COURIER GAME

board game, an expanded form of chess developed in Germany by the early 13th century and played there for several hundred years. The game was played on a board containing 96 squares (8 by 12) instead of the conventional 64 (8 by 8). All of the conventional pieces were used, although their powers of movement in some cases were slightly different. There were also four additional pawns, two couriers, a jester, and a sage. The courier, a man galloping on horseback with a horn to his lips, could move any number of squares along a diagonal, just as the modern bishop. The jester, with cap and bells, moved one square horizontally or vertically. The sage, a long-bearded old man, could move one square in any direction. The game began with both players advancing their two rooks' pawns and queen's pawn two squares each and the queen to her third square. Other rules were similar to those of conventional chess.