The chess world erupted over a post from Chess.com asking their followers for “new name ideas” for one of the game’s pieces.
On March 14, Chess.com made a lighthearted post on X, asking for alternate names for the Bishop, but it caused a much bigger conversation than anyone would have anticipated, largely due to the religious connotation of the actual name.
“Accepting new name ideas for this piece,” Chess.com tweeted with a picture of the black and white Bishops.
This type of tweet is nothing new for Chess.com, as the account has made the exact same post for other pieces, such as Rooks. However, that didn’t stop some people from getting riled up.
Almost immediately, the post went viral to the tune of 38M views, with arguments breaking out in the comments, as some claimed it was an attempt “erase” the name of the piece due to its religious etymology.
Chess drama erupts over renaming Bishop
In the comments, it was a tense affair, with some seriously not impressed by the post.
“Why would we throw out hundreds of years of history just because it hurts your feelings?” one asked.
“Fire whoever you have in charge of your social media and beg for forgiveness,” another demanded.
“No, you are not going to rename the bishop. Not now, not ever. Go woke, go broke, checkmate,” slammed someone else.
I’m a secularist atheist chess fan who thinks you should stuff your attempt to erase “Bishop” up the bodily orifice of your choice. Some tradition should not be messed with, even if they have religious connotations.
— Eric S. Raymond (@esrtweet) March 17, 2025
“Some traditions should not be messed with, even if they have religious connotations,” another replied.
However, many others were baffled by what they believed to be an overreaction to a joke. YouTuber GothamChess was dismayed, calling it an “absolute circus.”
“If you want to entertain yourself for hours, read the responses to this post.” he mocked, adding, “The responses to this post fully encapsulate what is wrong with this platform and, more generally, the world today.”
So far, Chess.com hasn’t responded to the furor itself, but did urge users to stop suggesting the piece continue to be called “Bishop.”
This isn’t the first time Chess.com has caused confusion with a tweet about Bishops. Back in January, the account tweeted a joke “patch notes” for chess where Bishops were buffed to transfer from a white or black square once per game.
Content shared from www.dexerto.com.