Birth of the Chess Queen

In Birth of the Chess Queen, historian Marilyn Yalom explores the intriguing story of how chess mirrored the political and cultural reality of medieval and Renaissance Europe. Tracking the game's journey from its origins in India and Persia to the royal courts of Europe, Yalom focuses on the dramatic evolution of the piece originally known as the vizier into the all-powerful queen. She masterfully links this change in the game's rules to the rise of powerful real-life medieval queens, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine and Isabella of Castile. The book offers a captivating look at how a board game became a cultural canvas for power, gender, and politics.

Because it offers a fresh, unconventional look at cultural history, connecting the evolution of board games with the real-world political rise of women in power.

For chess enthusiasts, readers of medieval European history, scholars of gender studies and women's history, and anyone drawn to unique non-fiction narratives.