Chessboard Chamber

Chessboard Chamber
Object information
Made	1991
Usage	A giant chess set that had to be played on to get past
Owners	Minerva McGonagall (previously) Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were white pieces — the towering white chessmen had no faces."

— the layout to the chessboard

The Chessboard Chamber, also known as the Human Chess Game, was a chess set transfigured by Professor McGonagall to giant size and to make the chess men and women real. It was used to guard the Philosopher's Stone in the 1991–1992 school year.

History

On 4 June 1992, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were attempting to prevent the theft of the Philosopher's Stone by a servant of Lord Voldemort that, at the time, they believed was Severus Snape. After making their way past the Stone's first three defences, they encountered this obstacle in the fourth chamber. Ron took command of the black side, with himself, Harry, and Hermione replacing missing pieces, in order to defeat the obstacle and be allowed to pass. They then proceeded to play an impressive game but which was particularly brutal even by Wizard's chess' standards; by far the most lethal player was the White Queen, which personally took out at least three of the black pieces and nearly won the game in white's favour. In the end, Ron sacrificed himself to the white Queen to allow Harry to checkmate the opposing King.

At the end of year feast, Albus Dumbledore awarded Ron fifty house points for "the best played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years". Percy Weasley proudly boasted about his brother's accomplishment.

After the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed, the undamaged pieces of the chessboard were stored in the Room of Hidden Things.

Players

• Harry Potter - bishop
• Ron Weasley - knight
• Hermione Granger - queen side castle
• Quirrell - unknown

Behind the scenes

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Ron is actually riding the black knight instead of just taking its place on the board.
• In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Ron trips over a chess piece's sword, falls unconscious, and is unable to follow his friends.
• The filmmakers used radio and digital effects to create the movement of the giant chess pieces in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film). The explosive effects were created using compressed air. Ronald Weasley actor Rupert Grint states "I've actually still got a broken piece of the horse!"
• On Pottermore, there is a Feature on designing giant wizard's chess.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Chess pieces)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Chess pieces)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game) (Chess pieces)
• Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• Pottermore (First identified as Chessboard Chamber)

Notes and references

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