The “ Libro of los juegos ” (“Book of the plays”), subtitle “ El libro of will ajedrez, dados E counted ” (“the book of the failures, dice and tables”), was written at the 13th century at the request of the king Alphonse X of Castille between 1251 and 1283. It is composed of 98 pages comprising 150 Enluminure S. the plays which are presented there are the failures, the Dé S and the tables. The book contains the oldest description known some of these plays.

It is about the one of the most important documents of historical research on the board games. The only known original is in Spain, to the library of the monastery of the Escurial, and is appeared as a manuscript in a Reliure into full Basane being 40 cm high on 28 cm broad.

Context

Alphonse X was probably influenced by the presence of the Arab world in Spain at that time. With the difference of much of contemporary texts on the subject, the “Libro of los juegos” does not approach the plays from a point of view moralizer but rather in an astrological context . The contents of the book are based on the Raisonnement and the Hasard.

The book is divided into three parts:

  • the first on the failures, calling only upon the reasoning;
  • the second on the sets of dice, appealing only randomly;
  • the third on the sets of tables, calling at the same time upon the reasoning and randomly.

Failures

The “Libro of los juegos” contains an important collection of writings on the failures including more than one hundred of problems and alternatives.

Differences with the traditional play in failures

The name of the parts and their position on the chess-board:
  • the king occupies the same place as the king of the traditional failures;
  • the carries flag (“ will alfferez ”) occupies the place of the lady;
  • the elephants (“ alffiles ”) those of the insane ones;
  • the knights those of the riders;
  • the rocks those of the turns;
  • the pawns those of the pawns of the traditional set of failures.

The displacement of the parts and the pawns:

  • the king, the knight, the rock and the pawn move like the king, the rider, the tower and the pawn;
  • carries it flag moves in diagonal of only one box ahead or behind, it is the weakest part of the play;
  • the elephant moves in diagonal of two boxes ahead or behind and without holding account if the intermediate box is occupied or not.

Privileges:

  • the pawn can for its first displacement advance of two boxes instead of one, in the same manner as to the traditional failures;
  • carries it flag can for its first displacement move of two boxes in straight line or in diagonal but the box of arrival must be empty (prohibited catch).

Promotion of the pawn:

  • the pawn when it reaches the last line of the chess-board changes into door flag;
  • for the first blow according to promotion, the new one carries flag profits from the same privilege that carries it initial flag.

Captures:

  • the captures are made as with the set of failures traditional;
  • the pawn also takes in diagonal.

The Castling:

  • castling does not exist, it is not possible of roquer by simultaneously moving the king and the rock.

Alternatives

Among those one can retain:
  • “ Juego of donzellas ” (“play of damoiselles”) which is played as the failures described previously but with obligation to capture if it is possible. This manner of playing inevitably made think of the Play of lady where the catch is obligatory.
  • “ Ajedrex of los quatro tiempos ” (“the four seasons failures”) which is played four players and is supposed to represent a combat between the Four elements (air, fire, ground, water) or four moods (blood, anger, melancholy, phlegm) associated with the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter). The parts of this play are coloured in green, red, black, and white and are moved by the players according to the result of a jet of Des.
  • Alphonse X also described an alternative which it names “ astronomical failures ” which is played on a Tablier composed of seven concentric crowns, divided radially in twelve sectors associated each one with a Constellation of the Zodiaque.

Sets of tables

The book contains several rules of sets of tables practiced in a standard apron of 24 boxes. One of enters relates to the play named “todas counted” (“all tables”), which is to present a starting position identical to that adopted by that known today under the name of Backgammon to the difference close all the ladies of the same color are as regards player. A play called “all tables” is quoted by Rabelais in Gargantua, but the rules are not specified there. In 1699 were published that of the play of the “any table” which is not other than the backgammon.

Play called “seis, back there ace” (“six, two and ace”) presented opposite car its name of the starting position of the red ladies, eight being placed on the sixth box (six), four on the second (two), and three on the first (ace).

External bonds

  • a reproduction of the “libro of los juegos” with its illuminations on the site RenGeekCentral
  • (be) Seven problems of failures of the “Libro of los juegos”
  • (be) critical Text in modern characters of the “Libro of los juegos” by Sonja Musser Golladay
  • (in) a translation of the “Libro of los juegos” in English by Sonja Musser Golladay

Random links:1969 | Route European 15 | Polidor | Ruth Wetzel-Steinwedel | The State of grace

© 2007-2008 speedlook.com; article text available under the terms of GFDL, from fr.wikipedia.org