Chess as a Landmark System of the Middle Ages

The article examines the texts of thinkers of the Middle Ages, in which the socio-cultural and political realities of that time are revealed by referring to the chess theme, considered as a sign system. The most significant work in which the social strata of medieval society are demonstrated using a chess metaphor is the work of the Italian thinker J. Cessoles. His model of social hierarchy is clearly reflected in the metaphorical images of chess, by projecting a model of medieval society onto a chessboard and pieces. The interaction of the pieces on the chessboard of the Italian thinker demonstrates the need for social communication in a class society. Some disadvantages of J. Cessoles’ concept are related to his scholastic understanding of reality. In the works of English authors, the appeal to the chess theme models almost all the current problems of that era. T. Middleton’s play “The Game of Chess” reflects the political and religious issues of that time, and R. Fitzneill’s work “Dialogue on the Game of Chess” shows the nuances of economic relations. In the treatise “The Morality of the game of Chess”, the author presents a person’s life in the form of a game of chess, using references to evangelical motives. The author concludes that, due to the metaphorical nature of thinking in the Middle Ages, chess, as a symbolic system, served as a model for society and various processes within it.