Power Play: The Literature And Politics Of Ches... Access

In Power Play: The Literature and Politics of Chess in the Late Middle Ages (2006), Jenny Adams analyzes how chess functioned as a powerful social and political metaphor in medieval Europe, exploring how the game's pieces were redefined to reflect a society moving toward a "polity-centered" kingship and contractual civic order. Adams argues that medieval writers used the game to envision a society bound by economic and legal ties, wherein every piece possessed autonomous value rather than simply adhering to a monarchical structure. The text details how the game was altered to fit Western social structures, detailing the transformation of pieces like the Queen, Bishop, and Knight, while also examining key literary texts that utilized the game to address political legitimacy.

You can purchase the ebook or find a physical copy at an academic library through University of Pennsylvania Press or WorldCat .