How the queen swept the board...

SHE is the most formidable piece on the chess board. But a rare book shows that the queen wasn’t always so.

While today she can move any distance and in any direction, she was once a feeble piece with limited moves. Summa Collationum, by 13th century Franciscan theologian John of Wales, included one of the earliest explanations for the rules of chess.

John said the queen could move only one space at a time in a diagonal direction. This ‘aslant’ style reflected the fact that ‘women are so greedy they will take nothing except by rapine [violent seizure] and injustice’.

The modern queen’s status can be dated to 15th century Spain during the reign of Isabella I, perhaps in a nod to the reality of female rule. Summa Collationum goes under the hammer on January 26 at Forum Auctions in London. It is expected to fetch £18,000-£22,000.