Last week we published a history of the Staunton chess ... a union of art and craft. The pieces are stripped of any symbolic meaning and reduced to pure form. Their designations –bishop, knight ...

Of all the popular board games, chess ... the art of war. Who better to replace a strong elephant in battle than a powerful bishop? In the Germanic world, läufer ("runner") refers to the piece's ...

Their inclusion highlights the mural’s deep connection to the local populace, making it a piece of art ... When chess reached Europe in the 9th century, the ‘vizier’ and ‘elephant’ pieces were ...