Here is a chronicle of the rules of chess and their evolution, writ in the manner of Old English, that ye might better understand the game as 'twas played in ages past and as it is known this day.
Of the Gamen of Ches: His Modorn Reulis
Hark, and give ear to the reulis of the modorn ches, the board a field of eighty and four squares, y-checkered in white and black. To each player a king, a queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns are given.
The King: Moves but one square in any direction, yet his life is the purpose of the strife. A special leap, castling, may shield him, joining him with a rook if neither hath yet stirr'd.
The Queen: A piece of great might, she moves as many squares as she wisheth, be it straight or diagonal.
The Rook: A strong tower, he moves many squares along the straight lines, forth and back, or side to side.
The Bishop: With swift step he glideth, many squares along the diagonal paths.
The Knight: In an L-shape he fares, two squares one way and one square at right angle, hopping o'er other men.
The Pawn: A humble foot-soldier, he moves forth one square, or two on his first venture. He captures but one square diagonal to the fore. Should he reach the far end, a high station he earns, becoming a queen or other piece, save the king.
The end of the game cometh when the king is in checkmate, meaning he is beset and hath no safe haven or means of escape. The player with the white men doth first move.
The Changynge of the Reulis and the Whysoun (Reason Why)
In days of yore, the game, call'd Shatranj by the Persians and known in Europe from the eleventh century, was a slow and measured affair. The reulis were not set in stone, but varied by land and by custom. The changes were brought about with a single-minded goal: to hasten the pace and make the game more exciting and full of stratagem.
The Queen's Might: The Firzan, the queen of old, moved but a single square diagonal. Around the year 1500, she gained her present great power, a reflection perhaps of the power of queens in Europe, but more so to make the game swift and dynamic.
The Bishop's Range: Likewise, the Alfil, the bishop of old, could jump but two squares diagonal, a limited range. This, too, was changed to his modorn, far-reaching diagonal glide to add more tactics.
The Pawn's First Leap: Originally, pawns stirr'd but one square at a time. The two-square initial move was granted to speed the clash of armies. The en passant rule was then added, lest a pawn use his two-square leap to unfairly shun capture by an enemy pawn.
Castling: This special King's leap was added to shield the king and bring the rook to bear more quickly in the fray; a maneuver unknown to the ancient game.
The Goal of Winning: In eldren times, one might win by taking all of the foe's men, leaving only the king. By the 1300s, it was decreed that only checkmate would suffice for true victory.
Stalemate's Fate: The outcome of a stalemate (where a king is not in check, but hath no lawful move) hath changed oft. In old times, it was a win for the one who caused it; now, it is a draw, a shared peace.
These changes, spreading wide through Europe by the Renaissance, transformed the slow, grinding battle of old into the sharp, tactical contest beloved of all today.
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