A Game of Chess

This was a post in my drafts for a while now which I just came across and … thought it might be relevant to bring out.

The Chessboard symbolism has shown up many times throughout the series

Following the Cochlea/Rushima Island arc, Aogiri was exterminated and the old Kings- Arima and Tsuneyoshi- are now dead:

This marked the end of the previous game of Chess, where the CCG triumphed against Aogiri. And now we’ve started afresh with Kaneki and Furuta as the Kings of the new game

There are valid arguments for which character represents which colour piece- at this stage I’m thinking Kaneki as White King and Furuta as Black King (explained here [x])

Well back in :re chapter 38, there was a chessboard in Uta’s mask shop



I’m not sure if it will ever be relevant in that much detail but it’s interesting to take note of which pieces are in play and see if it will match any events. It may coincide with some events now, or in the future, or mean nothing at all but it’s kind of neat to take note now and look back on later.

So this is the set up on Uta’s board.

Just for reference, these are the symbols/pieces (because holy shit I kept getting the crown symbols mixed up):

Black

The Black King has been chased into the corner and is being held there by the White Rook and Pawn. However, it is safe for the time being no matter what move the opponent makes- protected by the Black Queen and Rook. Even if it can’t move itself, it’s defenses are strong. Furuta himself has been put in a difficult situation with Hide, Marude and Matsuri’s coup.



has been chased into the corner and is being held there by the White Rook and Pawn. However, it is safe for the time being no matter what move the opponent makes- protected by the Black Queen and Rook. Even if it can’t move itself, it’s defenses are strong. Furuta himself has been put in a difficult situation with Hide, Marude and Matsuri’s coup. The Black Queen is poised to take out those threatening the King. However, if it is White’s turn next she could be captured by the White Pawn- the ‘weakest’ piece attacking the ‘strongest’ piece on the board. Rize could be considered Furuta’s (unwilling) Queen, represented by the Oggai who have her kagune and are currently Furuta’s main ace in the sleeve.

is poised to take out those threatening the King. However, if it is White’s turn next she could be captured by the White Pawn- the ‘weakest’ piece attacking the ‘strongest’ piece on the board. Rize could be considered Furuta’s (unwilling) Queen, represented by the Oggai who have her kagune and are currently Furuta’s main ace in the sleeve. The Black Knight is ready to take down the White Rook to protect the King or the Bishop (which could be a sacrificial move with the White Pawn diagonal). Ui, whose interest is riding horses, carries a spear/lance Quinque and has recently switched from wearing the white dove coat to Furuta’s new black uniform, could be considered his Knight.

The Black Rook is safe and protecting it’s King.

is safe and protecting it’s King. Notable captured Black pieces that are sitting next to the board on the table are the Knight, (possible) Bishop and a Pawn.

When Furuta announced himself as King, 4 characters were lined up in a row on the checkered floor:

It will be interesting to see if these are meant to reflect the pieces in that order on the board (Donato is an obvious choice for Bishop). Uta as Furuta’s Queen piece is an interesting concept.

White

The White King is safe and out of the way, with two Pawn soldiers at either side standing guard. Kaneki is currently away from the onslaught of the 24th Ward, surrounding by troops.



is safe and out of the way, with two Pawn soldiers at either side standing guard. Kaneki is currently away from the onslaught of the 24th Ward, surrounding by troops. One White Rook is cornering the Black King but depending on which colour’s turn it is, may be in danger from the Black Queen or Knight. Alternatively, it may capture the Black Queen.

is cornering the Black King but depending on which colour’s turn it is, may be in danger from the Black Queen or Knight. Alternatively, it may capture the Black Queen. If Ui is the Black Knight, that makes Hirako the White Rook. Wouldn’t it be interesting if he were the Rook from the right side of the King, like Hirako was Arima’s right hand man.

The other White Rook is being held at bay in the corner. Both the Rook, Knight and Pawn haven’t moved from their starting positions as of yet- they’ve yet to make their move in the game.

is being held at bay in the corner. Both the haven’t moved from their starting positions as of yet- they’ve yet to make their move in the game. One Pawn is cornering the Black King, another is in a position to capture the Black Queen if it is White’s turn.

is cornering the Black King, another is in a position to capture the Black Queen if it is White’s turn. Notable captured White pieces on the table are the Bishop and 2 Pawns.

and The White side has also lost it’s Queen. If Kaneki is the White King, Touka is obviously the White Queen

Yet the White Queen piece is missing from the captured pieces on the table. That piece has disappeared. If we get a cliffhanger with Touka’s fate in upcoming chapters, well there we go.

All of this is pretty much conjecture considering there’s a high chance those pieces were placed there at random. Depending on how you look at it, many different characters could fit the situation of different pieces but these are just my main thoughts!