"We're all pawns me dear"

    Chess is something which figures largely in the Prisoner, from the matches played with the Admiral-No.66 through to the 11 move checkmate wins by No.6 during the episode of ‘It’s Your Funeral.’ However it is ‘Checkmate’ in which chess figures the most, and on a much larger chessboard, human chess matches are the order of the day. Although both sides look alike, each of the human pieces dressed in village attire as they are, which No.6 sees as complicating the matter. However each person on the chessboard does carry a chess pole, the head of which denotes the chess piece he or she represents. But even then you have to learn how to distinguish between the whites and the blacks, the way it is in life, you judge by attitudes. You soon learn who's for you or against!

    So with both sides on the human chessboard looking identical, you have to judge by attitudes do you? Well in my book there is a much easier way to tell the two sides apart, and its a rather simple one. As a chess player the people standing on the chessboard with their back turned to you are your chess pieces, and those facing are those of your opponent!

Unless someone turns round on their square of course! But we won't go there.

    Like the Butler during ‘Checkmate’  I have followed the moves made on the chessboard, and I can tell you, if you have not already noticed for yourselves, that after a certain number of moves the game no longer makes any sense, the moves I mean. And what about the Rook-No.53, he might have been removed from the board by the pair of medics for demonstrating the "cult of the individual," having made a move all his own.

    "Check!"

    But that move was more than illegal on the part of the Rook, it was impossible because as the Rook moves forward he brushes past an opposing Rook and struts forward onto the back rank and pronounces "Check." But the opponent to the chess champion-No.14 had only previously "castled" moving the King's Rook onto the King's Bishop square and the King onto the King's Knight's square. But having said that, when the Rook does make his move, the King stands alone on the back rank!!!!!!!!!!

    It’s all in the editing I suppose. One final curiosity. It is not No.2 at the end of Checkmate who returns the white Queens pawn to the chessboard, but the Butler!

Be seeing you