Prophetical, Educational and Playing Cards

by Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer

That chessmen of the conventional type are by no means absolutely necessary for a game is shown by the Korean Tjyang-Keui, whose figures closely resemble the pieces used by the Chinese. The men of the set in the writer’s collection are of wood about the thickness of an ordinary checker or draughtsman, but they are octagonal in shape, and the size of the pieces varies, since it is indicative of the value. Sometimes the pieces are circular in shape, and have their value painted in incised characters on both sides in red, blue, or green, according to the side they represent. The King or General is much the largest piece and about an inch and a half in diameter. The Chariot, Elephant, Horse, and Cannon are of medium size, while the Pawns and Councillors are the smallest. The pieces in the writer’s collection were kept by the original owner in a netted string bag. The board differs from those of Europe, as the men are placed at the intersections of the squares, and not in their centres, as is customary in other places. The game, as played in Korea, is logical, and was the inspiration of various games played in Germany, where marbles are placed in stated positions on boards made for the purpose, with rounded holes, and marked off with diagrams. In some games the board represents a fort to be defended; in others, a series of positions to be captured by one or other of two armies of equal value.

A very interesting set of chessmen in the British Museum was found at Nig, in the Isle of Lewis, and is described as “North European, Twelfth Century.” The backs are carved with intricate interlacing designs like those on the reverse of the old Tarots. The Queens rest their cheeks on their right hands. The Kings have swords laid across their laps. The Bishops are mitred, and all are seated.

An anonymous writer declares: “The most probable conjecture is that Chess descended from the Brahmins, through Persia, to Arabia, about the sixth century, and passed into Europe two or three hundred years later.” Continuing, the writer says: “A mathematician named Seffa originated the game for his master, Ravan, King of Ceylon, who was so pleased with the device that he asked the inventor to name his own reward. The cunning sage demanded enough wheat to cover the board, starting with a single grain for the first square, two for the second, and so on, doubling the grains until the sixty-four squares were covered, finally adding the whole amount together, so when computed, it was found that more wheat would be required than the world produced in ten years.”

The Persians claim that Chess was invented in their country, pointing out the retention of some of their names and expressions in the English game, such as “Check,” from the Persian Sciack or King, and “Mat,” signifying “dead,” hence “Checkmate,” or “The King is dead.” These words may well have their derivation from the Persian or Arabic, but they are not universally employed, although Chess is of ancient origin and has been played for centuries in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The term Rook, that is sometimes used instead of Castle, is undoubtedly of Indian origin, derived from Rokh, and signifying dromedary. In China this piece is called Ku, and in Korea Tcha, words in no way connected with the Arabic.

There are many historical descriptions of Chess in Europe too well known to be repeated; besides which, there are numerous copper, steel, and wood engravings showing persons playing Chess.

In “A History of the Moorish Kings” (1396), there is an account of a game played when Jussef, the heir to the throne, was ordered to be beheaded by his usurping brother. An alcade was sent to the prison for the purpose of carrying out the command, but, finding Jussef playing Chess, and becoming interested in his skill, he waited until the game terminated to dispatch the prince. However, before it was finished, the usurper, Mehemed, was murdered, so Jussef succeeded to the throne and rewarded the kindly executioner with money and honours.

One of the earliest descriptions of Chess in the English language was written by Thomas Hyde in 1694, at about the time that Cotton’s “Complete Gamester,” on the subject of gambling and its tools, appeared. There is a rare book, entitled “The Game and Playes of the Chess,” that, strange to say, contains little or nothing concerning the game beyond its title.

“It is remarkable,” says Sir Gardiner Wilkinson, in “Ancient Egyptians” (Vol. II, page 415), “that a game so common as Mora among the lower order of Italians should be found to have existed in Egypt from the earliest period of which their paintings remain, even in the reign of the First Osirtasen.” The game, which requires no accessories, is skillfully played by holding up certain fingers to an opponent, who tries to guess the number; it was probably carried to the Southern ports of Italy by the Egyptians, when the yearly voyage was made to the Bay of Naples, at the time that the great Temple of the Serapeon was erected at Pozzuoli and the cult of Thoth Hermes introduced.

Draughts were also found in early days at or about the same place, and that game is represented as being played on the sculptures of Beni Hassan in grottoes on the east bank of the Nile. The same authority says: “This would be coeval with Joseph, or 1740 B. C.”

An anonymous writer in an English paper states that one of the frescoes of the palace of Rameses II shows the mighty Pharaoh himself playing against some of the beauties of his harem.