CHESS & PAWNS OLYMPIAN GODS
Chess is a strategy board game, played by two opposing players. It is played on the “chessboard”, a diagram consisting of 64 squares-positions. The shape of the chessboard is also square, as it has 8 squares-positions on each side, painted alternately in black and white colour.
At the end of the 19th century, the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans carried out excavations at the archaeological site of Knossos. There he discovered a large plate of ivory and blue stone, leaves of gold and a coating of glass. This impressive find was the Great Zatrikion and dates back to around 1600 BC! Its dimensions were 104×61 cm and it was found along with five ivory pawns. The Great Zatrikion was a royal board game, same as modern chess, and that is why the place that it was discovered was named “The Corridor of Zatrikion”.
The word Zatrikion is ancient Greek and etymologically is derived from “za” and triasso or triazo. The verb triasso or triazo or triatto means win and triagmos (noun) means victory. The goddess of wisdom and playthings (games) is greek goddess Athena. There are many ancient greek vessels with goddess Athena observing games or being the referee.