It is an odd game of chess because unlike other games it is between three, a general, a politician, and a common man.
The generals, usually have a very good grip of chess rules, it is a miniature example for tactics and strategy; what they do best, and that's why they have mastered this game since our lands were first united. These lands were united by a general, and have been kept by generals ever-since.
Politicians unlike generals have a much shorter history in our lands, politics has never been really our thing. Historically you can easily see how politicians always succumbed to the will of the generals. Also the crafty behind-the-scenes deals never fascinated our people. And that's why politicians never made it here.
The commoners here are villagers, farmers, and shepherds. Upright people brought up worshiping a God-king, and in the best cases ruled over by a divinely-inspired dictator. Divine right in these lands meant nothing, these lands were ruled by the divine himself.
Like every land ruled by the divine the commoners developed a sense of submission and inferiority to the leader, inferiority that is used to keep them in line, you don't revolt against a God, Do you? You can see what happened here in the lands of the Rising Sun, or the kingdom of the Unified Four. The commoners have the shortest history of all, and even a shorter memory, rarely do they play, and their experiences are none.
At some point the Commoners got sick of being left out, they wanted to play, but the game is for two. So for a little while they put the politicians aside, and played with a general. The general filled with pride and arrogance, confident of his success for all the plans he know will serve him, did not expect the commoners to bring such an old plan to the game. A Napoleonic plan. Very simple, very easy, extremely old, and fatal. And for the very first time the general lost, he did not see this coming, "I was not prepared, you crafty weasels, let us play another round" he requested. Filled with the victor's pride the commoner agreed, "But I want to play too" said the politician "That's not fair". The commoner being naive as he is agreed. Together they made a deal, "You will play with the pawns as you please, for you will leave me all the other pieces, for I am more experienced than you" proposed the politician, and again the commoner agreed.
The general, and the politician like most of chess players never care about the pawns, they are just cheap barricade to protect the king. As the general knew this he directed his blows at the pawns, they are easy kills anyways and will stir the commoner against his "friend" when he sees that he is not playing for their common benefit. A strike after a strike the commoner knew the politician is no good for him, with only half the pawns left, he assumed a zigzag formation to protect himself, leaving the wing of the politician exposed. in his turn the general sacrificed his rook to kill both the knight and the bishop, leaving the politician's king exposed and vulnerable. We are now but one turn away from the "Check Mate", and the politician is out.
We saw how the commoner won without the politician by his side. Can he win again, with only half the pieces this time? Will the politician make a bold defense to defend the king, a castling maybe? We know the politician can not win, but will he weaken the general enough for the pawns to take him down? We will see.
