KOŚCIÓŁ NA ZACHODZIE A SZACHY, CZYLI SACRUM I PROFANUM W GRZE KRÓLEWSKIEJ
The Church in the West and chess: sacrum and profanum in the King’s Game

Summary/Abstract: Games are an element of culture, and in the same time, they are one of its sources. Chess, often referred to as the “King’s Game”, has a special place among games. Its long history is intertwined with the history of the Church in the West, especially in the period from the 11th to the 16th century. On the one hand, there was a number of Church verdicts condemning the game of chess, as it was sometimes connected with gambling; moreover, it was time-consuming and distracted people from their obligations. On the other hand, the clergy, including bishops and popes, enjoyed playing chess, seeing it not only as a noble pastime, but also as a metaphor of the social order and the fate of individuals. In the 11th century, Cardinal Peter Damian severely criticized the game of chess in a letter to Pope Alexander II. Distinguished preachers, such as Bernardino of Siena and Girolamo Savonarola, condemned spending time on games, including chess. However, in the same time, numerous morality pieces were written, in which the King’s Game was regarded as deserving serious philosophical and theological considerations. The most famous work was the treatise entitled De ludo scachorum, written by Jacobus de Cessolis, an Italian Dominican monk (approx. death date: 1322). It can be assumed that chess was finally rehabilitated during the pontificate of Pope Leo X, who was an avid chess player himself. Teresa of Ávila, who was named a patron of chess players, in her Way of Perfection makes analogies between chess and spiritual life. Even now, although chess has been “secularised” (profanum), it is sometimes a starting point for considerations about human and God (sacrum).

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