The History of Chess. H. J. R. Murray
discovery) and shāh min i‘irā (shāh min al-i‘ra), where i‘rā (from the root ‘ariya, to be naked) is a term peculiar to chess, occurring in Persian as ‘irā, in Urdū as ‘arop, and in Malay as aras. The Persian Madar al-afāzil (Bland, 49) defines ‘irā as ‘that piece at chess which is interposed between a King and a Rook to protect’, but in the Arabic MSS. it is used rather of the whole position of a file dominated by a Rook, in which the check is for the moment covered by an intervening piece of either colour between the Rook and King. We have accordingly such expressions as ‘to move into i‘rā’ (to play the King on to a file where there is the possibility of a check by discovery by the removal or capture of an intervening piece), ‘to expose to i‘rā’, ‘the position in i‘rā’. To cover check is in Arabic satara ash-shāh; to mate, māta (imp. yamūtu).
The Firzān (pl. farāzīn), firz, or firza, Counsellor (Q),8 also moved one square at a time, moving diagonally into any one of the four or fewer diagonally adjacent squares to that on which he was posted, the square chosen being unoccupied by a piece of his own side. He captured in the same way that he moved. He could only play to 32 squares, and on a chequered board he would be restricted to squares of one colour. Al-Lajlāj attached great importance to the development of the Firzān in the game, and aimed at securing a clear path (Ar. sabīl or ṭarīq, pl. ṭurūq and ṭuruqāt) by which it could be brought into the opponent’s half of the board.
The Fīl (pl. fiyala, ’afyāl), or Elephant (B), possessed a diagonal move, which consisted of a leap over a diagonally adjacent square, whether occupied or empty, into the square beyond on the same diagonal. This is commonly, though ambiguously, described as a diagonal leap into the third square; it is a move familiar to English draughts-players as the move of a man in making a single capture without the removal of the man thus captured. The Fīl captured as he moved. Only eight squares of the board were accessible to any Fīl, and no Fīl could ever encounter or attack any other Fīl. The two Fīls were distinguished as Fīl ash-shāh, KB, and Fīl al-firzān, QB, or as the right- and left-hand Fīl. The King’s Fīl was also called Fīl al-qā’īma, Fīl al-man‘a, the drawing Fīl, or Fīl an-nafs, the Naf’s Fīl.
The Faras (pl. ’afrās), or Horse (Kt), and the Rukhkh (pl. rikhākh, mod. rikhakha), or Rook (lit. Chariot) (R), possessed precisely the same moves as their European equivalents, Knight and Rook, possess to-day. The squares commanded by one of these pieces were termed in Arabic its muqāṭa‘a, or province. Other technicalities are jama‘a, to double, to place both Rooks on the same file; ar-rukhkh al-a‘la, the front Rook of two on the same file.
The Baidaq, Baidhaq (pronounced baizaq; pl. bayādiq or bayādhiq), or Pawn (P), moved and captured as the European Pawn does, with the difference that it possessed no power of moving over two squares for its first move. There is consequently no question of one Pawn taking another in passing. On reaching the eighth line it ceased to be a Pawn, and was at once promoted to the rank and took the name of Firzān. No other promotion was possible, and there was no limit to the number of Firzāns that a player might possess at any time of the game. The Arabic verb to promote, ‘queen’, is farzana (V stem tafarzana). The Pawns were distinguished by associating with them the name of the piece on whose file they were standing, e.g. baidaq ash-shāh, King’s Pawn, &c. In addition, the Rook’s Pawn was often called baidaq al-hāshīyā (hawāshī), the marginal Pawn, and the King’s or Firzān’s Pawn, baidaq aṣ-ṣadr, the central Pawn. Fanciful names were attached to the advanced Firzān’s Pawn (baidaq as-saif, the sword Pawn), and the advanced King’s Bishop’s Pawn (baidaq as-sayyāl, the torrent Pawn) in the analysis of the opening developments. Other terms that I have noted are baidaq al-firzān al-’aṣlīya, the original QP of two on that file; and baidaq al-faras aṣ-ṣadr, the front KtP of two on that file; and baidaq firzān al-aswad al-mutaqallab ‘an baidaq shāh-hu, Black’s QP that has been changed from KP (by making a capture). Al-Lajlāj attaches great importance in his analysis to the maintaining of an advanced Pawn, and speaks of establishing (Ar. vb. makuna, V stem, tamakkana) a Pawn, of the establishment (tamkīn) of a Pawn, and of an established Pawn (baidaq tamkīn), meaning the posting of a Pawn on an advanced square, and its support there so that it was practically untakable except at the cost of superior force.
The Arabic MSS. which I have used supply chess uses of many ordinary words in connexion with the movements and other activities of the chessmen. Some of these may be noted here. To move a piece for the first time is kharaja (IV ’akhraja), to develop. Of ordinary moves the ordinary expression is, ‘White comes with his Rook to (jā’a, bi,’ila) such a square’: but this is only rarely used of the Fīl or Baidaq. A player pushed (dafa‘a) a Baidaq (very rarely also a Rukh, Faras, Firzān, or Shāh), and threw (ramā, also of Faras and Firzān; ṭaraḥa, also of Faras; or alqaya) or shifted (ḥawwala) a Fīl. He placed (waḍa‘a or ja‘ala), played (la‘iba), went away with (dhahaba bi, also of Faras), or advanced (madda) a Rukh. The Shāh and Firzān ascended (ṣa‘ada or ṭala‘a), descended (nazala or ḥadara, VII’inḥadara), or entered (dakhala, IV ’adkhala) a square. Or the Shāh removed (ba‘uda), passed (marra), walked (masha), or limped (zamala)—all suggested by his move of a single square. In general use I have noted ḥaruka (II ḥarraka), zāla (II zauwala, IV ’azāla), naḥa (II naḥḥa, V tanaḥḥa), and naqala, all meaning move, remove. For the substantive, move, there is similar diversity of expression. In addition to the general terms ḥaraka, ḍarb (pl. ḍarba, ḍurūb), mashya (walk) is used of the Shāh, taḥrīk or ḥurk of the Firzān, ṭarḥ and nazwān (leap) of the Fīl, munzā of Firzān, Fīl and Faras, daf‘or daf‘a of the Baidaq. Adverbs of direction are mustawīyan, in a straight line, farasīyan, as a Faras, firzānīyan, as a Firzān, and fīlīyan, as a Fīl. More general terms are ’akhadha, to take (’akhadha bāṭilan or majjānan, to take without loss); dhahaba, ‘atā’a or hāta bāṭilan, to sacrifice; ḍaraba or waqa‘a ‘ala, to attack; or wuqū‘, an attack; ḥāmala, to offer to exchange (of Rukh only); or ṣarafa, to exchange; waqa‘a baina, to fork; ḥabasa, ḥaṣara, to shut in or confine; ḥafiẓa, ḥamā, to defend; ḥifẓ., hamā, himā’i, defence.9
Both aI-‘Adlī and aṣ-Ṣūlī made an attempt in their chess-books to estimate the relative values of the chessmen in the early part of the game. The method adopted was based upon a monetary scale and the dirhem was taken as a convenient unit. BM (f. 11a) gives a brief extract from al-‘Adlī’s work, and AH (f. 14 b), V (f. 14 a), II (f. 18 a—shortened text), BM (f. 10 a), and Man. (f. 27 a) give aṣ-Ṣūlī’s chapter. An independent, but not materially different, estimation is given in AE and RAS. I have adopted the text in Man. as the basis of the following translation.
Values of the chessmen, calculated for their original positions.
Aṣ-Ṣūlī has said: The Shāh is reckoned beyond value because of his superior dignity. The highest in value after the Shāh is the Rukh. Its value is one dirhem. The Faras’ value is