Arthur Bliss’ music for Checkmate is incredibly expressive and dramatic, helping to elevate the world of inanimate chess pieces into the anthropomorphized and passionate gameboard of love and death. The Black Queen is the epitome of the feminine in all of her plurality, with whom the Red Knight falls in love, then attempts to battle, only to be killed by his love when he turns his back. Emotional words that come to mind during the Black Queen’s dances are: dissonant, strong, sneaky, suspenseful, measured, cheeky, marching, formidable. Because of the literal backstabbing drama of the story, the music is infused with an undercurrent of suspicion and darkness, while holding up the majesty of a supposed “royal court.”

My Black Queen is a living juxtaposition of the softness and sharpness that are qualities of a strong female character. At the risk of reenforcing a reductive binary, she is lace and leather, kisses and daggers, wool and steel, bosom and bite. She is a feminist who puts her own needs before any man’s, is anointed with the power of moving wherever and however on the board she pleases, and ultimately does whatever she must to win the game. Her costume symbolizes her contrasting qualities, with the primary hue of black accented with gold trim and details. As they say in setting up a chess board, “the dress matches the shoes,” and she wears black pointe shoes with gold embellishment, to look like she’s floating across the stage of the board. Foreshadowing imagery of daggers, the tutu decoration is reminiscent of the weapon she ultimately uses to win.

I envision the other black chess piece characters in the same palette, and the opposing team in red with similar gold accents, which serves as the common linking color for the entire design. While the original scene/costume design by Edward McKnight Kauffer was stark, cubist, and minimal, I imagine this particular rendition as referencing classic ballet costume and design with a modern twist. The Black Queen is wearing a classical tutu, but with asymmetric details and unconventional materials and treatment. Her headpiece feels modern and almost futuristic. Perhaps even the chess board deck itself would be askew to suggest the unrest and volatility of the story and characters.

In the end, however, the venerable Black Queen ultimately dominates, both in the plot and in the aesthetic of the design, ready for another match.