The Origins of Our Inspirational Quote: "When the Chess Game Is Over, the King and the Pawn Go Back in the Same Box".

Many of us ponder the stark differences in human lives, from wealth and fame to poverty and obscurity. This thought is captured by a metaphorical saying comparing human fate to a chess game: "At the end of the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box."

This idea can be traced back to a 1629 collection by John Boys, the Dean of Canterbury, who likened life to a chess game where every piece, despite its rank, ends up in the same bag after the game.

Thomas Adams echoed this sentiment in 1633, discussing how in death, everyone is indistinguishable, much like chess pieces after a game. The saying has appeared in various forms throughout history, including in Omar Khayyam's "Rubaiyat" and works by Thomas-Simon Gueullette in the 18th century.

In the 19th century, Edward FitzGerald's translation of Khayyam's "Rubaiyat" encapsulated the transient nature of human life, likening it to a game of chess where destiny moves pieces around until they return to the box:

“’Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days

Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays:

Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays,

And one by one back in the Closet lays.”

For more detailed exploration, you can read the following article on Quote Investigator.

References:

1. John Boys, 1629.

2. Thomas Adams, 1633.

3. Thomas-Simon Gueullette, 1740.

4. Edward FitzGerald, 1859.

5. H. L. Mencken, 1942.

DrKyr.