This commemorates in the old style the first meeting of Colorado, USA, Club Falcon Chess (FC) and the proposition the new Falcon chess piece is a fundamental one, with well-known Knight, Rook, and Bishop.

The Ancient Game of Chess would turn upon:
Two falcons on the wings fly to the lure,
Unmoved nor guarded King and central pawn
Positioned where they start cannot endure
Whilst bishops, knights, a rook and Queen provide
Brief threats which pawns despatch or turn aside.

Black falcon checks: uncastled king to move,
O bleak! Oblique the wily falcon glides
Twixt pawn, slant Bishop, sturdy Rook that love
As Knight their halcyon stand-off of two sides;
'Twere Falcon's dawning traps and forks that set
Two falcons' interweaving mating net.

This day 'twas Black upending king of White.
The sport, the Science, Art and life the game:
The center holding naught, protect the right
Or left to devise change ne'er the same.
The rituals of place and power complete
Where rook and bishop, knight and falcon meet.

Falcon-headed Horus rolling panes of sky
Across the Gizan square-based Pyramids below,
Each Age divine-entrusted to descry
Its cause and anguish, rage or love to show,
So Caissa's ways of raising King bestir
The pale grim, misty reap war-words aver.

The falcons as the tide are at the source
Of checkered Moon and blue Earthen-scape wake.
Yet should all men be wary of the force
That claims to prophesy the path winds take.
So out the pomp, the froth, frog-kings and swords fell pride,
Enter the Falcon new age-old three-fold stride.

George William Duke
January 2001

See also

• Falcon Chess.
• "A CHESS MORALITY: Castle Early". Another poem on Falcon chess.
• Chess Morality II: Revelation. A third poem on Falcon chess.
• Chess Morality III: Caissa's Comet. 4th poem.
• Chess Morality IV: Dialogue.