The Game of Chess - Beyond Entertainment to the Manipulation of Reality

“…A Celtic legend narrates of a magical chess game played by King Arthur and his knight Owen. As soon as the parties began to move the pieces made of gold, a hot battle broke out between their armies, with the side of the winning player overcoming the other army. Finally, Arthur grabbed the pieces and squeezed them so hard that they turned into dust and the battle ceased…”

Did King Arthur's legendary advisor and magician Merlin put a spell on those golden pieces or perhaps on the chess board? Was this legend just a tall tale with no basis in reality whatsoever? I note that, the various legends of King Arthur and the knights of the round table, even those regarding the holy grail, do seem to resonate with the historical record of the game of chess. According to some students of history, the playing of chess has been used from ancient times to manipulate people and circumstances through dark magick!