a knight in King Arthur’s court who had an affair with the king’s wife, Queen Guinevere.  In terms of sex, if you cut or lance, you are having sexual intercourse – it is the man cutting or sawing and the woman, who has a hymen, gets cut.  Sir Lancelot lanced a lot – he was a sexually active metaphorical figure.  Encyclopedia Brittanica Article About Sir Lancelot

 

4. The Bishop figure on the chess board can only move in one direction – diagonally. In terms of sex, bishops in many churches are well-known to have sexual dalliances (affairs) with women from their churches, thus the reason they can only move diagonally, as they are not straight movers and shakers, i.e.: they are often bisexuals.

 

5. The Rook figure in the game of chess is the castle and this is the figure that moves straight ahead or sideways, but not diagonally. It likely is not a sexually portrayed figure, but may show that the government is straight forward and direct with the people it represents.  It is also likely a representation of force and oversight of the people who would topple the government.  Kings and Queens also live in castles, so that may just be the place that they make love, which is a normal and straight thing – sexually speaking.

 

6. Pawns are simply soldiers or spies and can become any player on the board if they get to the other end of the board without being taken from the field of play.  Basically, they are expendable and often go ahead of the rest of the other players but usually don’t get to the other end of the board.  They have potential to become something else, but like the king, are limited to moving as he does, except going backwards.  Sexually speaking, they are able to be either heterosexual (moving straight ahead) or diagonally to capture the opposing team’s piece (bi-sexual).  If a pawn becomes a queen – look out, as she will often do great damage to her opponents – a very active piece on the board is she!

 

7. There are only 6 different types of pieces represented on the chess board or field of battle.  6 is the number of man in the Holy Bible and so it is in real life, that man begets man and it is via sex that people are made. So go play a good game of chess and don’t forget that we all can make love, but I don’t recommend you play around like a chess piece or you may be disappointed with the results.

Lastly, in considering just how romance and chess mirror one another, I invite you to take a good look at the rare chess rule known as “En passant.”

This is where a pawn captures an opponent’s pawn as it hastily moves two squares forward—striking just as it passes by, almost as if catching it off guard.

In romance, making a pass at someone can feel like a bold, well-timed move—seizing a fleeting opportunity before it slips away, much like the tactical elegance of en passant.

However you see chess and romance, just be careful to play with both heart and strategy—making each move with intention, but never losing sight of the beauty in the game.

Take care of yourself and consider marriage if you want to have sex; so it goes with the good way of the world.

God bless you and have a tremendous day – enjoy a good game of chess on me!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Paul J. Eberhardt – Author

A Paul J. Eberhardt Weekly Illuminator Original

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