Repost from a post made a year and a half ago: The Chess Game

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 137140

vmonte:

The Chess Game:

The chess game represents the second war against Voldemort. 

"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen." Page 281, 
SS, U.S. version 

Ron walks over to a black knight and asks if they have to join him to 
get across the board--the knight nods his head. Ron turns to Harry 
and Hermione:

Page 282
"This needs thinking about
." He said. "I suppose we've got to take 
the place of three of the black pieces
" 
"Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he 
said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are 
good at chess—" 

Ron knows that he is the strategist (not Hermione or Harry). Harry 
has survived every book because he is quick on his feet and relies 
heavily on his natural talent and instincts. Hermione is very 
intelligent, but she is not a good strategist. (All you have to do is 
see how successful she is at liberating the house elves.) 

"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do." 

"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go 
next to him instead of that castle."
"What about you?"
"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.

Three chess pieces listen to Ron and walk off the board. Do these 
pieces represent characters from the first war? (Who were the knight, 
castle, and bishop then? We can probably guess.)

Interesting that Hermione is a castle and that Ron is a knight. Isn't 
a knight's job to protect his castle? Also, Ron's position in 
Quidditch is that of Keeper. The Keeper tries to prevent the other 
team from making any goals—he's the protector. The knight in chess 
never moves in a direct manner but weaves back and forth between 
other pieces. 

The bishop's long-range ability (especially towards the end of a game 
when there are more open spaces) "enables it to make the extended 
penetrating attacks which are impossible for the Knight. This gives 
the Bishop an end-game advantage" (Robert, James). (Think of Harry's 
Seeker position in Quidditch. If Harry catches the snitch the game is 
over.) We know that Dumbledore is already setting up Harry to take on 
Voldemort in the final confrontation. Harry as bishop also makes 
sense since he often moves diagonally and is not bound like the 
castle (or rook), which only moves in straight lines (sounds like 
Hermione to me). 

"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the 
board. "Yes...look
"
A white pawn had moved forward two squares. (Wormtail?)

"Harry—move diagonally four squares to the right." 
"Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The 
white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, 
where he lay quite still, facedown."

This knight represents Sirius Black who was killed by the queen, 
Bellatrix.

Who is the Queen on the Order's side? Ginny? I believe that Ginny is 
being set-up for something. She is the only child that has had direct 
contact with Tom Riddle/Voldemort, and like Harry, has also shared 
thoughts with the evil guy. Another interesting point is that Ginny 
also played Harry's position in Quidditch and may eventually take 
over Harry's position against Voldemort at some crucial moment. Will 
she step in to save Harry like he saved her? Actually, she played two 
roles while playing Quidditch!!! Interestingly, the Queen chess piece 
is also very versatile. It combines the powers of both the Rook and 
the Bishop. It can move horizontally, vertically, or on the diagonal! 
In a sense, it's like the king, silently represented by Dumbledore, 
in that it can move in any direction. 

"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free 
to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."

Who does Hermione take down? Malfoy?

Page 283
The game continues with the white pieces showing no mercy every time 
a black piece is taken. Ron loses a lot of black chess pieces. 

"Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in 
danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many 
white pieces as they had lost black ones."

"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think—let me 
think
"
The white queen turned her blank face toward him.
"Yes
" said Ron softly, "it's the only way
I've got to be taken." 

"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.
"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I 
take one step forward and she'll take me—that leaves you to checkmate 
the king, Harry!"
"But—"
"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"
"Ron—"
"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the stone!"
There was no alternative.
"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go—now, 
don't hang around once you've won." He stepped forward and the white 
queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone 
arm, and he crashed to the floor—Hermione screamed but stayed on her 
square—the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd 
been knocked out. 
Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left. (Seven spaces 
mentioned altogether--for the 7 school years?)

Notice that Ron looked as though knocked out, not still and facedown 
like Sirius. (*I'm inserting a new thought here: If Ron's role is 
symbolic it's quite possible that Ron represents the Godric 
Gryffindor line of defense. So, in this passage Ron represents 
Dumbledore. By the way I think the Weasley's and Dumbledore are the 
heirs of Gryffindor!)

We may think that Dumbledore (*I previously had Ron here) has died 
but he has not. Hermione and Harry will have to continue in the 
present war without him. It's interesting to note that the castle and 
bishop are considered end game pieces. 

The next room (after they walk through the room with the unconscious 
troll) is Snape's potion puzzle.

The potion test also gives clues to the rest of the books. There are 
seven bottles representing 7 years and if you read the bottle 
descriptions some could also be HP characters.

Page 285

"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead, (Harry drinks this to get 
to Voldemort.)
Another will transport the drinker back instead, (Hermione drinks 
this to return to Ron.) 
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First however slyly the poison tries to hide 
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side; (The poison 
hides next to something benign.)
Second, different are those who stand at either end, 
But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides; (Dobby and 
Hagrid?)
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right 
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight. 

"Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic—it's logic—a puzzle. A 
lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be 
stuck here forever."
"But so will we, won't we?" 
"Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this 
paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us 
safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the 
purple."

(This is probably a coincidence but there are also 7 people on a 
Quidditch team. Each team has three Chasers, a Keeper, two Beaters 
and a Seeker. Look at the seven potion bottles: Three are poison:3 
chasers, two are wine: 2 beaters, one potion goes forward: Seeker, 
and one potion goes backward: Keeper?) 

I believe that Hermione will figure out something important in book 
six or seven. She may be starting to piece something together 
already. The potion test was set-up by Snape. Will she figure out 
something important about Snape? Remember how she figured out what 
Lupin was, but did not mention it to the boys until she believed they 
were in danger? During the potions test Hermione figures out that the 
smallest bottle will move the player forward, and a rounded bottle at 
the right end of the line will propel the person backward. (Hermione 
uses this to go back to Ron in SS/PS.. I leave you all to consider 
what this might mean if Ron is a symbolic representation of 
Dumbledore.) 

I think the Weasley family is a very important family. Here are my 
thoughts about who will become the new Order Leader:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/136927

Interesting read on the potions test at the Lexicon:
Prefect Marcus. The Riddle of the Potions 
http://www.hp-lexicon.org/essays/es...tionriddle.html

and...

Robert, James, Dr. The Metaphysics of Chess
http://www.zianet.com/postpubco/metachess.htm