Chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

became a source of inspiration in the arts in literature soon after the spread of the game to the

Arab World The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. The earliest works of art centered on the game are miniatures in medieval manuscripts, as well as poems, which were often created with the purpose of describing the

rules Rule or ruling may refer to: Education * Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), a university in Cambodia Human activity * The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power * Business rule, a rule pert ...

. After chess gained popularity in the 15th and 16th centuries, many works of art related to the game were created. One of the best-known,

Marco Girolamo Vida Marco Girolamo Vida or Marcus Hieronymus Vida (1485? – September 27, 1566) was an Italian humanist, bishop and poet. Life Marco was born at Cremona, the son of the consular (patrician) Guglielmo Vida, and Leona Oscasale. He had two brother ...

's poem ''Scacchia ludus'', written in 1527, made such an impression on the readers that it singlehandedly inspired other authors to create poems about chess. In the 20th century, artists created many works related to the game, sometimes taking their inspiration from the life of famous players (

Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (russian: link=no, Владимир Владимирович Набоков ; 2 July 1977), also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin (), was a Russian-American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Bor ...

in ''

The Defense ''The Defense'' is the third novel written by Vladimir Nabokov after he had emigrated to Berlin. It was published in 1930. Publication The novel appeared first under Nabokov's pen name V. Sirin in the Russian emigre quarterly '' Sovremennye zapi ...

'') or well-known games (

Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...

in ''Immortal Game'', John Brunner in '' The Squares of the City''). Some authors invented new chess variants in their works, such as stealth chess in

Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humourist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for his '' Discworld'' series of 41 novels. Pratchett's first no ...

's ''

Discworld ''Discworld'' is a comic fantasy"Humorous Fantasy" in David Pringle, ed., ''The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' (pp.31-33). London, Carlton,2006. book series written by the English author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat ...

'' series or Tri-Dimensional chess in the '' Star Trek'' series.

History

10th to 18th century

Palatine Chapel in the Norman Palace in Palermo you can admire the first painting of a chess game that is known to the world. The work dates from around 1143 and the artists who created the Muslim players were chosen by the Norman king of Sicily Roger II of Hauteville, who erected the church. The earliest known reference to chess in a European text is a

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functione ...

poem, ''

Versus de scachis (Latin: "Verses on Chess"), also known as the ''Einsiedeln Poem'' in some literature, is the title given to a 10th century Medieval Latin poem about chess. It is the first known European text to provide a technical description of chess for did ...

''. The oldest manuscript containing this poem has been given the estimated date of 997. Other early examples include miniatures accompanying books. Some of them have high artistic value. Perhaps the best known example is the 13th-century ''

Libro de los juegos The ''Libro de los juegos'' (Spanish: "Book of games"), or ''Libro de axedrez, dados e tablas'' ("Book of chess, dice and tables", in Old Spanish), was a Spanish translation of Arabic texts on chess, dice and tables (backgammon forebears) games ...

''. The book contains 151 illustrations, and while most of them are centered on the board, showing

problems A problem is a difficulty which may be resolved by problem solving. Problem(s) or The Problem may also refer to: People * Problem (rapper), (born 1985) American rapper Books * ''Problems'' (Aristotle), an Aristotelian (or pseudo-Aristotelian) co ...

, the players and architectural settings are different in each picture. Iacopo da Cessole - De ludo scachorum - 6440860

Another early illustrated text is the ''Book of the customs of men and the duties of nobles or the Book of Chess'' ( la, Liber de moribus hominum et officiis nobilium super ludo scacchorum) which is based on the sermons of Jacopo da Cessole and was first published in 1473. The pieces illustrating chess problems in Luca Pacioli's manuscript '' On the Game of Chess'' ( la, De ludo scacchorum, c. 1500) are described as "futuristic even by today's standards" and may have been designed in collaboration with

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...

. After chess became gradually more popular in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries, especially in Spain and Italy, many artists began writing poems using chess as a theme.Litmanowicz (1974), p. 11 '' Chess of love'' ( ca, Scachs d'amor), written by an unknown artist in the end of the 15th century, describes a game between

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

and

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

, using chess as an allegory of love. The story also serves as a pretence to describe the rules of the game. ''De ludo scacchorum'' (unrelated to the manuscript mentioned above) by , also created at that time, is a collection of gameplay advice, presented in poetic fashion.Litmanowicz (1974), p. 12 One of the most influentialLitmanowicz (1974), p. 13 works of chess-related art is

's ''Scaccia ludus'' (1527), centered on a game played between

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...

and Mercury on

Mount Olympus Mount Olympus (; el, Όλυμπος, Ólympos, also , ) is the highest mountain in Greece. It is part of the Olympus massif near the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, located in the Olympus Range on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, be ...

. It is said that, because of its high artistry, the poem made a great impression on anyone who read it, including

Desiderius Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...

. It also directly inspired at least two other works.Litmanowicz (1974), p. 14 The first is

Jan Kochanowski Jan Kochanowski (; 1530 – 22 August 1584) was a Polish Renaissance poet who established poetic patterns that would become integral to the Polish literary language. He is commonly regarded as the greatest Polish poet before Adam Mickiewicz. ...

's poem ''

'' (c. 1565), which describes the game as a battle between two armies, while the second is William Jones''' Caissa, or the game of chess'' (1772). The latter poem popularised the pseudo-ancient Greek

dryad A dryad (; el, Δρυάδες, ''sing''.: ) is a tree nymph or tree spirit in Greek mythology. ''Drys'' (δρῦς) signifies " oak" in Greek, and dryads were originally considered the nymphs of oak trees specifically, but the term has evolved t ...

Caïssa Caïssa ( a:isa is a fictional (anachronistic) Thracian dryad portrayed as the goddess of chess. She was first mentioned during the Renaissance by Italian poet Hieronymus Vida. Vida's poem Caïssa originated in a 658-line poem called ''Scacch ...

to be the "goddess of chess".

19th century onwards

Since the 19th century, artists have been creating novels and – since the 20th century – films related to chess. Sometimes, they are inspired by famous games, like John Brunner's '' The Squares of the City'', structured after the famous match between

Wilhelm Steinitz William Steinitz (born Wilhelm Steinitz; May 14, 1836 – August 12, 1900) was an Austrian and, later, American chess player. From 1886 to 1894, he was the first official World Chess Champion. He was also a highly influential writer and c ...

and

Mikhail Chigorin Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin (also ''Tchigorin''; russian: Михаи́л Ива́нович Чиго́рин; – ) was a Russian chess player. He played two World Championship matches against Wilhelm Steinitz, losing both times. The last great ...

;

's short story ''Immortal Game'', inspired by the 1851 game played by

Adolf Anderssen Karl Ernst Adolf Anderssen (July 6, 1818 – March 13, 1879)"Anderssen, Adolf" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 385. was a German chess master. He won the great internat ...

and

Lionel Kieseritzky Lionel Adalbert Bagration Felix Kieseritzky (russian: Лионель Адальберт Багратион Феликс Кизерицкий; – ) was a Baltic German chess master and theoretician, famous for his contributions to chess theory, ...

(which also appears in the film ''

Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...

''); or Waldemar Łysiak's ''Szachista'' ( pl, The Chess Player), centered on a game played between

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

and The Turk. The game Frank Poole versus HAL 9000 from the film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' is also based on an actual match, albeit not widely known. Other artists have drawn their inspiration from the life of players.

wrote ''

'' after learning about

Curt von Bardeleben Curt Carl Alfred von Bardeleben (4 March 1861 – 31 January 1924) was a German chess master, journalist, and member of the German nobility. Biography Curt von Bardeleben started playing chess when he was ten years old and quickly developed into ...

, while the musical ''

'' was loosely based on the life of

Bobby Fischer Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Championships at the age of 14. In 1964, he won with an 1 ...

. Some authors invented new chess variants in their works, such as stealth chess in

's ''

'' series or Tri-Dimensional chess in the '' Star Trek'' series. Another connection between art and chess is the life of

Marcel Duchamp Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp (, , ; 28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968) was a French painter, sculptor, chess player, and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, Dada, and conceptual art. Duchamp is commonly regarded, along with Pablo Picasso ...

, who almost fully suspended his artistic career to focus on chess in 1923.

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in ...

and

Man Ray Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to eac ...

were also chess players and both designed chess sets. The three artists played chess together, and one of the chess sets designed by Dalí is called ''Echecs'' (''Hommage à Marcel Duchamp''). Duchamp's 1910 painting ''The Chess Game'' depicts his brothers

Raymond Duchamp-Villon Raymond Duchamp-Villon (5 November 1876 – 9 October 1918) was a French sculptor. Life and art Duchamp-Villon was born Pierre-Maurice-Raymond Duchamp in Damville, Eure, in the Normandy region of France, the second son of Eugène and Lucie Ducha ...

and

Jacques Villon Jacques Villon (July 31, 1875 – June 9, 1963), also known as Gaston Duchamp, was a French Cubist and Abstract art, abstract painter and printmaker. Early life Born Émile Méry Frédéric Gaston Duchamp in Damville, Eure, Damville, Eure, ...

playing chess in the garden of Villon's studio. Another Duchamp painting from the following year again depicts his brothers at the chess table. Duchamp wrote a book titled ''Opposition and Sister Squares Are Reconciled'' which was published in 1932. Man Ray and Duchamp are seen playing chess in

René Clair René Clair (11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette, was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. He wen ...

's film ''

Entr'acte (or ', ;Since 1932–35 the French Academy recommends this spelling, with no apostrophe, so historical, ceremonial and traditional uses (such as the 1924 René Clair film title) are still spelled ''Entr'acte''. German: ' and ', Italian: ''inte ...

''. A book titled ''Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Chess'' was published in 2009.

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

and

Juan Gris José Victoriano González-Pérez (23 March 1887 – 11 May 1927), better known as Juan Gris (; ), was a Spanish painter born in Madrid who lived and worked in France for most of his active period. Closely connected to the innovative artistic ge ...

were also chess players, and both made many references to the game in their work. The design of

Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 20 ...

professor Josef Hartwig's early 1920s chess set uses the shape of each piece to indicate its permitted movement. Artists such as

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese contemporary artist who works primarily in sculpture and installation, and is also active in painting, performance, video art, fashion, poetry, fiction, and other arts. Her work is based in conceptual art and shows some attribute ...

Barbara Kruger Barbara Kruger (born January 26, 1945) is an American conceptual artist and collagist associated with the Pictures Generation. She is most known for her collage style that consists of black-and-white photographs, overlaid with declarative captio ...

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingd ...

Gavin Turk Gavin Turk (born 1967) is a British artist from Guildford in Surrey, and is considered to be one of the Young British Artists.Tate Modern. (2009)'Pop Life: Art in a Material World' Retrieved 14 August 2012. Turk's oeuvre deals with issues of aut ...

Jake and Dinos Chapman Iakovos "Jake" Chapman (born 1966) and Konstantinos "Dinos" Chapman (born 1962) are British visual artists, often known as the Chapman Brothers. Their subject matter tries to be deliberately shocking, including, in 2008, a series of works that ...

, Tim Noble and Sue Webster,

Rachel Whiteread Dame Rachel Whiteread (born 20 April 1963) is an English artist who primarily produces sculptures, which typically take the form of casts. She was the first woman to win the annual Turner Prize in 1993. Whiteread was one of the Young British Ar ...

Paul McCarthy Paul McCarthy (born August 4, 1945) is a contemporary artist who lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Life McCarthy was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1945. He studied art at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, and later continued ...

, Tom Friedman, and

Tracey Emin Tracey Karima Emin, CBE, RA (; born 3 July 1963) is a British artist known for her autobiographical and confessional artwork. Emin produces work in a variety of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, film, photography, neon text and ...

have also either designed chess sets or made works that reference the game.

In literature

Poems

* ''

'' (c. 997), earliest known reference to chess in a European text * '' Scachs d'amor'' ( ca, Chess of Love) (late 15th century). Describes a game between

and

* ''De ludo scachorum'' (''On the Game of Chess'') (early 16th century) by . A collection of chess gameplay advice in poetic form * ''Scaccia ludus'' (1527) by

. The poem describes a game of chess played by

and Mercury on

*''

'' (c. 1565) by

. An

epos The point of sale (POS) or point of purchase (POP) is the time and place at which a retail transaction is completed. At the point of sale, the merchant calculates the amount owed by the customer, indicates that amount, may prepare an invoice ...

parody which portrays a game of chess as a battle between two armies * '' Caissa, or the game of chess'' (1772) by William Jones. Inspired by ancient

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...

, the poem tells the story of

Caissa, with whom

falls in love. In an attempt to win her heart, Mars asks the god of sport to create a gift for Caissa. The god creates the game of chess *''A Game of Chess'', a section in ''

The Waste Land ''The Waste Land'' is a poem by T. S. Eliot, widely regarded as one of the most important poems of the 20th century and a central work of modernist poetry. Published in 1922, the 434-line poem first appeared in the United Kingdom in the Octob ...

'' (1922) by T. S. Eliot *''The Game of Chess'' included in '' Dreamtigers'' (1960), a poem (two sonnets) by

Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known b ...

Novels

* ''

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There ''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' (also known as ''Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' or simply ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll and the ...

'' (1871) by

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequ ...

. The book is chess-themed. Most main characters in the story are represented as chess pieces, with the main protagonist, Alice, being a

pawn Pawn most often refers to: * Pawn (chess), the weakest and most numerous piece in the game * Pawnbroker or pawnshop, a business that provides loans by taking personal property as collateral Pawn may also refer to: Places * Pawn, Oregon, an his ...

* ''

The Twelve Chairs ''The Twelve Chairs'' ( rus, Двенадцать стульев, Dvenadtsat stulyev) is a classic satirical novel by the Odesan Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, published in 1928. Its plot follows characters attempting to obtain jewelry hidden ...

'' (1928) by

Ilf and Petrov Ilya Ilf (Ilya Arnoldovich Feinsilberg or russian: Илья Арнольдович Файнзильберг, 1897–1937) and Yevgeny Petrov (Yevgeniy Petrovich Katayev or russian: Евгений Петрович Катаев, 1902–1942 ...

, partially taking place at a chess club *''

'' (1930) by

. The main character, Aleksandr Luzhin, suffers from mental problems because of his obsession with chess *''

The Royal Game ''The Royal Game'' (also known as Chess Story; in the original German ''Schachnovelle'', "Chess Novella") is a novella by the Austrian author Stefan Zweig written in 1941, the year before the author's death by suicide. In some editions, the title ...

'' (1942), a novella by Stefan Zweig * '' All the King's Horses'' (1951) by

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...

, also included in ''

Welcome to the Monkey House ''Welcome to the Monkey House'' is a collection of 25 short stories written by Kurt Vonnegut, published by Delacorte in August 1968. The stories range from wartime epics to futuristic thrillers, given with satire and Vonnegut's unique edge. The s ...

'' (1968) * ''John and the Chess Men'' (1952) by Helen Weissenstein, a children's novel introducing the game of chess. The author competed in several US women's championships. *'' From Russia, with Love'' (1957) by Ian Fleming, part of the ''

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

'' series. One of the villains, Tov Kronsteen, is a chess grand master who applies chess principles to espionage *''The Chess Players'' (1960) by

Frances Parkinson Keyes Frances Parkinson Keyes (July 21, 1885 – July 3, 1970) was an American author who wrote about her life as the wife of a U.S. Senator and novels set in New England, Louisiana, and Europe. A convert to Roman Catholicism, her later works freq ...

, a fictionalized account of the life of

Paul Morphy Paul Charles Morphy (June 22, 1837 – July 10, 1884) was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and is often considered the unofficial World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he was c ...

. *''Forbidden Planet'' (1961) by Lionel Fanthorpe using the pseudonym John E. Muller, which describes an interstellar chess game played by superhuman entities using humans as pawns. *'' The Squares of the City'' (1965), a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

novel by John Brunner, structured after the famous 1892 chess game between

and

. *'' Invisible Cities'' (1972) by

Italo Calvino Italo Calvino (, also , ;. RAI (circa 1970), retrieved 25 October 2012. 15 October 1923 – 19 September 1985) was an Italian writer and journalist. His best known works include the '' Our Ancestors'' trilogy (1952–1959), the ''Cosmicomi ...

*''

The Westing Game ''The Westing Game'' is a mystery book written by Ellen Raskin and published by Dutton on May 1, 1978. It won the Newbery Medal recognizing the year's most distinguished contribution to American children's literature. ''The Westing Game'' was r ...

'' (1978) by

Ellen Raskin Ellen Raskin (March 13, 1928 – August 8, 1984) was an American children's writer and illustrator. She won the 1979 Newbery Medal for ''The Westing Game'', a mystery novel, and another children's mystery, '' Figgs & Phantoms'', was a Newbery ...

* ''Szachista'' ( pl, The Chess Player) (1980) by Waldemar Łysiak, centered on the game of chess between

and The Turk *'' The Queen's Gambit'' (1983) by

Walter Tevis Walter Stone Tevis (February 28, 1928 – August 9, 1984) was an American novelist and short story writer. Three of his six novels were adapted into major films: '' The Hustler'', '' The Color of Money'' and '' The Man Who Fell to Earth''. A four ...

. *''The Tower Struck By Lightning'' (1983) by

Fernando Arrabal Fernando Arrabal Terán (born August 11, 1932) is a Spanish playwright, screenwriter, film director, novelist, and poet. He was born in Melilla and settled in France in 1955. Regarding his nationality, Arrabal describes himself as "desterrado" ...

* The ''

'' series (since 1983) by

features a chess variant called Stealth Chess, which adds an assassin piece to the game. It is described in ''

The Discworld Companion ''The Discworld Companion'' is an encyclopaedia of the Discworld fictional universe, created by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs. Four editions have been published, under varying titles. The ''Companion'' contains precise definitions of word ...

'' (1994) *''Unsound Variations'' (1987), a novella by

George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...

included in ''Portraits of His Children'' *'' The Eight'' (1988) by Katherine Neville. The main character, Catherine Velis, tries to recover the pieces of a chess set once owned by

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

*'' The Joy Luck Club'' (1989) by

Amy Tan Amy Ruth Tan (born on February 19, 1952) is an American author known for the novel '' The Joy Luck Club,'' which was adapted into a film of the same name, as well as other novels, short story collections, and children's books. Tan has written ...

*'' The Flanders Panel'' (1990) by

Arturo Pérez-Reverte Arturo Pérez-Reverte Gutiérrez (born 25 November 1951 in Cartagena) is a Spanish novelist and journalist. He worked as a war correspondent for RTVE for 21 years (1973–1994). His first novel, ''El húsar'', set in the Napoleonic Wars, was ...

, a chess-themed crime novel *''The Lüneberg Variation'' (1993) by Paolo Maurensig * '' Harry Potter'' series (1997–2007) by

J. K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The ser ...

. The series fictional universe features wizard's chess, a chess variant where the pieces are similar to living beings, to which the players give orders by voice *''

Lord Loss ''Lord Loss'' is the debut novel, first novel in the ''Demonata'' series written by best-selling teenage horror author Darren Shan. It was originally published in the UK on 6 June 2005. Soon after, it appeared in Japan and America, where Shan's pr ...

'' (2005) by

Darren Shan Darren O'Shaughnessy (; born 2 July 1972), is an Irish writer and novelist. He is best known for his young adult fiction series '' The Saga of Darren Shan'', ''The Demonata'', and ''Zom-B'', published under the pseudonym Darren Shan. The former ...

. The main character,

Grubbs Grady ''The Demonata'' is a young adult horror/fantasy series by author Darren Shan. It deals with the world of demons. The series is told by three different protagonists: Grubbs Grady, Kernel Fleck, and Bec MacConn. The series is notable for its ...

, lives in a family of chess players *'' Dissident Gardens'' (2013) by Jonathan Lethem. Uncle Lenny, who once played Bobby Fischer to a draw as a participant in a simultaneous exhibition in which Fischer defeated everyone else, destroys the chess confidence and ambitions of the young Cicero. *''

Zugzwang Zugzwang (German for "compulsion to move", ) is a situation found in chess and other turn-based games wherein one player is put at a disadvantage because of their obligation to make a move; a player is said to be "in zugzwang" when any legal move ...

'' (2006) by

Ronan Bennett Ronan Bennett (born 14 January 1956) is an Irish novelist and screenwriter. Background Bennett, the son of William H. and Geraldine Bennett, was born in England, but was raised in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, in a devout Roman Catholic famil ...

. St Petersburg tournament 1914. Chess, psychoanalysis, murder, intrigue, terrorism. * '' Alekhine's Diagonal'' (2021) by Arthur Larrue. A fictionalized account of the life of the chess champion of the world Alexandre Alekhine and especially his compromission with the Nazi regime during World War II.

Short stories

* ''Striding Folly'' (1939) by

Dorothy L. Sayers Dorothy Leigh Sayers (; 13 June 1893 – 17 December 1957) was an English crime writer and poet. She was also a student of classical and modern languages. She is best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories set between th ...

* ''The Immortal Game'' (1954) by

, inspired by the 1851 game played by

and

* ''Quarantine'' (1977), a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, about an

extraterrestrial civilization Extraterrestrial life, colloquially referred to as alien life, is life that may occur outside Earth and which did not originate on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been conclusively detected, although efforts are underway. Such life might ...

which discovers chess after visiting Earth *''

Unicorn Variation "Unicorn Variation" is a 1981 fantasy story by American writer Roger Zelazny. It was first published in ''Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine''. Plot summary In an abandoned saloon, a man and a unicorn play chess. The fate of humanity is at s ...

'' (1983) by

Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...

, included in '' Unicorn Variations''

Comics

*'' Superman: Red Son'' (2003)

Plays

*'' The Tempest'' (1610) by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

*''

A Game at Chess ''A Game at Chess'' is a comic satirical play by Thomas Middleton, first staged in August 1624 by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre. The play is notable for its political content, dramatizing a conflict between Spain and England. The plot ...

'' (1624) by

Thomas Middleton Thomas Middleton (baptised 18 April 1580 – July 1627; also spelt ''Midleton'') was an English Jacobean playwright and poet. He, with John Fletcher and Ben Jonson, was among the most successful and prolific of playwrights at work in the Jac ...

*''

Endgame Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to: Film * ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film) * ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film * ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...

'' (1957) by Samuel Beckett *'' Der Seekadett'' (known in English as ''The Royal Middy'' and in Italian as ''Lo Scacchiere della Regina'') (1876) by Richard Genée, the name borrows from Seekadettenmatt.

In film and television

Feature films, short films and made-for-TV films

*''

A Chess Dispute ''A Chess Dispute'' is a 1903 British short black-and-white silent comedy film, directed by Robert W. Paul, starring Alfred Collins. It is included on the BFI DVD ''R.W. Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908''. Release The film was released ...

'' (1903), a one-minute comedy by British film pioneer

Robert W. Paul Robert William Paul (3 October 1869 – 28 March 1943) was an English pioneer of film and scientific instrument maker. He made narrative films as early as April 1895. Those films were shown first in Edison Kinetoscope knockoffs. In 1896 he s ...

. Earliest known film with a chess theme. *''

'' (1924), a short

Dadaist Dada () or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (in 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915, and after 1920 Dada flourished in Paris ...

film by

*''

Chess Fever ''Chess Fever'' (russian: Шахматная горячка, Shakhmatnaya goryachka) is a 1925 Soviet silent comedy film directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin and Nikolai Shpikovsky. ''Chess Fever'' is a comedy about the Moscow 1925 chess tournament, m ...

'' (1925), a short Soviet comedy film featuring a cameo appearance by

José Raúl Capablanca José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera (19 November 1888 – 8 March 1942) was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. A chess prodigy, he is widely renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play. Capabl ...

. *'' Casablanca'' (1942), the character Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, analyzes a game. (Bogart was also an avid chess player in real life.) *''

The Seventh Seal ''The Seventh Seal'' ( sv, Det sjunde inseglet) is a 1957 Swedish historical fantasy film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in Sweden during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) and a game of ch ...

'' (1957), centered on a game of chess between a medieval knight and the personification of

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

*'' Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land'' (1959), featuring Donald Duck on the chess game board based on the book by

Through The Looking Glass ''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' (also known as ''Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' or simply ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll and the ...

*'' No Name on the Bullet'' (1959), a Western movie with chess scenes that symbolize how the main characters are trying to outsmart each other *'' From Russia with Love'' (1963), based on the Ian Fleming novel of the same name, as mentioned above *'' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968), features a game of chess played between the

HAL 9000 HAL 9000 is a fictional artificial intelligence character and the main antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's ''Space Odyssey'' series. First appearing in the 1968 film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', HAL ( Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) ...

computer an astronaut, Frank Poole *''Grossmeister'' (1972), Soviet film about the rise of a young grandmaster *'' The Chess Players'' (1977), one of the subplots tells the story of two men obsessed with

shatranj Shatranj ( ar, شطرنج; fa, شترنج; from Middle Persian ''chatrang'' ) is an old form of chess, as played in the Sasanian Empire. Its origins are in the Indian game of chaturaṅga. Modern chess gradually developed from this game, as i ...

*''

Black and White Like Day and Night Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...

'' (1978), German Television film directed by Wolfgang Petersen and starring Bruno Ganz as a deranged chess player challenging the Soviet World Champion * ''Mystery of Chessboxing'' (1979) *''

'' (1982), the replicant Roy Batty and his creator Eldon Tyrell play a game of chess (based on the Immortal Game) *''Dangerous Moves'' (1984), about two men competing in the World Chess Championship Games *''The Great Mouse Detective'' (1986), featuring Basil of Baker Street, Dr. David Q. Dawson, and Olivia Flaversham are looking for her father who was kidnapped by Professor Ratigan and Fidget looking at them walking through the chess game board inside the toy store in London, England *''Mighty Pawns'' (1987) *''Knight Moves (film), Knight Moves'' (1992), about a chess grandmaster who is accused of several murders *''Searching for Bobby Fischer'' (1993), based on the life of Joshua Waitzkin *''Fresh (1994 film), Fresh'' (1994) *''The Shawshank Redemption'' (1994) *''Independence Day (1996 film), Independence Day'' (1996), features one of the main characters, David Levinson, playing chess with his father in New York City; later, David realizes that the aliens have set their ships across the world like that in chess and plan to attack *''Geri's Game'' (1997), an animated short film about an old man named Geri who adopts two personalities to play chess with himself *''The Luzhin Defence'' (2000), based on the Nabokov's book ''The Defense'' mentioned above *''X-Men (film), X-Men'' (2000), ''X-Men: The Last Stand'' (2006), ''X-Men: First Class'' (2011), and ''X-Men: Days of Future Past'' (2014) Charles Xavier and Magneto (Marvel Comics), Magneto both have a passion for chess and play it in many of their scenes together. *''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (film), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' (2001), the sorcerer's stone, has magical chess game *''The Chronicles of Riddick'' (2004) briefly features prison guards playing chess against mercenaries, using live ammunition for pieces *''Knights of the South Bronx'' (2005), about a teacher who helps students at a tough inner-city school to succeed by teaching them to play chess *''Revolver (2005 film), Revolver'' (2005) *''Queen to Play'' (2009) *''Bobby Fischer Against the World'' (2011), an HBO original documentary directed by Liz Garbus premiered on June 6, 2011; explores the complex life of Bobby Fischer, Fischer. *''Life of a King'' (2013), an ex-con teaches chess to inner city high school kids *''The Dark Horse (2014 film), The Dark Horse'' (2014), about a bipolar man who helps at-risk youth by teaching them chess *''Pawn Sacrifice'' (2014), a dramatised account of Bobby Fischer's 1972 match with Boris Spassky *''Wicked Blood'' (2014), about a teenage girl trying to escape a criminal family, with a chess poem interwoven among the plot shifts - one of her uncle's was once the state champ *''Chess Poem'' (2016), a short film adaptation of J.L. Borges poem "Ajedrez." Narrated in Chinese, features Wei Yi "immortal game" *''Lou (2022 film), Lou'' (2022), Lou, the title character, mentions that her son once beat her in chess at only 5 years old. Later in the film we see a flashback to the game in question.

Television series

* ''Noggin the Nog'' (1959 - 1965). The characters' design is inspired by the Lewis chessmen. * '' Star Trek'' (since 1966), several episodes feature a Tri-Dimensional chess variant * ''Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series), Mission: Impossible'' (1966-1973) one episode "A Game of Chess", season 2, episode 17, features cheating in chess, cheating in a chess tournament by using a computer. *''The Prisoner'' (1967–1968) one episode ("Checkmate (The Prisoner), Checkmate") features outdoor chess using people as pieces *''Land of the Giants'' (1968–1970). The season two episode "Deadly Pawn" features the castaways as chess pieces in a game for their lives. *''Columbo'', in the episode "The Most Dangerous Match" (1973), has Lt. Columbo match wits with a murderous chessmaster. *''Doctor Who'', in the episode ''The Curse of Fenric'' (1989), features chess as a theme, both the physical game and as a metaphor for the events of the story. *''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991) in episode 2017, the characters Pete Martell and Dale Cooper discuss chess moves. A chess board diagram highlighting the Capablanca-Frank Marshall (chess player), Marshall game from 1909 covers a painting of a tree on the background wall. * ''The X-Files'' series, in "The End (The X-Files), The End" episode (1998) *''The West Wing'' (1999–2006), in the episode "Hartsfield's Landing" (2002) *''Last Exile'' (2003), an anime series. All the episodes are named after chess-related terms (see the list of Last Exile episodes, list of episodes) *''Code Geass'' (2006–2007), an anime series * ''House (TV series), House'', in the episode "The Jerk (House), The Jerk" (2007), about a prodigy with behavioral problems *''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'' (2008–2009) – the origin of the Skynet (Terminator), Skynet organization is a computer chess program; chess tournament is featured in list of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles episodes, season one episodes *''Law and Order: Special Victims Unit'' series, in the "Hothouse" episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 10), season ten (2009), in which a young genius is seen obsessing over a chess game *''The Wire'' (2002-2008), Dee uses the game of chess to explain the drug trade to Bodie and Wallace. * Endgame (TV series), ''Endgame'' (TV series), (2011) Canadian television series that follows former World Chess Champion Arkady Balagan who uses his analytical skills to solve crimes *''Doctor Who'' serial, in the 2013 episode ''Nightmare in Silver'', Doctor Who plays chess against the Cyberiad, the collective consciousness of all Cybermen *''The Queen's Gambit (miniseries), The Queen's Gambit'', a 2020 Netflix adaptation of the The Queen's Gambit (novel), 1983 novel by

, starring Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, a chess prodigy.

In painting

As the popularity of the game became widespread during the 15th and 16th centuries, so too did the number of paintings depicting the subject. Continuing into the 20th century, artists created works related to the game often taking inspiration from the life of famous players or well-known games. An unusual connection between art and chess is the life of

, who in 1923 almost fully suspended his artistic career to focus on chess. *''I Giocatori di Scacchi'' (''The Chess Players'') (c. 1590) by Ludovico Carracci *''Arabes jouant aux échecs'' (''Arabs Playing Chess'') (1847) by Eugène Delacroix *''Les Joueurs d'échecs'' (''The Chess Players'') (1863) by Honoré Daumier *''The Chess Players (painting), The Chess Players'' (1876) by Thomas Eakins *''The Veterans'' (1886) by Richard Creifelds *''La famille du peintre'' (1911) by Henri Matisse *''Portrait de joueurs d'echecs'' (''Portrait of Chess Players'') (1911) by

*''Femme à côté d'un échiquier'' (1928) by Henri Matisse *''Super Chess'' (1937) by Paul Klee *
A lot
' of paintings by Samuel Bak File:Moors from Andalusia playing chess.jpg, Moors from Andalusia playing chess, Book of Games by Alfonso X of Castile, King Alfonso X, 1283 File:11 Nicolo di Pietro. Saint Augustin et Alypius reçoivent la visite de Ponticianus 1413-15 Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon.jpg, Niccolò di Pietro, 1413–15, ''The Conversion of Saint Augustin'', Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon File:Lucas van Leyden - The Game of Chess - WGA12919.jpg, Lucas van Leyden, c. 1508, The Game of Chess, oil on oak, 27 x 35 cm, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin File:Liberale da Verona - The Chess Players - The Metropolitan Museum of Art.jpg, Liberale da Verona, The Chess Players, c. 1475 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art) File:P. Bordone Zwei Schachspieler.jpg, Paris Bordone, c. 1545, Chess players, oil on canvas, Mailand, Wohnhaus File:Anthonis mor 022.jpg, Antonis Mor, 1549, ''John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, Von Sachsen vs. a Spaniard'' File:Albrecht and Anna playing chess.jpg, Hans Muelich, 1552, Duke Albrecht V. of Bavaria and his wife Anna of Austria playing chess File:Chess players by Karel van Mander.jpg, Karel van Mander, 1600 (attributed to), ''Les joueurs d'échecs'' File:Benjamin Franklin playing chess.jpg, Edward Harrison May, 1867, ''Lady Howe mating Benjamin Franklin'' File:Adolphe badin lundberg.jpg, Gustaf Lundberg, 1775, ''Portrait of Gustav Badin'', pastel, 74 x 57 cm, Nationalmuseum, Sweden File:Honoré Daumier 032.jpg, Honoré Daumier, 1863, ''The Chess Players'' File:The chess players thomas eakins.jpeg, Thomas Eakins, 1876, ''The Chess Players (painting), The Chess Players'' File:Brooklyn Museum - The Veterans - Richard Creifelds - overall.jpg, Richard Creifelds, c. 1886, ''The Veterans'', Brooklyn Museum File:The Chess Players, John Lavery (1929).jpg, John Lavery, 1929, ''The Chess Players''

In video games

*''Parasite Eve II'' (2000) features GOLEMs, villainous genetically enhanced cyborg super soldiers that are divided into different types named after chess pieces: Pawn GOLEMs, Rook GOLEMs, Knight GOLEMs, and Bishop GOLEMs, plus a unique leader known as No. 9 (King GOLEM). *''Killer7'' (2005) *''Deadly Premonition'' (2010)

In music

*''Checkmate (Bliss), Checkmate'', a ballet by the composer Arthur Bliss *In 1968, the composer John Cage and artist

appeared together at a concert entitled ''Reunion'', playing a game of chess and composing Aleatoric music by triggering a series of Photoelectric cell, photoelectric cells underneath the chessboard. *''

'', a musical by Tim Rice and Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA * The game is referenced in Wu-Tang Clan songs such as "Da Mystery of Chessboxin. "I love the game of chess", explained founder RZA#Personal life, RZA. "The person who taught me chess was the girl who took my virginity. She was pretty good at chess and the pussy was even better. Now I take that shit seriously. I hate losing." In 2005 Wu-Tang Clan member GZA released an album entitled ''Grandmasters (album), Grandmasters'' in which every track had a chess theme. * Songwriter, musician, and List of Nobel laureates, Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan is a chess player.

References

External links

Chess In Art (Streatham and Brixton Chess Club)
* *
Picasso and the Chess Player: Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, and the Battle for the Soul of Modern Art
{{Chess, state=collapsed History of chess Chess in art, Arts-related lists Chess-related lists Works about chess

History

10th to 18th century

19th century onwards

In literature

Poems

Novels

Short stories

Comics

Plays

In film and television

Feature films, short films and made-for-TV films

Television series

In painting

In video games

In music

See also

References

Further reading

External links