Proverb and similes using chess terms

The usage of chess similes for everyday situations is another topic than the technical terms of chess.



Dialog in front of the door of the tram in the crowd. The inboard is less crowded.









Dialog between the experienced driver and the greenhorn.












Futó = 1. runner 2. the chess piece bishop.
Gyalogos = pedestrian, gyalog = the chess piece pawn.

I don't think we have all the English ones, but we do have a few chess metaphors and proverbs.


死局 死局 sǐjú - a situation in which you can't win
僵局 僵局 jiāngjú - stalemate
一子錯,滿盤皆落索 一子错,满盘皆落索 yī zǐ cuò, mǎn pán jiē luòsuǒ or 一著不慎,滿盤皆輸 一著不慎,满盘皆输 yī zhù bú shèn, mǎn pán jiē shū - one wrong move, and you've lost the whole game.
棋逢敵手 棋逢敌手 qí féng díshǒu - someone who rivals your chess skills, extended to your skills/ability in general.
星羅棋布 星罗棋布 xīng luó qí bù: well-spread across the lands, like stars in the sky or pawns on the chessboard.
舉棋不定 举棋不定 jǔ qí bù dìng: you raise a pawn, but cannot decide where to move it, meaning 'hesitant'

人生如棋,落子无悔。Life is like chess-playing: once a move is decided, you can not regret.

As far as Polish is concerned, this is what has come to my mind:

sytuacja patowa - stalemate, deadlock

roszada - castling - when e.g. the same politicians swap the posts in the governement all the time

mieć refleks szachisty - literally: to have a chessplayer's reflex: to do a double take, to be slow off the mark

Nothing surprising in German:

Schachmatt - checkmate (situation)
Patt - stalemate
ein kluger (Schach)zug - a clever move