It is related that an English knight
seized the bridle of Philip Le Gros in battle, crying out, the king
is taken, but was struck down by that monarch who observed,
"Ne fais tu pas que aux echecs on ne prend pas le roi."
Among English monarchs, indeed, there are several which may
be added to the list presented by Philidor which comprises only
Elizabeth; James I and William III, of those omitted Canute,
the first William, and perhaps Edwards I and IV, are the most
notable before the time of the unfortunate Charles I, whose
likeness is in one of the chess books, and whose chess men
exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries were preserved in the
possession of Lord Barrington. Items referring to chess are
mentioned in expense accounts of Henry VII and Henry VIII. In a
closet in the old royal palace of Greenwich, the last-named had
a payre of chess men in a case of black lether--(Warton). The
celebrated Ras, at Chelicut, was passionately fond of chess,
provided he won, Charles the XII was much devoted to the game.
In 1740 Frederick the Great writes: "Je suis comme le roi et
echecs de Charles XII qui marchait toujours.
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