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Birth of the Chess Queen
Birth of the Chess Queen: A History | Marilyn Yalom
3 posts | 3 read | 8 to read
Everyone knows that the queen is the most dominant piece in chess, but few people know that the game existed for five hundred years without her. It wasn't until chess became a popular pastime for European royals during the Middle Ages that the queen was born and was gradually empowered to become the king's fierce warrior and protector. Birth of the Chess Queen examines the five centuries between the chess queen's timid emergence in the early days of the Holy Roman Empire to her elevation during the reign of Isabel of Castile. Marilyn Yalom, inspired by a handful of surviving medieval chess queens, traces their origin and spread from Spain, Italy, and Germany to France, England, Scandinavia, and Russia. In a lively and engaging historical investigation, Yalom draws parallels between the rise of the chess queen and the ascent of female sovereigns in Europe, presenting a layered, fascinating history of medieval courts and internal struggles for power.
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Pruzy
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Pickpick

Short and to the point, this book examines the prominence of chess throughout history, especially in medieval times. Interestingly, the pieces and the moves ascribed to them have undergone a myriad of changes throughout history. I think this book will appeal to fans of 2020's breakout TV hit “The Queen's Gambit“.

Can anyone recommend any other good chess books?

Happy New Year!

#NewYear #Chess #QueensGambit #QueenMe

LeahBergen Happy New Year! 4y
Pruzy @LeahBergen Thanks so much! Happy New Year to you too!! 4y
batsy Happy new year! This book sounds fascinating. (Yet to watch The Queen Gambit, though :) 4y
Pruzy @batsy Happy New Year to you too!! Once you watch The Queen‘s Gambit you will not regret it! 4y
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iread2much
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Pickpick

This book is very easy to read and offers a well researched and well argued #history of the #chess #queen. I loved how the author provided so many examples of the powerful European queens that lead to the adaption of a powerful queen in chess. She covers a lot of ground, looking at how chess developed, why chess was accepted and enjoyed in Europe, chess's connections with religion and courtly love, and a bit of art history and game history too.

acg This sounds really cool! 8y
iread2much @seekingthespheres I really love this book! If you like it, I hope you'll post about it, I'd love to see what someone else thinks about it. 8y
TricksyTails Wow! What a beautiful chessboard! 💙 7y
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iread2much @TricksyTails thanks! I love chess, and that book made me love the game even more 7y
Pruzy That is a beautiful cover for your edition! 4y
iread2much @Pruzy thank you! I think it‘s the 2nd edition 😄 4y
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iread2much
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This was the first #microhistory I ever read and I'm so happy I found a used copy so I can reread it! I wish there were more books about some of the #queens she mentions in this book, they sound amazing! I love books that inspire me to read more books and this is one that does this by the second chapter! See photo and let me know if you know of a good biography of this #queen!

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