Isabella, Queen of Castile, the monarch who unified Spain and sent Christopher Columbus on his voyages to the New World, is credited with inspiring the figure of the queen in modern chess.
Not until the late fifteenth century, when Queen Isabella was at the height of her powers, did the queen become the most powerful piece on the chessboard, according to research chess historians have presented in Valencia.
"In its original form, the equivalent of the queen was male," said Dr Govert Westerveld, a Dutch chess historian.
"Around 1475, when Isabella was crowned queen of Castile, the figure became female but able to move only one square at a time, like the king.
"Not until 1495, when Isabella was the most powerful woman in Europe, were the present rules of chess established, in which the queen roams freely in all directions on the board."
Queen Isabella's checkmate
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