The officially sanctioned Soviet chess “king” and “queen” are pieces carved to represent a working man and a peasant woman. The “pawns” bear the insignia of “Pionerki”: a political ...

chess has some unexpected quirks. The pieces are named for positions in the royal court, but the most powerful piece – and the most valuable – is not the king, but the queen. A knight and a ...

King Edward I of England (1239-1307), who was also known as the “Hammer of Scots,” neutralized a Scottish leader’s rebellion ...