OCR Text |
Show Chese and Checks. Chess was originally tho game of kings, the game of shahs. Tho word "shah" became In old French "eschac," while the old French "escheca" waa further corrupted Into "chess. The more original form chec ha8 likewise twen preserved, though we little think of it when we draw a cheque, or when we suffer a check, or when wo speak of the chancellor of the exchequer. ex-chequer. The great object of tho chess player is to protect tho king, and when the king Is in danger the opponent op-ponent is obliged to say "check." i. e., shah, the king. After this the various meanings of check, cheque, or exchequer ex-chequer become easily intelligible. Exchequer, Ex-chequer, or Bcaccarlum, the name of the chess board, was afterward used for the checkered cloth on which accounts ac-counts were calculated by means of counters. |