Symbolism of the checkerboard floor in works of religious art of the Mddle Ages

Abstract

The study considers the symbolism of chess in the context of medieval Memento mori art. Traditionally, the image of chess in works of fine art is interpreted as a struggle between the forces of Good and Evil, which is based on the opposition of black and white colours of the chessboard and playing pieces. We offer an alternative reading of the symbolism of chess, which is based on the meaning of the square as a module of the game board, which was identified with the cyclic movement of the Universe, where orderliness and regularity correlate with chaotic possibilities. The ideas of predetermination and randomness, reflected in the mathematical concepts of probabilistic analysis in John von Neumann's game theory, prove that the symbolism of chess is not limited to a reminder of the finitude of human life. It is established that in the context of medieval religious worldview, where the binary opposition Life – Death is transformed into the formula Life – Death – Resurrection, the image of chess (checkerboard floor) means a metaphor of life, corresponding to the laws of the world order (rules of the game) in which the last chess move – inevitable earthly Death (checkmate) is the beginning of the soul's journey into the metaphysical space of spiritual transformation.