hmmm that link looks familiar emiab lol :P

yeah , that was very enlightening , and off the wall ; p

LOL

Thanks for the appreciation on my mind. I will take that as a compliment. The idea of the topic came to me while reading some forum threads here, about chess players being separated in so many categories . It just came like a natural question.

However, I did not go as far as you as referred to what happens between the pieces when they are not playing. That skipped my imagination but your writer's mind saw that in a glance ! wow. As for the French indication you made, below you have a link to a site which shows a table with the names of the chess pieces in different languages.  http://www.geocities.com/timessquare/metro/9154/nap-pieces.htm

I must say that the Rook may be a guy in English but it's a she in French ( La Tour Eiffel rings any bells ? ) .

Errrr, I think I prefer my theory with the Amazons......

You have an interesting mind, emiab.  I never thought of the pieces being male or female.  It makes you wonder what goes on in their box when you put them away for the night, doesn't it!

Maybe our French friends could throw some light on their gender.  The horse is le cheval and the castle le château -- both grammatically masculine -- while there can be no doubt about Her Majesty's femininity.

So that brings us back to the ability of the pawns to assume either role.  They must be pre-operative transexuals who can continue in their assigned gender when they reach the eighth rank, or can undergo surgery to become something closer to their heart's desire.

I agree with you on the Pawns!

ADK