How medieval chess created a space in which players – regardless of race – could engage as equals

An illustration from the Libro de Axedrez showing two players immersed in a game. Libro de Axedrez

In the medieval European imagination, racial difference was often highly polarised. Black people were perceived either as exotic status symbols – including saints and wealthy rulers such as the Queen of Sheba – or as subjugated figures, considered inferior to white Christians.

Yet, as my research demonstrates, the game of chess offered an alternative lens, creating a space in which players – regardless of their skin colour – could engage as equals.