Chess

[FollowingHim]

I just realised today, when playing chess with my son, that even chess is polygynous.

If a pawn reaches the end of the board they can be promoted to any rank (except king), usually to a queen. So in chess you can often have two queens (so commonly that chess tournament sets have extra queens for that purpose), and it is technically possible to have up to 11. But only ever one king.

Polygyny is so natural it's even embedded in the rules of the most iconic game in Western culture.

 

[rustywest4]

You just exploded my freaking mind Samuel!!! Yer such a pimp bro! Lol ... I taught a chess class for a short while.... love the game... haven’t played in forever... can’t believe I never realized the polygynous factor so blatantly obvious therein lol

 

[mystic]

One town's very like another when your head's down over your pieces, brother.

— "One Night in Bangkok" from the musical play Chess.

 

[Verifyveritas76]

And you don’t just arbitrarily elevate a pawn to queen status. The pawn has to have accomplished something and usually survived some tight spots to have that transformation.

 

[windblown]

So how do you explain a queen being more powerful than the king?

 

[FollowingHim]

Originally she was one of the weakest pieces, for many centuries. But during the reign of Queen Isabella in Spain, someone changed the rules in Spain, and the new rules slowly spead and took over. The game is ancient, but the strong queen is only about 500 years old.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(chess)

 

[Jim an Apostle]

Power is not in the ability to move. The queen cannot by her capture cause the end of the game. Only the capture of the king can cause the game to end. As a good queen, protect him with your life. All analogies break down at some point . In life a king/husband also lays down his life for the wife but he should not lay down his kingdom for her, for then he robs her of her own queenship in the process and they both lose.

 

[PeteR]

Originally she was one of the weakest pieces, for many centuries. But during the reign of Queen Isabella in Spain, someone changed the rules in Spain, and the new rules slowly spead and took over. The game is ancient, but the strong queen is only about 500 years old.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(chess)

Interesting. I did not know that.

 

[Jim an Apostle]

A

So how do you explain a queen being more powerful than the king?

Also power does not equal authority!

 

[Pacman]

Originally she was one of the weakest pieces, for many centuries. But during the reign of Queen Isabella in Spain, someone changed the rules in Spain, and the new rules slowly spead and took over. The game is ancient, but the strong queen is only about 500 years old.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(chess)

So feminism even infected the game of chess.

 

[rockfox]

So feminism even infected the game of chess.

And 500 years ago at that. Long slow march; we're just now in the late stage of the disease, wherein the host can no longer reproduce and acquires multiple co-infections that will ultimately be its demise.

The queen was originally the counsellor or prime minister or vizier

Many Eastern European (i.e. Russians) and Asian nations still call it that today.

 

[IshChayil]

I just realised today, when playing chess with my son, that even chess is polygynous.

If a pawn reaches the end of the board they can be promoted to any rank (except king), usually to a queen. So in chess you can often have two queens (so commonly that chess tournament sets have extra queens for that purpose), and it is technically possible to have up to 11. But only ever one king.

Polygyny is so natural it's even embedded in the rules of the most iconic game in Western culture.

I've seen chess books refer to a "Polygamous King" or "when a king goes polygamous" (usually in reference to the danger of causing an accidental stale-mate).