In an appendix to the Libro de Juegos, a number of other games are illustrated, some with detailed explanations. The graphic to the left is one of these in the appendix, know as:
Four Seasons Chess
According to Parlett, Oxford History of Board Games, 1999, "Four Seasons Chess" appears to have evolved from Chaturaji, a game from India which may be one of the forerunners of the game of Chess.
In "Four Seasons" - a game for four players - the chess-like pieces are of four colors - one color for each player. Green is for spring, Red for summer, Black for autumn, and White for winter. The playing order is spring first, summer second, etc. Movement of the pieces and capture is similar to chess. It appears that a player was eliminated when the king piece was captured. The player with the last king on the board was the winner. Partlett suggest that perhaps an "alliance" between diagonally opposite players might have been one of the strategies used to win. Partlett also indicates that this game was a gambling game, and "...Various payments are specified for captures, checks, and mates." This game evolved over the years in various countries, and a version is still played in some places in the world.
Last update February 11, 2010