A Game at Chess notes

A Game at Chess is a comic satirical play by Thomas Middleton, notable for the stormy relationship between Spain (the black chess pieces) and England (the white chess pieces). Negotiations over a proposed marriage were underway between the two opposing sides. The play only was shown for nine days (6-16 August, Sundays omitted), then was banned due to illegally portraying a modern christian king on stage. Middleton and the actors were reprimanded and fined, which led to Middleton never making another play.