N.B. I’ll be using this information for a scholarly project (grad school term paper, possible publication one of these days), so I need complete and accurate citations from a reputable source. Any responses posted without cites will be ignored.
How popular was chess among upper-class English folks in the late 14th century? Would most people at court have been familiar with the rules?
Alfonso X, king of Spain, describes a game called “astronomical chess” which was played on a round board and seems to have been his own invention. Can anybody help me find a copy of the rules (preferably a modern Spanish or English translation) and / or a picture of the board and pieces?
Was astronomical chess (or any other round-board variant) widely known and played in the 14th century? Or would it have been considered an obscure curiosity?
How common were chess sets with red and white pieces (as opposed to black and white) in medieval Europe?
Yeah, I know – pretty obscure stuff, but I have faith in the Teeming Millions. Thanks in advance for any leads.
It explains how Alfonso X was the patron of an early chess manual in which a chess variant called Grande Acedrex was described. However the game described is played on a rectangular board not a round one. The website has the complete rules, a nice graphic of Alfonso playing chess, and a link to purchase an English translation of his book.
Thanks for the links, guys – unfortunately, the “Chess Variants” page on the first site Tristan linked to seems to be down. Darn. And I’ve found information about several of Alfonso’s other chess variants on the web – it’s this particular one that proves elusive.
I remember reading that, originally, the king had the queen’s current abilities and vice versa.
Have you ever played tandem chess, also known as bughouse? Two boards, side by side – you play white and your partner plays black. Any time your partner captures a piece, you can take it and drop it on your board. It’s interesting.