Medieval Chess
Chess
arrives in Europe in the 8th C through the Arab invasions of Spain. It
spread rapidly and within 200 years it is known throughout Western Europe
though was played with the Islamic style pieces until the late 15th C.
The rules of Medieval Chess are similar to modern chess however there
are a number of very important rule differences:
- The queen can only move one space at a time and only diagonally
- The bishop can only move three squares at a time diagonally
Pawns can only move one square forwards on their first move - Pawns can only be queened if the original queen from that side has been taken and only one queen on each side is allowed on the board at one time
- The rules of En Passant and Castling have not yet been introduced
Other than these differences the rules are as they appear today. Strategy
is clearly different with the rook and the knight being the main fighting
forces on each side. Modern rules apply from the 16th C.
Hand carved medieval chess men in a leather pouch - £80
Leather 8x8 chess board (13”sq) - £15
Wooden chess boards – please ask
Four Seasons Chess
A four player version of the game played with four reduced armies positioned
in each corner of an 8x8 board. Described in the Alfonso Manuscript
the game was played sporadically throughout the medieval period.
Complete set of men for Four Seasons Chess in a leather pouch – £75
Set of men to upgrade a medieval chess set to four seasons chess - £40
Leather 8x8 chess board (13”sq) - £15
Wooden Four Seasons Chess Board - please ask
Courier Chess
This 13th C variant of medieval chess is played on a 12x8 board with
four extra men on each side: the courier, of which there are two, played
like the modern bishop; the counsellor moving in the same way as the
king; and the sneak or jester moving in the same way as a rook but
only one square at a time.
Complete set of men for Courier Chess in a leather pouch – £105
Set of men to upgrade medieval chess set to Courier chess – £35
Leather Courier chess board – (13x 17”) - £25
Wooden Courier chess boards – please ask
Byzantine and Citadel Chess
Both
these versions of chess have their origins in the Islamic world of
the 10th C and were sporadically played in Europe in the Medieval
period. Byzantine Chess is played using medieval chess men and rules.
Citadel Chess also uses the medieval chess rules but has four citadel ‘squares’ in
the centre. A threatened king can force a draw if he enters the citadel.
The board may be used with modern pieces to play circular chess
Hand carved medieval chess men in a leather pouch - £80
Leather Byzantine and Citadel Chess Board (15”sq) - £15
Wooden Byzantine and Citadel Chess boards – please ask