The symbolism of the Game of Chess
Ancient traditions are full of the symbolism of primordial wisdom. For those who can see, the traditions of culture reveal profound keys of mystical insight. As the king of games – received in an early form by the holy Rishis of ancient India and brought to perfection and final form by the Prophet Zoroaster and his timeless Cosmic Game of Chess is a true storehouse of occult knowledge.
The 64 fields represent the matrix of existence – just like the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, the number 64 as the gematric code of the Biblical name of God in Qabalistic teaching, and the 64 Tetrahedron Grid discovered by renegade physicist Nassim Haramein. The board, as such, shows existence as the field of action of divine powers.
The Symbolism of Chess Pieces
The pieces of the chess game represent the cosmic elements of spiritual reality. The king is the soul or higher self. The queen is the mind. The knights are vitality. The bishops are emotional. The rooks are the body, and the pawns are the outward faculties – five senses, the commanding faculty, voice, and reproductive organs.
The symbolism of Chess Moves
The way the pieces move demonstrates their nature. The mind has the power to act anywhere rapidly, but it must serve the higher self. The higher self cannot be captured, but when it is encircled, the game ends. The body moves on the square; emotions move on the slant, and vital energy bursts out.
The symbolism of the Chess Board
The equal split in light and dark fields and pieces represents the polarity of cosmic evolution – devas vs. asuras, angels vs. demons, Ahura Mazda vs. Ahriman. The alternation of black and white fields brings out the cyclical nature of cosmic order, making the chessboard a square version of the Yin and Yang emblem.
The antagonism of the two armies shows that for every illuminated aspect of the self, there is a shadow, the higher self is shadowed by a false ego, the illuminated mind is shadowed by the domineering mind, and so on. Taken together, chess is a premier game of cosmic wisdom. But the seeker must bear in mind that in this game, the real goal is not to win but to learn. Upon checkmate, the game ends, and the appearance of duality is vanquished.