Meaning of the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland (Through the Looking Glass) and how it relates to Chess

Chess is one of the oldest and most treasured games by the higher classes and the more intelligent, logical people. It is also so famous and ancient that there are several different types of it. There are different figurines, boards and rules. And yet, the one that is spread around the world the most is the one played by two players on a chessboard, square in form and aligned with 64 smaller squares in an eight-by-eight grid. Each player starts with sixteen pieces and aims at conquering the King of the opponent. Even though the King is the most important figure, it is not the most powerful. The one that is in the lead is the Queen.

The Sequel

Another really strong vision of the Chess Queen is the Red Queen from the notorious book by Lewis Carroll Through the Looking Glass.
As it is known, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Trough the Looking Glass is a story based entirely on the game of Chess. As most of the characters can be connected to chess pieces, it is the same with the Red Queen. While the White Queen is the main good-natured character in the story, the root of all goodness and piece, the Red Queen is basically her antagonist, making her similar to the (usually) black chess piece. She also has a powerful influence on Alice, explaining to her the rules of the game and how a simple Pawn such as the young girl can easily become a Queen if she manages to get to the eight square of the opposite side. Another reference to the Chess figurine is the fact that the Red Queen can move backwards, just like the ability of the piece that is one of the main factors for it to be considered as the most powerful on the board. The Red Queen, however, is a being that is often connected with the Queen of Hearts in the original story of Alice and her encounter with Wonderland. The Red Queen's only relation to the first Queen is that they both share the same title; from then on they are absolutely different.

Queen of Hearts

According to the writer himself the Queen of Hearts that is a sort of embodiment of ungovernable passion - a blind and aimless Fury, unlike her the Red Queen is Fury, but of another type; her passion must be cold and calm - she must be formal and strict, yet not unkindly; pedantic to the 10th degree, the concentrated essence of all governesses!.
At the end of the day, the Red Queen is just another part of the great mind of Charles Dudgson, a part that is related to Chess, the real world, the past and the resent. Another image, created by Carroll with so much hidden meaning and subconscious effects, that it is never certain if she has been wholly studied or that even the things that have been discovered aren't just another check-mate by the author.