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Why knight always looks left?

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HessianWarrior
HessianWarrior
Jan 12, 2013
0
#61
electricpawn wrote:

If they used unicorns, we'd be discussing horns.

And then before you know it everyone would be yakking about Trumpets.

HessianWarrior
HessianWarrior
Jan 12, 2013
0
#62
Tercarte wrote:
electricpawn wrote:

Why do bishops always have a disdainful expression on their faces? Why do pawns have big globe heads?

Well I know the pawns have "Round" heads to mimic the helmet of the medieval foot-soldier or pikeman (who were drawn from the "commoner" class and were not nobles or Knights -- see this https://www.darkknightarmoury.com/p-3111-kettle-hat.aspx for reference).  The foot-soldier's helmet was also known in England as the "Pikeman's Pot."

Of course in the English Civil war the Puritan side, consisting of mostly commoners versus the King and Nobles, were called "Roundheads," but that was more in reference to their haircuts ("Beatles"-ish bowl style as opposed to the long flowing hair of the Nobles and Knights.)

Just when everything was going good a scholar jumps in.

SPARTANEMESIS
SPARTANEMESIS
Jan 12, 2013
0
#63
helltank wrote:

The horses don't receive enough credit if you ask me. Ever tried jumping in an L-shape? I don't see the knight doing any work at all. The horses move the knight around, trample pawns underfoot and so on. All the knight does is stand up and declare mate if the horse manages to checkmate the king. 

The best warriors typically receive the best equipment.  The reason is they'll make the most of it.  Knights ride horses to make them more efficient when annihilating their adversaries.

HessianWarrior
HessianWarrior
Jan 12, 2013
0
#64
SPARTANEMESIS wrote:
helltank wrote:

The horses don't receive enough credit if you ask me. Ever tried jumping in an L-shape? I don't see the knight doing any work at all. The horses move the knight around, trample pawns underfoot and so on. All the knight does is stand up and declare mate if the horse manages to checkmate the king. 

The best warriors typically receive the best equipment.  The reason is they'll make the most of it.  Knights ride horses to make them more efficient when annihilating their adversaries.

Post #64.

Stevie65
Stevie65
Jan 12, 2013
0
#65

The knight is associated with a horse because he could afford one and riders on horse back could out flank footsoldiers,quicker,that was there job,hence the L shape move

HessianWarrior
HessianWarrior
Jan 12, 2013
0
#66
Tercarte wrote:

The superiority of the Knight on horseback over the common foot-soldier armed with a pike or spear is over-rated.  I think a lot of it comes from the Battle of Hastings (1066) in which the horse-mounted Normans defeated the Anglo-Saxons, who fought exclusively on foot.  What nobody remembers is the main reason the Normans won that day was through trickery (the Norman's famous "false retreat" down the slope that caused many of the Anglo-Saxons to break ranks in chase) and the skill of Norman archers who shot into the rear ranks of the Anglo-Saxon army.  (I'm sure you all know of the depiction from the Bayeux tapestry of King Harold being shot through the eye).

I confess that I am totally ignorant of that unbelievably important piece of barbaric history. Did Harry live through it?

Stevie65
Stevie65
Jan 12, 2013
0
#67

Yes the Germans got kicked out and the French moved in...Brilliant!

SPARTANEMESIS
SPARTANEMESIS
Jan 12, 2013
0
#68

King Arthur was a knight as well as a King.

Stevie65
Stevie65
Jan 12, 2013
0
#69
Tercarte wrote:
Stevie65 wrote:

Yes the Germans got kicked out and the French moved in...Brilliant!

Right on, Stevie!  So you take the 19th-century British view of the Conquest, no problems here!  That was basically the dominant British historical attitude about the whole thing until the 20th century.

What change of attitude are you refering to? The assimilation of the Saxons and not the conquest?

Maharang
Maharang
Jan 12, 2013
0
#70

my knight looks right,,,Sealed

Stevie65
Stevie65
Jan 12, 2013
0
#71

Definately by far the fact that Normans occupied was a benefit. The Hanovarians only supported there theory of Anglo-Saxon heritage simply because Saxony was there heritage and roots.Nothing  much has changed regarding German oppinion on themselves,esp.WWI and WWII.

The Normans brought with them engineering.The logistics of the doomsday book helped bring England atleast together as one, albeit fuedal,The barons, and many were left as Anglo-Saxon to be fair, kept a more organised, a stronger England.And then in 1215 when King John signed the magnacarter...Well that was it. they brought the foundations of law. 

Stevie65
Stevie65
Jan 12, 2013
0
#72

Latin was brought in by the Romans originally and when we fell into the dark ages only the abbots,monks and Kings spoke it.

Stevie65
Stevie65
Jan 12, 2013
0
#73
Maharang wrote:

my knight looks right,,,

Oh yes don't let the bishop or the knight look upon the queen!

SandyJames
SandyJames
Closed: Inactive
Jan 12, 2013
0
#74

Well if they looked at right, we would have asked the same question. 

Stevie65
Stevie65
Jan 12, 2013
0
#75

Norway! Thats interesting,i didn't know that.I guess migration patterns across Europe have alot more to do with our language than English speaking races give credit for.There is also Greek in there somewhere.

Ubik42
Ubik42
Jan 12, 2013
0
#76

I jumped to the last page of the thread, and see the topic has changed from knights looking left to Normans, Romans, and Old English.

I won't inquire how the topic morphed - the mystery of it is more entertaining. Likely each post leading to this change was just ever so slightly OT, small enough so that no one complained, but, like evolution, over time small micro changes lead to big macro ones.

Obviously, I dont intend to shift the discussion of the thread yet again, but you never know...

ThrillerFan
ThrillerFan
Show your flair!
Jan 12, 2013
0
#77

Knights face the left because they support Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and the rest of the Democratic Party!

Matthew11
Matthew11
Jan 13, 2013
0
#78
ThrillerFan wrote:

Knights face the left because they support Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and the rest of the Democratic Party!

Is that why their moves make no sence?

zborg
zborg
Jan 13, 2013
0
#79

When History is recreated at the movies, we can all stop going to school, or reading, and just set up camp in the cineplex.  Smile

Pass the popcorn, this thread is now reaching escape velocity!

Nonetheless, I still liked @Stevie65's summary English history lesson.  Thank You.

RomyGer
RomyGer
Jan 13, 2013
0
#80

Chess is a visual game, so I prefer the Knights "en profile" and not "en face" on the board.

En face they are equal slender/slim as a Pawn or Bishop...