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In 1888, one of the most renowned chess players of the 19th century saw a painting and noticed something strange. Its title was *The Devil’s Checkmate*, but to him, that didn’t seem quite right.
The scene shows a young man playing chess against the devil, while an angel watches silently. The white pieces are cornered. It looks like there’s nothing left to do. For years, everyone assumed the same thing: the devil was about to win the game.
But Paul Morphy saw something no one else had noticed. After analyzing the position, he simply said: “The king has one more move.” The game wasn’t lost. And this painting had fooled everyone for a very long time.
### The Chess Match
The idea of a man facing the devil in a game of chess has appeared many times in film and literature. One of the most well-known examples is *The Seventh Seal*, the film by Ingmar Bergman, where a knight plays chess with Death to gain time and meaning before the end.
But this painting is much older. It was created in 1831—almost 130 years before that movie. At the time, Europe was fully immersed in the Romantic era, an artistic and cultural movement that didn’t focus on flawless heroes, but on inner conflict, intense emotions, and moral dilemmas.
Themes like good and evil, the soul, temptation, and destiny were everywhere. It was a time when artists didn’t just want to show beauty—they wanted to teach something.
### Romanticism
Moritz Retzsch, the artist behind this painting, didn’t create it on commission or to decorate a room. He painted it because he felt he had something to say. Something urgent.
Retzsch was fascinated by the big human questions. He believed art should speak directly to the soul. And in this scene of the young man playing against the devil, what he’s truly portraying isn’t just a chess match—it’s life itself.
A life where every decision matters, where temptation is always close, and where—even when everything seems lost—there might still be one more move.
### Analysis of the Painting
For a long time, everyone who looked at this painting came to the same conclusion: the young man had already lost the game. And it wasn’t a far-fetched interpretation. If you look closely, everything in the scene suggests it.
On the right, the young man sits with his head tilted down, his face buried in one hand. He’s completely devastated. You can tell he’s trapped in his thoughts, trying to understand how he ended up in this position. It looks like he’s been checkmated—or at least, that’s what the painting’s title leads us to believe.
But that despair doesn’t come from losing a simple game. It comes from something deeper, because what’s at stake here isn’t victory—it’s his soul.
In front of him, on the left side, is his opponent: Satan. He sits with a relaxed, almost arrogant posture. His head rests on one hand and he doesn’t even look at the board. He’s confident the win is his.
And right between them, slightly in the background, is the angel—the most mysterious figure. It doesn’t intervene, doesn’t give any signal—just watches. As if it believes the game is already lost, yet can do nothing to stop it. But we’ll come back to this figure later, because in my opinion, it holds the key to the painting’s meaning.
For years, no one questioned the obvious interpretation of this scene: the man had lost, and Satan was claiming his soul.
### The Anecdote of Morphy
Until Paul Morphy came along. It happened in Richmond, Virginia, while Morphy was visiting Reverend R. R. Harrison. There, he saw a copy of the painting prominently displayed.
He examined it carefully and, after studying it for a while, became intrigued by the position on the chessboard. Without pointing out anything specific, he suggested there might still be a winning move for the young man.
The reverend was skeptical, but they set up a real chessboard, replicating the scene from the painting. According to witnesses, Morphy developed a sequence of moves that allowed the young man to win—a move no one had seen before.
That reinterpretation completely changed the way people viewed the painting.
The story was first published on August 18, 1888, in the *Columbia Chess Chronicle*, under an article titled “Anecdote of Morphy,” and Reverend Harrison later confirmed he was the source of the account.
From that point on, what once seemed like an image of defeat became a symbol of hope.
And maybe you didn’t notice it, but in this painting, the chess pieces aren’t just pieces. Each one represents something deeper. This isn’t an ordinary chess match—remember, what’s at stake here is a man’s soul.
### The Board
The black pieces, on Satan’s side, embody vices, doubts, and temptations. If you look closely, you’ll find unsettling details: like a piece stepping on a cross, as if trying to crush faith, or another that seems to be hiding a dagger—something we might interpret as betrayal.
What’s clear is that these are no ordinary chess pieces. Each one is deliberately designed to symbolize something.
On the other side, the white pieces might represent virtues—values the young man has gradually lost with every move. Some have already been taken off the board, as if life has slowly stripped him of everything that once made him strong.
What’s fascinating about this painting is that it doesn’t show the devil’s victory—it captures the exact moment before. When all seems lost... but technically, the game isn’t over. Just one move away from losing it all—just like Morphy discovered.
But there’s another interpretation that’s just as compelling—and it has to do with the angel in the scene. And I promise you, it will completely change the way you see this painting.
### The Meaning of the Angel
For a long time, I thought the angel was there to protect the young man—like a silent guide. But if you pay close attention, he’s not looking at him... and he’s not looking at the devil either. He’s staring directly at the center of the board.
And that made me think—maybe he’s not there to intervene, but simply to observe. As if he represents the freedom we all have: the freedom to choose.
If you really think about it, the angel doesn’t make the decision. The young man does.
And interestingly, the devil isn’t looking at the board either. He’s watching the young man. As if he knows there’s a move that could save him... but he’s waiting for him not to see it. He’s waiting for him to give up on his own.
And that, I believe, is the true message of this painting. That even when everything seems lost, the game isn’t over. That sometimes, all evil needs to win... is for us to stop trying.
But as long as we still have a chance—no matter how small—there’s something we can do.
I don’t know if you agree with this interpretation, but I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
And before I wrap up, there’s one detail I don’t want to overlook: There’s a spider near the board. It might seem like a meaningless decoration, but given the message of this painting, I seriously doubt that. I’m sure it holds a deeper meaning.
I’d love for you to help me figure it out in the comments.
As always, thank you for watching until the end. If you enjoyed it, don’t forget to leave a like and subscribe so you don’t miss—
