However, some came to what they are now due to mistranslation among many regions. Sometimes the chess pieces’ names are consistent with the original version. The chess pieces have taken on many names as they passed through each cultural filter. Germany uses könig, which also means king. For example, the piece is known as koról’ (king) or tsar (emperor) in Russia. In other regions, as mentioned a while ago - this piece has the most consistency in translation. Its original term is “rajah,” which is Sanskrit for the king, whereas the Persians use “shah.” The king’s piece mainly remained consistent no matter where it went.

For instance, in France - the “vierge” piece would then become “reine” or queen, and then one century later, it became “dame” or lady. How the queen piece resulted from mistranslation over time since Medieval Europe had a trend of feminizing the king’s companion.

The Latinized version of the word was “farzia,” which became “vierge” or virgin in French. Arabs would then use “wazir,” known as the vizier or the ruler’s secretary.

The queen piece was initially called “mantri,” which is the king’s counselor in Sanskrit. The Persians also use ‘pil,’ which means elephant as well. The Bishop also has a fascinating history as it is known as ‘hasti,’ which means elephant in Sanskrit. The walrus ivory-carved pieces have the bishops dressed in iconic garb during that era. However, the name Bishop could be traced back to the Lewis Chessmen of the 12th century. In Italy, it was known as “alfiere,” the standard bearer in their language. It was known as “fou,” which means the jester or fool in France. The Persians also use “pil,” which means elephant as well.Īs chess entered European territory, the term used for the piece became more complex. The Bishop also has a fascinating history as it is known as “hasti,” which means elephant in Sanskrit. This association would then result in the chess piece being called “torre” and “castello,” which are Spanish words for tower and castle, respectively. The most known theory on how the Rook piece came to be is that the Persian word “rukh” sounds close to the Italian word “rocca,” an old Italian word for fortress. The Persians use the term “rukh,” which also means chariot. It started as a chariot, but somehow became a castle tower! During the chaturanga, it was known as “ratha” in Sanskrit, which means chariot. The rook has a rather interesting point of origin. However, as chaturanga’s influence spread westward - the piece now refers to the horse mount, the rider, or the movement it makes.Įxamples are “cavallo,” which is a horse in Spanish, “riddari,” which means rider in Icelandic, and “springare,” which refers to the springing motion of the chess piece in Sweden. The knight was initially known as “asva,” Sanskrit for horse, due to its game mechanic where it can jump over other pieces. (Image: 18percentgrey via Dreamstime) The Knight Spain used ‘peon,’ and the Danes used ‘bonde’ for the pawn piece as the word translates to a farmer, as they were used in Medieval Warfare as cannon fodder.

Chess pieces names in spanish