New World Discovered Because Of - A Chess Game?

Those of you who live here in the Americas (or who knows what the Americas are) might be interested to learn a little-known amazing fact: the New World may have been discovered because of the result of a chess game! No, I kid you not. The true story behind Columbus's 1492 voyage even includes a tricky (medium-difficult) chess puzzle. 

I take the text of the letter below direct from Dr. Edward (not Emmanuel!) Lasker's excellent book The Adventure of Chess: An Engaging Account of Chess History (published by Dover). The letter itself was written by Hernando del Pulgar, a Spanish soldier serving in the court of King Ferdinand of Spain. He was writing to one of his friends, apparently a scholar of some sort, about Columbus's 'mad' request to sail over the Atlantic. Columbus is referred to as 'Cristoval Colon', the Spanish version of his more famous Latin name.

"Friend and Well-beloved:

If I mistake not, you must have seen, during your last visit at court, a certain Cristoval Colon, a Genoese; if not, you have of course heard of him, for his name has of late become as familiar as the sayings of Martin Revulgo. Some look upon him as an absolute madman, and very few grant him any genius at all. He pretends that the earth is round... beyond the ocean, countries entirely distinct from our continent... he still asserts that by steering west a vessel must sail completely round the world, and reach the eastern shores of Asia and the golden-roofed city of Cipango, described by Marco Polo."

Madman indeed! How could he think such things possible? Del Pulgar goes on to explain that Columbus has requested Ferdinand to grant him the title of Admiral, so that he may command a Spanish fleet to conquer any such unknown continents for Spain. The letter ends by saying that this title has been refused him, and that he is going to depart from Spain tomorrow "to offer his services to some other sovereign."

Which is where chess comes into play, no pun intended. In his next letter del Pulgar writes:

"The King's fondness for the game of chess, as you know, is very great; and like all earnest players, he attaches the greatest importance to the winning of the game, never forgiving himself for losing one. ... Yesterday, during the noontime heat, instead of indulging in his usual siesta, bidding us follow him into the Queen's apartments, he challenged Fonseca [Archbishop Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca, a close companion of Ferdinand] to a game of chess, we of course assisting as the judges of the tournament. "

As the two are engaged in the game, Don Pedro de Mendoza, Archbishop of Toledo, pays a call to inquire what the King's final decision was as to the matter over Columbus. Isabella sympathizes with Columbus, but Ferdinand scoffs that the title of Admiral is not to be flaunted about to any mere explorer. He expresses a very low opinion of Columbus, and his theory of a round Earth, saying "the world is square, and like this Chessboard it is terminable". He's eager to forget about Columbus and get back to the game. This distraction is welcome to his opponent, Fonseca (whom usually Ferdinand beats), and he comes back after his poor opening to rapidly gain a significant advantage. 

"'Your Highness' Queen has followed the example of the rash navigators [says Fonseca, referring to Ferdinand's trapped queen]. The black hand is upon her. Your Highness' Queen is forced.'

"'Speak to me no more of this Genoese,' rejoined the King. 'I shall lose a splendid game'. And with a frown he proceeded: 'Admiral! ... Too noble a title this to be bestowed on an adventurer. Your Genoese shall not be an Admiral.'"

Ferdinand is in a bad mood because of his bad position. He'd already won several games against the Archbishop, and he didn't want to lose this one.

"The King played a few moves more, but at every move his position became more critical and his brow more overcast. Meanwhile the game seemed fast reaching a crisis. I send you the situation.

'The battle will soon be decided now,' said Fonseca, rubbing his hands. 'Your Highness will double the Rooks to avoid checkmate. I shall then check your Highness' Queen's Rook's square [notice the old move notation!] and, if I mistake not, this game at least is mine.'

"Ferdinand bit his lip, and unaccustomed to discomfiture, he sat moody, under what seemed inevitable defeat. At this moment, I [del Pulgar, himself an avid chess player] examined the position more attentively, and suddenly it flashed upon me that Ferdinand's game was not so desperate as it appeared to the bystanders and even to himself. In a suppressed tone I whispered to Queen Isabella: 'If his Highness plays correctly, Fonseca cannot outlive four moves'."

Columbus is forgotten in this dramatic moment. Ferdinand, not seeing the saving continuation, eventually raises his hand to obligingly double his rooks along the fifth rank. But Isabella stops him. "Do you not win, my lord?" "Win?" says Ferdinand, drawing back his hand and again meditating on the board. The room goes silent. And then, suddenly, Ferdinand sees the correct move. With a cry of joy, he plays it, and Fonseca is swiftly defeated. 

Seeing the King in a better mood, Isabella asks again whether he thinks there would be any harm in making him an Admiral. He responds that it probably wouldn't matter much, now that he thinks about it, just so long as he only takes some of his smallest and most easily dispensed vessels for his armada. The Queen wastes no time. She beckons a page: 

"'Isidro', said she, 'to horse instantly. Cristoval Colon is on the road to Palos de Moguer; he cannot have journeyed much further than the bridge of Pinos. Make all speed, overtake him, and tell him we create him Admiral of the Ocean-Sea.'"

So, there you have it. The New World was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 because King Ferdinand of Spain found the proper chess combination. Something to remember for next Columbus Day.

The ancient Greek mathematician Eratosthenes is famous for measuring the circumference of the Earth in about 200 BC (and his measurements were accurate to within 100 miles!). So, yes, obviously there were many who thought that the Earth was truly round. In stating that the Earth was flat and square, Ferdinand was probably referencing contemporary cartographers, who usually made up stuff about the parts of the Earth that they knew nothing about. It's sort of like that controversy over the heliocentric theory; people just said that it wasn't true, and they were never questioned.

The letters are authentic, so I doubt that the story isn't. While it indeed seems too fanciful to be true, I'm sure that there are weirder things that have happened.

Having a stronger player see a win in a position that you think is lost, is not such an unusual circumstance either.

Whether its real or fact it's a good story

And, if you thought that was fun...

Get ready for one of the best (real) stories you've ever heard:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=manuel+rosa+columbus + http://1492.us.com/

Not sure why in the chess the problem, 5. Bxe6 is considered wrong, it is also checkmate.

You're right. I think the problem is just following what Ferdinand actually played.