From the king’s absolute power to the humble but dogged pawns, every chess piece’s function is derived from ancient class systems and social stratification.
At the top rank, the king is prized but paradoxically the weakest. As in the monarch of a nation he should be guarded at all costs because once he is lost, the game is over. The queen is the strongest among all because she can travel anywhere on the board. Historically speaking, this is the more recognition of womanhood in power because as the queen’s influence during the game was increasing, around the same period powerful women who ruled in Europe like Elizabeth I and Catherine the Great were getting prominence. The bishops, knights, and rooks represent the different pillars of power: the church, the military, and the castles of nobility. Their movements reflect their roles - the knight’s unpredictable L-shaped path suggests the strategic maneuvering of cavalry, while the bishop’s diagonal reach mirrors the church’s influence across different spheres of society. The rook, or castle, stands as a fortress of stability and protection.
At the bottom of the ladder, the pawn is ignored - yet it is full of potential. As in the case of the working class in most traditional societies, pawns advance slowly and in straight lines, but have the chance to be promoted to a more advanced piece if they move through the other side of the board. This chance at being promoted to a higher rank is symbolic of social mobility, and chess not merely a war game but an allegory for ambition and determination.