Power of the King

Before I say anything else, let me state that Code Geass is my favorite series so far and Lelouch happens to be my favorite character. Ever since I watch the show for the first time, I was really fascinated by the chess themes in the show, whether it be chess matches or the symbolical use of it in certain situations. The power of the “King” for instance. Or the Black Knights.

I have seen lots of discussion in forums about chess in Code Geass, especially about the way Lelouch plays and his match with Schneizel in the 9th episode of the second season.

Throughout the series, Lelouch constantly follows the notion that the King must move first for the others to follow. Even during a chess match, he would mobilize his King first. That sounds pretty heroic and noble and suits his character but is that really a wise thing to do?

I myself am a chess player and frankly, I have never ever encountered any player that follows the same strategy. Neither have I ever tried to mobilize my King before other pieces. After all, protecting the King is the highest priority for a player in chess. But after a little research, I found out that such a kind of play actually exists. It is not very common. Extremely rare to be precise. It’s called the “Bongcloud Attack” or the “Bongcloud Opening”.

The strategy is based on mobilizing the King before any of the other pieces. But it is not a very easy move to make, certainly not meant to be for newbies. Only seasoned players can adopt this kind of play and win. The key to winning chess is to mobilize your pieces as soon as possible and acquire strategically favorable positions. Adopting the “Bongcloud Attack” may seem to put the user at a disadvantage since his pieces won’t be as much developed as his opponent’s. But the King in itself is a very powerful piece for those who are not afraid to use it. And it’s not me who’s saying it. Pick up any chess book and read the guide for the King. They would always encourage you to use the King.

As I said before, Bongcloud isn’t very famous. But those who know it love it and a lot of effort is being put into developing this style and perfecting it to become an all in all, a powerful strategy.

Here's is a link to a Chess.com forum for the Bongcloud Attack

I will be writing more chess analysis for Code Geass. Until then, stay tuned!

P.S. this was my first blog post ever. So please write your reviews. Feedback is greatly appreciated. What did you like and what you didn’t, just let me know.