II.   Sovereign

Chess is a two-player game each possessing sixteen (16) pieces representing the core elements of a sovereign state played on a sixty four (64) alternate colored square board representing the city, land and sea according to certain articles (art) of law and craft of procedures. Since the 13th Century, Chess has remained the highest training tool in the art of statecraft within the Roman-Venetian Legal System.

Chess is directly derived from game called “Shatranj” commissioned during the reign of the first leader of the Persian Aryan Empire named ArdaShah I (224-244 CE). In 1223, the great Venetian Doxi (Doge) Giovanni Bernadone Morosini (1223 - 1252) was elected under major structural reforms and introduced a modification of shantranj as “Chess” as part of a complete new architecture of statecraft. The State for each player was represented by six (6) pieces being:

(i) Two (2) major crowns being Church (Queen) and State (King); and

(ii) Two (2) major agents and judges of the major crowns being Bishop (Queen’s Bishop) and Prime Minister (King’s Bishop); and

(iii) Two (2) military and enforcement agents of the major crowns and agents being the Knight Order (Queen’s Knight) and the Sheriff (King’s Knight); and

(iv) Two (2) administrative and clerical agents of the major crowns being the Priest (Queen’s Rook) and the Clerk (King’s Rook); and

(v) Four (4) guilds of higher “arts” of humanities of the Queen’s (Church) side being the four pawns known as the Arts; and

(vi) Four (4) guilds of lesser practical “crafts” of the King’s (State) side being four pawns known as the Craft; and

(vii) The sixteen (16) pieces together representing the complete State and City and Land; and

(viii) The eight (8) pieces on the Church (Queen’s side) representing the Private; and

(ix) The eight (8) pieces on the State (King’s side) representing the Public; and

(x) The four (4) pieces of the back row with the Church (Queen) representing the Temple Quarter of the City; and

(xi) The four (4) pieces of the front row of the Church (Queen) representing the Administrative Quarter of the City; and

(xii) The four (4) pieces of the back row with the State (King) representing the Palace Quarter of the City; and

(xiii) The four (4) pieces the front row of the State (King) representing the Merchant Quarter of the City; and

(xiv) The sixteen (16) squares in front of the State, City and Land representing the Sea; and

(xv) The Great Council of noble families controlling the Roman Death Cult, the law of the Sea and the city states is represented by the Board itself.

In assigning specific roles and guilds to the pawns of Chess, the following was the occult designation of pieces:

(i) Queen's Knight's Pawn being gate keepers, toll guards, keepers of the city; and

(ii) King's Knight's Pawn being blacksmiths, whitesmiths, goldsmiths, carpenters and masons; and

(iii) Queen's Rook's Pawn being Rybaulders, Dice Players, Messengers and Couriers; and

(iv) King's Rook's Pawn being Labourers, Workmen and Farmers: i.e. estate workers and land serfs; and

(v) Queen's Alphyn's Pawn being Taverners, Hostelers, and Vitayllers; and

(vi) King's Alphyn's Pawn being Notaries, Advocats, Scriveners, Clerks, Drapers, Clothmakers, Tailors, Weavers, and Skinners; and

(vii) Queen's Pawn being Universities, Education, Sociology and Economics; i.e. Knowledge, Sciences, Arts and Government; and

(viii) King's Pawn being Commerce, Banking, Records, Registrars, Rolls, Accounting, Treasury.

In reference to the “craft” of the game of Chess, the establishment of Chess as a literal representation and visualization of statecraft established certain rules that remain the bedrock of Roman-Venetian Law today:

(i) All action by Church and State, excluding those few noble families that control the board and game, is constrained by the geography of the board and rules; and

(ii) An action or “move” may represent an instrument or reply, by auricular exchange and debate or by physical attack or defense; and

(iii) A State (player) may only perform one move at a time; and

(iv) The strength of an action is determined not only by strategic position but the power and authority of the piece undertaking the action; and

(v) Once a game (controversy) commences, it must be resolved by one of three results being defeat, resignation or draw. Abandoning the game is equivalent to resignation.

(vi) Once a game (controversy) commences a party cannot change sides, change standing, nor undo a previous step. Any breach or failure to follow the rules is equivalent to resignation.

The effect of Chess was immediate and global with all European states adopting chess, its rules as a fundamental component of statecraft.  However, since the 20th Century, the study of the Art and Game of Chess has been in rapid decline.

In the 14th Century, the Game of Chess was officially recognized as the core discipline and function of global Roman - Venetian commercial law with the creation of the Curia Regis ad Scaccarium, literally translated as “Court of the King’s Chessboard”, also known as the Court of the Exchequer as the treasury office for handling the financial affairs of all the guilds (livery), the King and the realm of England.

Since the 20th Century and the decline in knowledge of the Art and Game of Chess, officials within the Roman - Venetian commercial and legal system are less inclined to honor and adhere to the rules of Chess in matters of controversy, even though they are solemnly bound by their oaths to their craft to do so.