How the Queen became the most powerful piece of Chess

The Lady in Chess was not always the movements it has today, in fact this female figure did not even exist on the board. This is history as the Queen of Chess became the most powerful piece.

Chess is one of the most complex and interesting games that exist, sport is considered a genius by many, and, to reach its current state has gone through many changes in its history, a great change if we want to call it that way. The origins of chess back to the sixth century BC in India, during the rule of the Gupta Empire, in what is known as the Golden Age of India in which reigned prosperity and He allowed the advancement of science and the arts. Although some historians trace the origin of chess to China.

Chaturanga is the name of the ancient Indian game of strategy which is considered the primordial ancestor of chess. His exact rules are unknown, but most likely were similar to those of his successor: shatranj , a name that the Persians give his version of the game after this be esparciera into that territory when the Arabs conquered Persia. By then chess was adopted by the Muslim world and then spread to southern Europe. But it was not until the fifteenth century that chess evolved into a similar state that we know today.

Chaturanga

In the chaturanga there was the figure of the queen and no piece could move so.

The word “ chaturanga ” translates as “four military divisions”, this name comes from a battle formation mentioned in one of the great works of Sanskrit literature, the epic Indian mythological text: Mahabharata ​​strong>. These four divisions are referred to the army and the Chaturanga are elephants, chariots, cavalry and infantry, same divisions of parts to play. The game used a 8×8 board boxes called “ ashtapada ” which in Sanskrit means “having eight feet.” Raja is the name that was given to the part of the King and moved one step in any direction as in modern chess. The most powerful chess piece in the current the lady, did not exist in the Chaturanga and in fact, there was no part with their same skills, many centuries would pass to the lady acquired all his power.

Mantri (minister / counselor) also known as Senapati was the piece that was placed next to the King and this one He could move one space diagonally. shatranj it was called Ferz and his movements were the equivalent of the modern bishop but one space. Ratha (chariots) were equal to the towers. Elephants (Gaja) described three sets of different movements, and although they are the equivalent of the bishop in the modern board, their movements do not match. Ashva (cavalry) just moved to modern horses, and Padàti (infantry) were pawns of the same date, except they did not have the option of moving two steps in the first movement

The Christian church

For the tenth century in 1000 the Chaturanga it had spread to Russia and Western Europe. The North African Moors pronounced “shatranj” as “shaṭerej” and this word gave rise to the word in Spanish: “Acedrex, axedrez or chess.” The game is widely developed in Europe and the fifteenth century had survived countless bans Christian churches, whose rule ended affect the game greatly contributing to transform it into the modern version we all know.
The domain of the Christian church had great influence on modern chess.

In northern Europe chess became popular when the pieces in the form of figures began to appear. Although the sides of the board are conventionally called White and Black, in ancient Europe used to refer to them as Red and Black as they were ink colors commonly available when a board is drawing hand, and the pieces were represented by abbreviated names. Between the twelfth and fifteenth century, the popularity of chess in Europe reached its peak, and the game was considered the pastime of the people of the nobility and high society. Chess was even incorporated into the lifestyle of all the knights of the army and was considered one of the seven skills that they must acquire these in your life.

The game became so popular that when in London in XII century the voice of incidents involving men who had finished killing to a game of chess came, lit church bells. It had become customary to play chess for money, and King Louis IX of France forbade gambling. Of course the game continued risking prohibited illegally in underground tournaments.

Under Christian rule, the shapes of the pieces changed. Raja became King, Reina Mantri, Gaja in Bishop (Bishop), Ashva in Caballo, Torre Ratha and Padati in Pawn.

Isabel I of Castile and the legend

The current queen, as already mentioned, was originally the “counselor or vizier” (as it is still called in countries such as Turkey), and could only move one space diagonally. Roughly around 1300 his movements were improved allowing you to move two spaces and jump to the same color space in the first movement. The piece became Queen with the passage of time, in Europe mainly simply because it is the part that rested beside the king. However, the first mention of this piece as “regina” “queen” or similar dates back to 997 in Switzerland.

Shortly after the surrender of Baza rules Chess queen changed and became the most powerful piece.

tells a story, probably a fable spread by troubadours, when Queen Isabella I of Castile presented him with the game Chess, this insulting seem to bother the little power he had the part of the queen and demanded that this be changed immediately. When he was presented the game again, the figure of the Queen had changed to become the most powerful piece on the board with unlimited movements in all directions. After all, in 1495 Isabel was the most powerful woman in Europe. And, coincidentally at the time the new rules of chess were established.

Now, a story more meaningful and even romantic setting has to do with the facts of the surrender of Baza. The city had long surrounded the town but did not want to surrender and Christian soldiers began to lose morale for the long siege. Ferdinand asked Isabel to report to the battlefield to boost morale of the troops. Isabel accompanied by several ladies and his eldest daughter Isabel, his presence caused an immediate impact, not only for the Christian troops, but to the besieged population of Baza began his surrender but not before King Ferdinand, but to the brave queen.

After the events in Gaza chess queen became the most powerful piece and around that time the first chess books began to appear.

Much is said about the analogy between Ferdinand and Isabella and King and Queen of chess. During the reign of the Catholic Kings, Isabel was stronger than Fernando, but this was still the King and therefore the most important part of the game, even though it was not the most powerful.

Alla rabid

The new style of game was called “Chess Queen”.

This new style of chess started in Spain and caused much controversy in different circles of players, angry men began to complain and call the “chess crazy lady” ( madwoman’s chess – scacchi alla rabid ). Thanks to the advent of printing and the popularity of chess books at the moment, the “Chess Queen” spread quickly throughout Europe. The anxiety generated by the fact of a powerful female figure represented by a warrior on board the favorite war strategists seize the ajederez Europe, even caused a wave of abuses against women in general.

Russia for some time the queen could move even as the horse, jumping spaces above other parts. These rules did not last, and the lady remains to date with a set of movements that combines the skills of torrees and bishops because it can move the number of spaces you want in horizontal, vertical and diagonal form.

The practicality of the piece

The rule of promotion of pawns on the chess won far greater importance with the arrival of the all-powerful queen. Besides that in the thirteenth century had already begun to change the movements of director to increase the speed with which you could get to the other side of the board and shorten the game.

A set of old chess I could hard many hours, or even days. With the new queen was possible that the items could earn in less movements.

In modern chess queen and slightly more powerful than a bishop and a tower together, almost always It is a disadvantage to lose against any other part than the Queen of the opponent. When queens are exchanged frequently the beginning of the end of the game is scored, and because of the large value of the piece, often used as bait to bring down the opponent in a trap in what is known as the “sacrifice of Queen “

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