In the Fourteenth and Fifteenth centuries, chess continued to be
extremely popular, Chaucer in one of his minor poems "The
Boke of the Duchesse," introduces himself in a dream as playing
at chess with Fortune, and speaks of false moves, as though
dishonest tricks were sometimes practised in the game.
He tells us:
At chesse with me she gan to playe,
With her fals draughts (moves) dyvers,
She staale on me and toke my fers (Queen),
And wharne I sawe my fers awaye,
Allas I couthe no longer playe,
But seyde, farewell swete yuys,
And farewell ul that ever ther ys,
Therwith fortune seyde Chek here,
And mayte in the myd poynt of the Chek here, (chess board)
WIth a paune (pawn) errante allas,
Ful craftier to playe she was,
Than Athalus that made the game,
First of the chesse, so was hys name.
(ROBERT BELL)-CHAUCER, Vol. VI. p. 157.
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