Fun fact. The Bishop in chess is only called that in places where the Church had historical influence. Most of the world uses a variety of terms to describe the piece. From the "slon" (elephant) in Russian and "gajah" in Indonesian, reflecting ancient Arabic influences, to the "Läufer" (runner) in German and "loper" in Dutch, highlighting its diagonal movement, its name varies wildly. The French "fou" (fool) adds a whimsical twist, while "ofitser" (officer) in Bulgarian and "axiomatikós" in Greek suggest a more structured role.
Discussion
What did they call it in Persia? 🤔
In Polish it is "goniec" which mean "messanger" or "courier". We also sometimes use "laufer" from German.
It’s a bishop.
El alfil en español.
In Czech/Slovak it's strelec which means archer or shooter. Which makes sense considering its long range
In Italian it is called "alfiere", the standard-bearer
You can tell a lot about a culture by how it names its chess pieces. Some see power, some see movement, some see chaos. But in the end, the Bishop—whatever you call it—still cuts through the board like an unstoppable force. Just like ideas. Hi vitor 🤝🧡🏴☠️
It's funny because I'd have thoughtthe opposite based on your examples. England and US were 2 countries where the church had the least historical influence.
Especially when compared with countries like France, Russia, Bulgaria and Greece. The Orthodox church had a crazy impact on the latter three countries, and Catholicism in France was also huge.