DD, LV, Chess and War (SS/PS Chess and Quidditch)

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 124344


>Tonks wrote:
 
This is probably a crazy idea. But reading some of the post about DD 
as General and the *war* and all complaints that DD seems to playing 
a defensive game, and the all of planning that is going on on both 
sides made me think of a chess game. Now I know that chess is a game 
of war. It's late and my mind is no longer functioning, but has 
anyone ever considered the possibility that the series taken as a 
whole is a game of chess?  I don't know.  Does anyone see anything 
like that??  Just a thought. Would be a brilliant way to write a 
book series, but I don't know it that is what she is doing.

vmonte responds:
JKR tells us this herself in the SS/PS. (I'm reposting a very old 
post of mine.)

The Chess Game:

The chess game represents the second war against Voldemort. (I'm not 
the only person who believes this theory, it's been mentioned by many 
fans and writers.) 

"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. Chess is a game of strategy that is usually won in 
small steps. I believe that Dumbledore is the strategist of the HP 
series and is manipulating events in the story but in small 
steps/ways.

The Bishop has long-range ability (especially towards the end of a 
game when there are more open spaces), which enables it to make 
extended penetrating attacks which are impossible for the Knight. 
This gives the Bishop an end-game advantage. (Think of Harry's Seeker 
position in Quidditch. The other players can only score 10 points per 
goal, but if Harry catches the snitch he gets 150 points, and the 
game is over. The Seeker is key to winning the game.) 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 (remember in the CoS movie when Harry uses floo-
powder and says diagonally instead of Diagon Ally?) not like the 
Castle/Rook, which only moves in straight lines (sounds like straight-
laced 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."

Did Dumbledore know that Sirius was going to die? And 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 think this means that Ron will be taken out of the 
war, but not killed. 

We may think that Ron has died but he has not. Hermione and Harry 
will have to continue in the present war without Ron. It's 
interesting to note that the Castle and Bishop in chess are 
considered end game pieces.

Vivian