In medieval chess, as an attempt to make the pieces more interesting, each pawn was given the name of a commoner’s occupation:[5]
Gambler and other “lowlifes”, also messengers (in the left-most file, that direction being literally sinister) -City guard or policeman (in front of the left-side knight, as knights trained city guards in real life)[6]
Innkeeper (in front of the left-side bishop) Doctor (in front of the queen)
Merchant/money changer (in front of the king) Weaver/clerk (in front of the right-side bishop, as they worked for bishops)
Blacksmith (in front of the right-side knight, as they cared for the horses)
Worker/farmer (in front of the right-side rook, as they worked for castles)[7]
The most famous example of this is found in the second book ever printed in the English language, The Game and Playe of the Chesse. Purportedly, this book, printed by William Caxton,[8] was viewed to be as much a political commentary on society as a chess book.[7]