Scachs d'Amor - ATLAS of MOKANA

# **The Chess Game of Love** [Scachs d'Amor](https://www.scachsdamor.org/origin.html) [[Beate Pfau]] is a ==German chess player born in 1976 who holds a current FIDE classical rating of 1967== (with a peak rating of 2131 in July 2009) and initiated the first English translation of the 15th-century chess poem Scachs d'Amor. ## [The English translation of "Scachs d'Amor"](https://www.scachsdamor.org) Why copy Scachs d'Amor to this site: This enabled the author to fully drill down on specific areas and link together and form a thorough encapsulation of related topics. The following is a copy of the original translation to English as explained below and which can be referenced in the link provided above. The 15th century Catalan poem, "Scachs d'Amor," describes a game of chess played between Venus and Mars. The game which accompanies this text is believed to be the earliest recorded game under the modern rules of chess. The English translation of the poem below is available through the generosity of the late Dr. Josep Miquel Sobrer of Indiana University. A poem called _The Chess Game of Love [Scachs d'Amor]_, written by Don Francí de Castellví and Narcís Vinyoles and Mossèn [Bernat de] Fenollar, under the names of three planets: Mars, Venus, and Mercury, by conjunction and influence of which the work was devised. Don Francí de Castellví carries the game of Mars and takes the name of Love; his standard is red [white pieces]; his King is reason, his Queen, will; his Rooks, desires; his Knights, praises; his Bishops,[1](https://www.scachsdamor.org/#1) thoughts; his Pawns, services. Narcís Vinyoles carries the game of Venus, and takes the name of Glory; his standard is green [black pieces]; his King is honor; his Queen, beauty; his Rooks, reserve; his Knights, disdains; his Bishops, sweet glances; his Pawns, courtesies. Mossèn Fenollar speaks the effects of Mercury: first, he scans the board; he compares it to Time; he counts the number of houses, they are sixty-four; sixty-four stanzas answer to them; he proffers the laws and pacts that must be followed by the players. The stanzas are in chain form [ABAB/BAB/CC], with nine lines each and in sequential order, that is, four, three, and two, and thus must they be written and read. In their inscriptions [_epitafi_] you will see the sum of their literal sense, that is, the game of chess and the pacts to be obeyed. --- | **Castellví** (Mars) | As Mars met Venus in a temple, While having Mercury in their presence, He devised a game of chess, with new example: Taking Reason as King without preeminence; Will for Queen, with great potency; Thoughts he deems for his Bishops; His Knights, praises of sweet eloquence; Rooks are desires to flare up one’s memory; Pawns are servers striving to Victory. | ![[The Chess Game of Love-01.jpeg]] | | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | **Vinyoles** (Venus) | Venus, to exercise her glory, Desired for her Rooks cautious reserve; For Knights, disdains of deserved return; Her Bishops, glances of delightful sight; For her Lady she took most pleasing beauty; And her King, following the tale of love, Was Honor, his life ever in danger; For faithful Pawns he took courtesy, All armed and clad with ostentation. | ![[The Chess Game of Love-02.jpeg]] | | **Fenollar** (Mercury) | Mercury, always ready in his ways, Painted the board with hues clear and dark: And made it Time, split into days and nights, A box to bring the first enclosures. Crossing it, he divided it into four natures Of times diverse; and then, in following his guides, Of each part he made four equal parts. By dividing in this mode the rest, The list adds up to four and sixty. | ![[The Chess Game of Love-03.jpeg]] | | **Castellví** (_King's Pawn to the fourth house_) | The fields assigned and all the men at ready, The great warrior, with his red standard, Decided to move as soon as required Taking Love as the name for the battle; He moved towards the field of the beautiful The most valiant Pawn in conquest: He moved two paces towards her. By this move the King discovers Reason And opens the road of Will. | ![[The Chess Game of Love-04.jpeg]] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |