User:The Sr Guy/Chess and religion

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Cardinals playing Chess

Chess and religion have a long relationship in which the former was influenced at various times in its history. On several occasions, the practice of chess was prohibited by the priests of Islam, Judaism and Christianity under the justification that chess was a gamble and that it hindered the practice of religion in some respects.

Initially under Islamic rule, the first significant change in the game was the removal of data for movement of the pieces that were used in the precursors of chess such as chaturanga. The design abstraction of chess pieces by stylized figures also occurred under Islamic rule, although it was not widely practiced. Slowly, the practice of chess was allowed by the clergy and already in the 13th century the first moralities were written, using chess as a metaphor for the teaching of ethics and morals.

In the Middle Ages, the strong presence of the church influenced the replacement of the Fairy chess pieces Alfil - of little significance for Europeans - by the Bishop, in order to better portray the importance of the church at the time. The expansion of the Queen's powers coincided with the development of Mariology and attitudes towards women. Catholic countries such as Spain, Italy and France chose to use the vernaculars associated with the Virgin Mary, while Protestant countries such as Northern Germany and England opted for the secular term Queen. The rules for promoting the pawn to the Queen were also regulated by the Catholic Church, in order to prevent the presence of two ladies on the board as it contradicts the doctrine of the Catholic faith.

Even in the 20th century, some radical religions, such as those practiced in Iran and Afghanistan by the Taliban, condemned the practice of chess, which, as a rule, was not strictly followed by its practitioners, as in other moments in history.

Islamic dominance[edit]

See also: Shatranj
The Chess Game by Ludwig Deutsch (1855–1935)

When the Arabs dominated Persia in 651, Muhammad had already passed away, which provoked a long debate among Islamic theologians about the legality of the practice of the game. The controversy was in the interpretation of chapter 5 of the Koran, the holy book of Islam, which states:[1][2]

Sunni theologians interpreted that this ban on idols referred to all forms of representation of men and animals, which included paintings, sculptures and chess pieces. Although the Shiite interpretation is restricted to religious idols only, the Sunni interpretation prevailed and the situation was overcome by making abstract pieces. Other observations had to be followed, so that the practice of chess did not hinder religious duties, which included not being practiced for money, not leading to disputes or inappropriate language. Despite this, some more radical interpretations classified chess as haram, which meant that the game was banned and its practice deserved punishment. This radical view was occasionally adopted by caliphs which led to the destruction of pieces and boards, although not all did.[3][4] Muhammad's great-grandson, Ali ibn Husayn, used to play chess with his family.[5]

Despite disapproval in its practice in 725 by Solimão ibne Iaxar, the game was popular with the caliphs, especially when the capital was moved to Baghdad in 750 and the best chess players were brought together. Caliph Almadi wrote a letter to the religious leaders of Mecca to extinguish the practice of chess and dice games in 780 but died, and his successor Harune Arraxide was an avid chess player. In 810, the best players in the world were known and all were patronized by powerful caliphs

Arrival in Europe[edit]

Kept In Check, Georges Croegaert (1848–1923

Around the 10th century Shatranj was introduced in Europe by the Arabs, through the conquest of Spain, where it quickly became popular, reaching the entire European continent. Religious restrictions on the practice of chess continued to exist, although they continued to be disobeyed by both the European court and the clergy. The first literary record on European soil, the poem Versus de scachis, was found in a monastery in the city of Einsiedeln, Switzerland. This poem describes the movement of chess pieces and the rules of the game. The promotion rules of the Pawn did not allow the choice of the queen if she had not been captured. This rule aims to maintain the uniqueness of the King with only one wife, thus preserving royal monogamy.[6]

Like the Islamic theologians, the practice of chess was discussed and prohibited among Catholic theologians despite differences in the interpretation of canon law. A letter between Peter Damian, bishop of Ostia, in approximately 1061, to the elected Pope Alexander II, discussed the matter. Damian reports a discussion with the Bishop of Florence about whether or not banning chess according to canon law, of which the Bishop of Florence argued that the term alea, a word used to designate games of chance in the religious text, did not include chess. The matter ended with the Bishop of Florence abandoning his challenge and doing penance for playing chess the night before.[7][8]

Until approximately the 14th century, the practice of chess was prohibited on several occasions in different countries (France, England and Germany) and religions (Judaism[7]). However, this did not prevent the practice and increase popularity of the game as for example the Czech theologian Jan Hus (1369-1415), who in 1405 asked for Penance for having lost his self-control during a chess match in Prague.[citation needed]

Morals[edit]

Around 1250, the first sermons appeared that used chess as a metaphor for teaching ethics and morals. These works were called moralities and became very popular at the time. The first work of its kind was Quaedam Moralitas de Scaccario (The Innocent Morality), which portrays the world as a board, with things in black and white, representing life and death, or glory and shame. Initially, its authorship was attributed to Pope Innocent III (1163-1216), a prolific sermon writer, however, later, it was attributed to a Franciscan friar named John of Wales (1220-1290) who taught in Paris and Oxford and was a chess player.[9][10]

Mariology[edit]

The cult of the Virgin Mary contributed to the change in attitudes towards women during the Middle Ages. Although women were sometimes seen as the source of evil, it was Mary that was seen as an intermediary with God was a source of refuge for man.[11][12]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Yalom 2004, p. 7.
  2. ^ Shanley 2003, p. 132.
  3. ^ Yalom 2004, p. 243.
  4. ^ Sunnucks 1976, p. 414.
  5. ^ Reerink (2000), p.16
  6. ^ Yalom 2004, p. 15-18.
  7. ^ a b Sunnucks 1976, p. 415.
  8. ^ Yalom 2004, p. 29.
  9. ^ Giusti (2006), p.10
  10. ^ "Earliest books of chess". Archived from the original on 2012-01-21. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
  11. ^ Tucker 1987, p. 68.
  12. ^ Bromiley 1994, p. 272.

References[edit]

  • Bromiley, Geoffrey W. (1994). International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ISBN 0802837832.
  • Giusti, Paulo (2006). História Ilustrada do Xadrez. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Editora Ciência Moderna. ISBN 857393517-0.
  • Shanley, Brian James (2003). Manhattan Massacre. Author House. p. 132. ISBN 9781403388360.
  • Sunnucks, Anne (1976). Daughters of the church. United Kingdom: St Martin Press. ISBN 0709146973.
  • Tucker, Ruth (1987). Daughters of the church. ISBN 0310457416.
  • Yalom, Marilyn (2004). The Birth of the Chess Queen. United Kingdom: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0060090647.
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