ABSTRACT
Chess might be studied, and has been studied, in many different ways and from various angles. In this chapter, the author approaches it from a political, cultural, social, gender and religious perspective. The political dimension of chess as a historical source is discussed by taking into consideration the names and the visual forms given to chess pieces in various periods and places, the power of each piece on the board and its development, legends on the origins of the game and the relation of chess to diplomacy. As a source of cultural history, chess is discussed by focusing on the aesthetics of the game, on the board as a reflection of Indian metaphysics and cosmology, on sociocultural principles and values related to the game and its gameplay, on how various cultural environments evaluated it and reacted to it, and on chess as a witness on cultural transmission, interaction and dialogue. Socially, chess is an arena of “soft communities” built around it, while the study of whether playing chess was allowed or not in various periods, and of who was allowed or not allowed to play, might reveal a lot about the relevant societies. From a gender perspective, chess is discussed as an arena of equality of inequality, or as a metaphor of erotic love in medieval times. Finally, the religious approach to chess focuses on the board as a reflection of the sociopolitical power of the Christian church in medieval Europe and as an arena where political and ecclesiastical authorities fought for power and influence.
