Should Themes Trump Logic - Code Geass' Chess Treatment
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- I love Code Geass hard stop. But it's not perfect, certainly it weighs story above common sense at points which results in some hilarious moments - but is the infamous illegal chess move one of those points? What does this tell us about the way that chess is treated in Code Geass, what the hell is artistic license have to do with it and why don't I care about this scene at all? All of those questions and more.
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Music: Madder Sky - Code Geass OST
Labyrinth of Thinking - Alderamin on the Sky OST
Requirements of an Adventurer - Log Horizon OST
Strategy - Sangatsu no Lion OST
Le Repos Du Geurrier - Code Geass OST
Thumbnail Art & Logo: Drawplex
I'd have taken the king with the pawn just to mock him.
Just my thought :D
Hey, I've done it before. It's satisfying.
Afonso Almada not really, if you did it simply to spite your opponent in a game of chess it would have no impact on how you'd act in a real battlefield
@ nah, it means he's not worth being dealt by the king, a simple pawn is more than enough.
@ No, after king is dead the game ends.
I would've captured the king with my pawn and stated "the people have spoken".
He believed in the heart of the pawns
The scene works even if everybody _in_ the scene knows the move is illegal. Nobody would dare stand up and tell them "acshually that's an illegal move". Schneizel is breaking the rules, staring Lelouch in the eye, and asking "What are you going to do about it? Are you going to cry foul? Are you going to cry foul when you are treated unfairly in real life too? Do you think anybody in this court is going to stand up and tell _me_ that I'm doing an illegal move?". This is a bit as if they had decided to have a fencing duel instead, and Schneizel decides to display his confidence by throwing his sword away.... nobody is going to stand up and tell these two that it's actually disallowed.
Good point but I slighlty disagree. When I watched the scene I didn't know about it being an illegal move, and so the read I gave it was very different from what you wrote above, which basically says that Schnizel 'cheats' and "arrogantly" expects to not be challenged on it, while if it "isn't treated as" an illegal move what he does is "fair game". The scene might 'work' but it will give a completely different read to it.
@@lucaschiarenza5648 It would have been an easy fix to have SOMEONE in the scene mention that its an illegal move. That'd fix the whole thing and clear up confusion.
@@S31Syntax I Am saying that having someone say that doesn't 'fix' it. It fixes at most your immersion / sospension of disbelief, but at the expense of changing the message of the scene since Shnizel goes from someone who 'is willing to sacrifice himself' to a cheat. It also changes consquences as the game should end with his move without waiting for Zero's reaction. And even if the 'crowd' accepts Schnizel's illegal move then it wold not go againt Leoluche's pride to call him out as it wold be An unfair situation that Schnizel cheated him in.
From my perspective this fix makes the scene worse ^^'
@@lucaschiarenza5648 I don't think cheating is really the point of it, even if it's technically what Schneizel is doing. The point is kind of that he is ignoring the rules in a way where it seems organic and specifically would make Lelouch seem like a hypocrite if he calls it out. He is not having his knights jump across the entire field, or moving his rooks diagonally, or his pawns sideways. He moves his king as a king should move, and merely ignores the rule that a king cannot put himself in danger, which is a rule that goes directly against the whole idea of the king leading from the front that Lelouch repeated throughout the story.
The point is that starting the argument would already be a bad move for Lelouch because how is he supposed to argue that what Schneizel did is wrong? If he moves a piece in a way it can't move, you can argue physical limitations. But the only thing you could argue against Schneizel's move is that it is "not proper" for the king to go directly into a losing battle. That would be a fine point to make if this were some kind of formal chess championship, but it's not, it's just about two people getting to know each other.
On top of that, he's not using the illegal move to gain an advantage, but rather the opposite. So I don't think there's any merit to interpreting it as "he's a cheat", because you would be arguing mere technicalities rather than fairness. He is still "someone willing to sacrifice himself", he simply breaks standard protocoll to do that.
In short, what I'm trying to say is: It may be against the rules, but it's not against the spirit of their match, which is why it wouldn't diminish Schneizel's character.
This interpretation, it just works. Lololol
I feel they could have just changed the scene by having Shniezel acknowledge that it's and illegal move. The reason that it's and illegal move is because you would instantly lose the game because your opponents king can always capture. Its the same as moving into check. So it's not that the move is truly illegal, but more that it's suicide. The statement Shniezel makes is that he is willing to sacrifice himself for his goals, whereas lelouch is not. You could make this apparent by having the white king be surrounded by pieces waiting to pounce on Lelouch as soon as he won. Shniezel would then forfeit the game but Lelouch's hesitation and reaction would be all he needed to learn something about Zero.
I'm assuming Emmett's proposed scene rewrite can still be an act of "show, don't tell" by merely implying the message through outright emphasizing Lelouch and his opponent's reaction to such a move. Message will be retained, albeit set up in a more logical sense than what the anime chose to portray the on-board scenario as.
Sure. The checkmate is symbolical, most than in the actual play. Actually Schniezel called checkmate on Lelouch behalf. Schniezel is willing to lose, but making a daring move, that Lelouch couldn't in that point of the story. In that moment, Lelouch is willing to sacrifice others, acting like, pun intended, pawns in his game of revenge. He changed, of course, which It leads to the ending, where actually Lelouch, sacrifice himself for the tomorrow.
He is heir to the throne. They make the rules. Kings do illegal things all the time in this story. Sacrificing the king is illegal because it means you lose the game. But what if it didn’t? Just as in this game, schneitzel aims to sacrifice the king in their final battle, aiming to take Lelouch down with him.
I think that would have been brilliant -- having the king be winning the game but moving into a vulnerable/suicidal position upon claiming victory. It would have shown that it wasn't about the chess game at all. Schneizel shows he is 1) willing to break the rules, 2) willing to sacrifice himself, 3) hates boring endings. Lelouch shows that he is 1) arrogant, 2) not willing to do anything to win, 3) has a long-game that extends beyond his victory (as shown in the final episode).
Showing over telling doesn't really work when the showing blatantly goes against accepted reality. Further more by telling Schniezel would actually be showing his personality and philosophy.
I'm a chess expert. Had a similar reaction; understood the motif the story was going for and was fine with the illegal King move.
But the audience saying it was even was ridiculous.
I get it and i still hate it.
Grim1952 I honestly think that there are way more controversial scenes in Code Geass that doesn’t make any sense at all more than the chess match between Lelouch and Schneizel.
You’re an expert??? What’s your Rating?
They didn’t say that when schneizel did that least not in the dub.
Like what?
I never cared that Schneizel made an illegal move... The way I always interpreted it was that Schneizel knew he was making an illegal move, and he was trying to give Zero the message "If I go down, you're coming with me. You will never beat me."
I find this to be a very good point. Code Geass does follow some internal rules in terms of dramatics and central themes, but it is not interested in realism. Having accurate chess is not the end goal of the episode nor key to the viewer experience. Rather, the framework of the series constantly places the main emphasis on stimulating an emotional reaction and developing certain aspects of Lelouch and Suzaku as characters. That can work in favor of fueling an admittedly soap opera style of drama, while annoying others who do not embrace that. But I think the series does have an internal logic after all, which is why the themes make sense. Regardless of the inaccurate chess.
i think 'internal rules' is a strong phrase. it just keeps building new situations with new rules. which is much less impressive to say something like death note that sets it's main rules out at the start and are played upon until the end.
Blue Spaceman Creating internel rules only to have them broken is not good story telling mate. And I can’t have a proper emotional reaction when I’m completely taken out of the scene by a plot hole, or character inconsistency. Don’t get me wrong, I still adore code geass.
@@kevinnigins9488 I don't see how the internal rules were broken though.
Schneizel made the illegal move to make a point to Lelouch.
0816 M3RC There is no evidence or even slightest proof of that. They don’t mention in there minds, not a single character even brings it up, I don’t get why people say that. You can’t just say this happened without it even the slightest bit of evidence.
It's amazing to think that people are still discussing this show after so many years. Truly a timeless series!
An overrated garbage in my opinion, too many plot holes, plot amor, dumb characters, unrealistic demeanor like the protagonist best friend forgiving him for making his queen do the massacre , etc
@@polololo17 There weren't any major plot holes; even though the Lelouch killing Euphy arc was pretty weak and unfounded as it revolved around Lelouch trying to make a joke.. Suzaku never forgave Lelouch, he simply decided to work with him to achieve their common goal. Most scenes are overdramatic but sometimes shows meant for entertainment still don't turn out that bad. Either way, the series pulled through to what I thought was an unfeigned finish :)
@@saltnfreshwaternz1974 if you want real good drama in a mecha anime watch bokurano, its about childrens pilots that have to save the earth from "monsters" but every time they use the robot one of the kids die because the robot use souls as fuel.
Felipe Castillo you are a garbag* in my opinion.
Ik! My fav show since 2006!
Imo the story is so epic that I can forgive the weird chess inconsistensies.
everyone: THAT'S AN ILLEGAL MOVE
me (someone who barely knows much about chess): YOU COULD'VE KILLED HIM WITH A PAWN
Illegal move is immidiate defeat so Lelouch wouldn't even have to choose the move
I don't think you got the point of the scene. The move is illegal.
Schneider makes a point by doing an illegal move, stating that he believes leaders can be above the rules. That also means he wouldn't concede whatever he promised. His move giving the opportunity of victory to Lelouch was measured so that he can have a glimpse into Lelouch's personality.
Would Lelouch be a sticker for the rules and denounce the illegal move, showing a lack of flexibility and understanding that in the real world there is no such a thing as absolute rules? Would Lelouch be naïve and take it believing he could get anything out of it? Would Lelouch still take it even without expecting anything, just for the sake of it as the emperor would? Or would he be proud and reject that victory?
He chose the latter.
The big thing here seems to be that Lelouch could have used his Geass, which would override the need for any of this chess game. However, the vice in this scene is that it is being broadcasted live, so there is a matter of public perception.
It seems like these two elements counterbalance each other during the scene, but the video is saying that the chess element is really just for show. It doesn't function as a way to bring out real conflict, but rather highlight what the writers want to emphasize about the characters. It is more of a tool to shine a light than a real challenge presented to our characters.
In shogi, japanese chess, you should eat the enemie's king after he concedes to an illegal move. Maybe the writer just had poor knowledge of chess and assumed the rules of shogi applied in that instance. This makes me believe the king to king move is a genuine writing mistake rather than play for the themes of the show.
TheVnom it’s probably both
I think it's too obvious that they wanted the two king pieces to be next to each other in that shot. Which fits the characters, despite the poor chess.
It was more symbolical, I think. He dare Lelouch to direct confrontation. At that point, Lelouch acted behind enemy lines, leading other people, using them as pawns. Even scrifice them. But Schniezel dare him to sacrifice.
Which he actually did...in the end.
@@luchomscyfy but the thing is lelouch sacrifices nothing by taking the king. It's the other guy that is sacrificing his king.
I never had a problem with the illegal move because lol warcrimes
More code geass content from you finally!!!
I like your unique perspective of explaining it that it is prioritizing "themes/story" above "real world logic", and that being consistent with the in-world themes/logic ultimately IS following logic. (In-world logic vs real world logic etc.)
2 of the most controversial moments in the show are the Euphemia twist and the Checkmate scene. I'm just going to type a huge wall now because I think this could be a good place to discuss and share my thoughts. Whoever's reading this, if you aren't interested then don't feel obliged to read this lol.
First is the Checkmate scene.
I think most are familiar with the defense in favor of the Checkmate scene, and I don't get why people don't see how it makes total sense why Lelouch didn't call him out for doing an illegal move. The characters even explain this, though it is fast paced so perhaps people didn't understand what they meant. When Schneizel makes the illegal move, Lelouch is enraged, showing that he does know that what Schneizel did was ridiculous and that he felt insulted by it. Instead of taking the King (like his father would), he instead retreats. If he had taken the King, it could have looked hypocritical to the spectators, since the Black Knights are supposed to be protectors of the weak, not those who prey on the weak. They are supposed to be noble and righteous, not opportunists. They wouldn't take a disrespectful victory like the one Schneizel was giving them, but would rather honorably fight them head on (or at least that's the image the Black Knights want to give to people). Schneizel was fine with potentially losing, if it meant he could see more of what kind of person Zero was. Many argue that you can't learn anything about someone's personality from playing a game with them which is totally false if you ever played games somewhat seriously. He saw that Zero had pride and wouldn't take the easy victory.
I'm really glad that you pointed out how the spectators DID react at how ridiculous of a move that was. They said things like "this has got to be a joke", etc. I just don't get why people are so frustrated with this scene. The scene never said that Schneizel's move was legal or anything, if it implied anything it was that the move was illegal (or at least so stupid that it should be illegal, because someone accidentally forfeiting like that would be lame).
As for the Euphemia scene, I hope this isn't too jumbled up and the general points come through. There are a lot of justifications/ramifications for the scene that I see basically never mentioned. I'll go over the common defense points first.
1) Lelouch is arrogant and everything has been going well for most of the show. It is poetic justice (or karma or whatever) that eventually he will make a critical mistake due to his hubris. A tragic moment like this is perfect for advancing the focus of his character arc at that point, which is the question of whether he wants to go all the way, or try to quit and go back to a normal life before he stains his hands with too much blood.
2) There is that little foreshadowing not only at the beginning of the episode, but the entire Mao arc! We saw the potential dangers of Geass.
3) We know that Lelouch has terrible humor, which is not an arbitrary trait but compliments (or helps to show) that he is a bit off when it comes to being a normal person, and that same something that he lacks could be why he has a disposition towards the path of vengeance he chose. He has a twisted nature in simpler words.
4) Euphie's intentions and beliefs and methods are pure, and win Lelouch over. Lelouch however deep inside him wants to be the righteous King who destroys Britannia. When he admits defeat, he is stubborn and jokes arrogantly about how great he is. The way the scene flowed made perfect sense and the consequence Lelouch faced was a fitting punishment of not only the way he is as a person and how he reacted to Euphy's proposal to join forces, but a fitting punishment for all the crimes he committed.
Ok, now for the thematic stuff that make me have a lot of respect for the thought went into this scene, that I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere really.
The BIG problem everyone has with this scene is that the Geass activated JUST when he gave the worst possible joke, and that this is seen as a huge plot convenience. Is it really a plot convenience though? Consider the following.
A big theme is lies and masks. Lelouch is honest for once in this scene when he is defeated by Euphy, but tragically when he tells her about Geass the worst happens. He is punished. In fact he's punished not just by the themes of the show but by the people of the world.
Remember that Geass is like the "wish of the people". And that "God" is really just the collective unconscious of the world; their desires and wishes.
So what happens when Lelouch tries to give in to Euphy's proposal, and put down his mask? After having committed to the path of vengeance and blood, it's too late for him to turn back. The world wants not just the Specially Administrative Zone, but to bring Britannia to justice. The world *won't let him* quit. And it is the greatest of ironies that when he tries to put down his mask as Zero (or at least the Zero that was going to destroy Britannia), and when he is honest for once, he is tragically punished and receives a huge burden.
This scene has huge ramifications for the entire show, and connects the end of Season 1 to the end of Season 2, when Lelouch needs to take see his lies to the end, so that they become the truth like Suzaku told him he must do. He goes through with the Zero Requiem and doesn't falter like he did in Season 1, even when he finds that Nunally is still alive.
You could say that the message here is that if you've stained your hands with blood, you have a responsibility to see it through to make the most of the lives who were lost. Lelouch tried to selfishlessly back down from his responsibility as Zero, to be on good terms with Euphy who was his love. Lelouch says himself to Toudou near the end of Season 1, that for the miracle Toudou pulled off vs Britannia in the past, he now carries the responsibility to see it through to the end until Japan is freed.
All the themes are there. They may not have been talked about front and center, but they are all present and develop throughout the show. The big question at that part of the story was what CC asked Lelouch, if he was ready to continue his path of vengeance or if he wanted to turn back. The Euphemia twist scene is the answer to that question. He *couldn't* turn back, not after staining his hands with so much blood. And that is also the truth that he accepts in tears, commanding the Black Knights to find Euphy and kill her.
If you read all of this thank you, I love Geass very much and just wanted to share what I felt was good about the scene, and that fans shouldn't look at the scene as a plot convenience.
Damn son, you got some good points in there.(...i have no idea what to say next...oh i know). When the twist happend i went like "...oh s*** you f**ked up Lelouch. Or i guess not really, but you get me boy, you just caused the death of many elevens. And even the death of your love(?), which umm...continues onwords i guess."
....Anyway, so um...idk what to say really, just that you have some good points or good analysis, idk what really, since its late and im tired as hell and feel like i have gotten dumber throughout the summer vacation...and now im talking about unrelated stuff...nice
Yeah it's called Formalism. Theres often debates about Realism vs Formalism without people being aware that the latter is even a thing but basically Formalism is about a story that adheres to it's own reality not own. Essentially a story must remain True to it's form. Regardless of our reality because in a formalist story our reality doesn't matter.
I don't understand....... How the heck does post a comment that long??
@@avoryeda7606 Thanks for reading my post, and giving a thoughtful answer. People normally just say that I'm reaching and that those themes aren't present at all. I won't say it's perfect as I do agree that ideally, you don't want things to be too understated, especially because people can interpret things differently so you want to make it somewhat clear what the intended themes are so that they can have confidence that those ideas were actually thought out by the writers and it wasn't just an accident or such.
It is a balance though of course, because you also don't want to take up too much time or make it too in the face of the viewer. Personally I wasn't bothered by the tragicness of the Geass activating during his worst joke, I felt like he had it coming and it made sense thematically, and looking back at the scene I was able to appreciate it even more after knowing things like the God of their world is simply the collective unconscious of people's wishes and desires.
An accident happening at the worst possible moment is something that does happen in real life and is relateable, so on my first watch it didn't hurt my immersion or anything since a tragedy of that multitude was deserved. If Lelouch was a noble and just person who did little to no wrong, then I would have felt such a twist was undeserved and forced.
Since the show has a big focus on drama and themes, I felt it was a good way to advance the story from what seemed to be a checkmate by Euphy. Lelouch was arrogant and not respecting the innocent lives he sacrificed enough, so he needed a wakeup call.
those who think this is plot convenience are not real fan
Honestly, though, any time they play chess in Code Geass I just substitute it for Duel Monsters in my head. Solves this problem real neatly.
I have the box set of Code Geass. It includes booklets with additional information from the creators. In one of the booklets they state that they have no idea how Chess works and just treated it similar to Go.
So there is that.
WraithReaper09 wow! For people who don’t know much about it, they did a lot of things right.
The audience doesn’t even need to know anything about chess or it’s rules to understand this scene. Schneizel is willing to sacrifice himself the king to win and lelouch at that point didn’t capture the king because he’s childish and didn’t want schneizel to feel like he won. This gives him info about what kind of man Zero is
Simple, somebody gets it.
I dont see how giving your king away for free shows that youre willing to sacrifice yourself to win. If that king move was an actual sacrifice then I wouldnt have been bothered but you can literally see a pawn beside the two kings that could easily take Schneizel's king.
Lol, my brother plays chess. His takeaway when we watched that scene together was "oh, so Schneizel doesn't know how to play chess."
This fact was so distracting to him, that he missed the overall point of what was going on.
I don't think themes should trump logic. The writers CHOSE to put a chess theme into their show, so they should follow through. Plenty of alternative ways to portray the same thing have been suggested. Surely the writers could have done better.
ActiveAnimals This, Mese En Scene is beyond important. If you are going to put a chess board in the scene and have characters play, at least make it a real meaningful game that actually could have happen with intelligent thought.
Yeah, they could have done it where Schneizel willingly would let Lelouch checkmate him instead of Schneizel making an illegal move. Didn’t really change the show for me though it was still awesome.
I disagree. The first scene on season 1 had actually real chess going on. It may look like that Lelouch just wants to move the king to show his character but it is actually the best move to use in that situation.
WTF??
Rieko Alexander E. Rosales it’s true
Schneizel isn't breaking the rules because it's not a rule in the world of Code Geass, but because he's more interested in seeing Lelouch's reaction than he is in the rules.
No one is going to tell the Prince of a country (who has already demonstrated adequate competency) that he made an illegal move except possibly Zero himself. Of course Zero telling him that it's an illegal move is just one of the possible reactions he's looking for.
The fact that earlier episodes used real chess bothers me in that there was such a blatant disregard for the actual board-state that was being seen as "even," but not in that a character deliberately chose to forfeit using an illegal move.
@@carstan62 exactly my point of view
Yeah, it was the best move in that situation. However, the whole "you can't possibly win this game" was completely laughable. Even a beginner like myself could see the winning move. Therefore, the time limit Lelouch had given himself was ridiculously high. Also the position of the pieces would be impossible in a high level game. And these players ought to be way beyond my level. If they cared about chess at all, they could've chosen an existing game like Anand vs Caruana earlier this year where Caruana won by a miracle play. First show how the game plays out so you can really see how Lelouch's arrogance was grounded in justified confidence while the noble player was losing his mind over the game. Would instantly make the whole scene better in terms of story and character development, but also doesn't lose chess players over the most ridiculous things.
Code Geass is my all time favorite anime (if you can’t tell from my avatar). I’ve played chess since I was 4. I’ve played it competively since I was 12.
This isn’t about the game at all, it’s about the characters in it.
The illegal move didn’t matter to me, in fact, it could be read as schnizel offering to resign, the board state not being near equal bothers me a lot more
@Mark S thats an opinion
@Mark S its really not a fact, saying something is better is an opinion.
@Mark S how small is your brain?
Your in-depth explanations give me a new respect for this show. And I already loved it, so thank you
was playing this in the background when I suddently notice the log horizon music, thank you for that
Well code geass will always be favorite anime and it what got me to restart playing chess again so ironic
The move was part of the narrative. Basically saying... I control the board, I own the game. Even if you win, you will never have this kind of power. And Lelouch recognize this that's why he recoils. He understand that taking an undeserved win will harm his ego and the cause far more than finding a way of beating the opponent
Never had an issue with this. For one the first scene was all I needed un terms of competency. All the rest of chess references in the show are a way of assigning rank based on the abilities of the pilot. And no... Karen is his Knight as he recognize the same traits Susaku has, the ability to quickly get on the field jump lines and control the field
She refers as CC mech as the queen
I watched this scene, thought, "Hey wait, that's illegal," and then thought, "Whatever, it's a thematic choice, just roll with it." I like chess, but I'm not like a chess fanatic or anythjng, but I didn't know people got hung up on this so much.
didn't even remember this and I *am* a chess fanatic
There is a way to taunt him. Like a comment above, Lelouch could taunt him that he doesn't know how to play chess.
i really don't see how someone watches that scene and attempts to go to the extreme stretch of "Code Geass chess follows different rules". The entire game between schneisel and zero is a diplomatic confrontation, so obviously no one cares about schneisel breaking the rules, it's an elaborate argument using a board game.
lelouch moves the king while being at a severe disadvantage already
chess pros: thats stupid, dont do that
alphazero: lol, i wander my king around the whole board. you mad, bro?
I refer you all to the "The Man Behind the Mask: How Lelouch Led With the King | Code Geass Analysis" video by Kato. It complements this video well.
Oh, and the first match against a noble in season 1 was 100% accurate and legit. Kato analysed it (among others things) in his video, and the rest of Lelouch's moves as well as how he won can be figured out.
I'm sorry to say but the first match against a noble in season 1 was not 100% accurate and legit. Kato explains in his video that there is a mate in three. The noble tells us that there is 20 seconds per move which would mean if Lelouch had seen the mate the game would take a maximum of 6*20 seconds = 2 minutes. Lelouch says "it will be over in nine minutes". Therefore Lelouch did not see the mate. It is sloppy writing i'm afraid.
@@tobydreisler4714 i thought he said something along the lines of give it nine minutes at most.
Being the maximum amount of time needed instead of the time he actually took.
@@AbstractTraitorHero In the subbed version of the anime the subtitles states "It'll be over in nine minutes" at the 3.16 time stamp
@@tobydreisler4714 That's a mistake in the dub, not the writing of the show.
@@AnimeSimp234 I have just reseen and reheard both the Eng dub and the Eng sub and it seems strange to me that this is a translation mistake if the same wording was used in both the dub and sub.
In the Eng dub he says "I will need nine minutes" that is not true he will only need 2 minutes
It stopped being a game when Lelouch taunted Schneizel. The logic of the game was out the window. The theme is the important one
I think at the point that move was made that game completely stopped being actually about chess and became 100% a game about the clash of ideology and ideals between the two players.
And more importantly they weren't playing at some sort of official chess tournament, it's more of theatrical chess match where people focus more on thr personality of the players and the messages they are exchanges through the match rather than their actual moves themselves.
More code geass content please!
I dont mind Code Geass breaking some "chess competency" for its theme and motifs but there were a couple of times (me being an actual chess player) that i had to cringe at the lack of understanding the show seem to have on chess while also trying to have chess as that motif. I really like the idea of chess in an "intellectual" story so to speak but if it does it wrong or at least if it doesnt technically make sense in the context the actual chess game then it can become cringe.
I am a chess player too but i didn't see anything other than the chess game with schneizel as being different from standard chess games and that was only because it was meant to be philosophical and shit
@@petecarson1223 The thing is, from a storytelling and worldbuilding perspective it utterly fails. It drags I loved the example of HxH in this video: if they created a chess-like game they could've done whatever they wanted. However, when you drag elements from the real world into the world you're building, make sure it stays consistent because otherwise you destroy the immersion of at least a part of your audience. Inconsistencies - especially in crucial moments like these - are lazy writing. If moving the king into the danger zone was a legal move in this world, the writers should've at least introduced the idea long before a climactic scene like this.
@@forn8473 But it wasn't even stated if it was a legal move or not...
@@wave2513 It is implied. If there are 20 characters commenting on the move as if it were legal and just stupid, you simply cannot argue it's illegal.
My goodness, I love this show
Yes, yes I can’t believe this is even a question. I’m a major chess player btw, and did notice that but I think ultimately taking liberties with reality is essential to carrying themes.
This was an amazing video, keeping the audience interested while talking bout ways it was well done and ways that it could have been done better and great osts
My goodness this ost is bringing soo many memories
Im a chess Grand Master and I love that scene
A good writer would be able to obey logic AND support their themes. Writers have full control over what goes on in the worlds they make. They should be able to do both, not just one or the other.
But this wrongly implies all good shows must be identical or that nobody is allowed to make any series that is unrealistic, flaws or over the top in any respect. If I were a writer, I'd eventuslly choose to intentionally make a few shows that don't always follow realistic logic either. Not due to lack of skill, but because that's part of my specific goal for the show itself. I feel it was a decision the creator of Code Geass made as well.
Yeah, this is something nobody else here seems to point out. It would be stupid to suggest that stories have to be 100% realistic, but when in-world logic is set or you draw something from your story directly from the real world you don't discard the rules just so a scene goes the way you want it to.
Restrictions imposed by in-world or real world rules aren't obstacles for writing, they're puzzles that can be solved in ingenious ways to achieve your ends while remaining consistent. If your first plan for an important scene doesn't quite work with the rules, what you do is either change its setup or make alterations to the scene itself so it does follow the rules. More often than not the effort put in to do this will make the scene _better_ than the old draft, not watered down.
There should never be a choice between thematics and logical consistency if you think things through well enough.
It's interesting that the first chess game against the Nobel, actually does make alot of sense chess wise.
Even if it's not explicitly mentioned, one could consider that chess in this universe is very much similar but has minor shift in rules.
Point is that this isn't a "you can't have your cake and eat it too" scenario. Themes and logic aren't in any way, shape or form incompatible, and as several comments pointed out, there were better ways to execute said scene without compromising thematic, and would perhaps even enhance it. In other words, it's just yet another example misexecution. It's no surprise that a lack of due diligence results in a lackluster result and alienation of viewers.
The point of the cake is to eat it.
@JRH Bro, you are talking out of your ass right now. You literally just made that up and have no basis for believing it, especially considering you try to imply "being a chess player" to somehow makes you knowledgable about chess history. At best, Henry Davidson claims the earliest mention of the king being capturable is in 700-800 AD by the Persians. At this time, the game wasn't even remotely close to the modern variant of chess, so even then it has no relevancy. In other words, in the ancient game which served as the BASIS of chess, not the game of chess itself, one of the first rules to be changed was to make the King uncapturable.
literally didn't faze me the first time I watched it. I didn't even remember this existed until I saw this video recommended to me
Logic is king and should remain up top in the heirarchy of values.
I quote
Lelouch: Thats against the rules.
Schneizel: Screw the rules I'm the prince of Britannia.
I really appreciate that you put in the thinking music from Sangatsu when talking about the rules of chess.
I was always more focused on the characters and their ideology/psyche in that scene.
Schneizel pulling an illegal move there fits perfectly and foreshadows what's to come in the future.
The reaction of the crowd clearly empathizes how that move is special and nobody would ever scream "That's illegal".
And for Lelouch it was a challenge he had to react to. (it was really a mental game, more than a chess game)
I also never assume that something in a fictional world works 100% exactly like in real life. (as a biophysicist I wouldn't be able to enjoy most works of fiction)
Being a casual chess player, this was an awesome video and you totally emphasized all of my thoughts on chess in code geass. When chess had been presented correctly earlier on in the anime (the first board setup with the noble was actually a great puzzle), it seemed incredibly lazy when they didnt care for the board setup for the battle with schneizel. Pick one. Either be consistent and care about the board setup or disregard the logic of it and focus on the drama for the WHOLE series.
Also i see you with that march comes in like a lion soundtrack ;)
Your code geass vids made me subscribe. Well done
You were able to put to words the defenses for this and the euphy moment that I couldn't, but was looking for
Code Geass is set in an alternate timeline, could be a different set of rules for all we know.
That is what makes people upset. If they are playing a different chess this should have been acknowledge beforehand not a surprise in an important scene in the story. Those who are familiar with chess their immediate reaction is wait that is illegal. Why is no one pointing that out. Are they playing chess with different rules? If they are then I did not really understand the story if I miss that detail. What is the point of continuing watching when it is pretty clear that I don't understand the story from the very beginning? The story rely heavily on the logic of chess to establish themes that prevents them from ignoring chess logic in an important scene. That is a sure way to break immersion.
Why is your channel so underated?
...The content is amazing
My fav show omfg!!!
Code Gayass LeDouche of the Rebellion
I discovered your channel recently, and I love it, great thematic analysis. I hope you go far.
I thought the scene was fine because schneitzel definitely didn't intend to lose.
Not even sure if he intended to win.
ant the end(of the series ) he won by knocking down his own king...
Btw the reason we see chess pieces switch up once being less pieces but every other Lelouch had more is because animator mistake rather than writing mistake. So it was actually true that Lelouch had more pieces thus explaining how they say they were tied and its consistency of showing Lelouch with more pieces than less.
My problem isn't with the illegal move itself, it's with the larger pattern of the writers clearly having no idea how the actual game is played while trying to use it to demonstrate the characters' intelligence and tactical prowess. Using a real-life game in a way that any casual observer can see that what the characters are doing is in fact _not_ strategically sound completely undermines the dramatic tension you get from using the game as a parallel for the central conflict.
A skilled chess player suddenly making an illegal, suicidal move to prove a point about real leadership and a similarly skilled player allowing it to prove their own point has thematic weight, but there's no rules or established strategy to boldly flout here because they weren't following any in the first place. We have no reason to believe Schneizel and Lelouch actually know what they're doing aside from characters outright telling us so.
It kind of feels like the writers are just trying to use chess's prestige, and the common idea that one needs to be highly intelligent to play chess at an expert level, to do the heavy lifting for them. If they were to use a fictional game, or no game, they'd lose out on the chess motifs (the one you mentioned with Lelouch likening the Black Knights to chess pieces, with himself as the King, whose death means absolute failure, admittedly works quite well), but using chess in this way is kind of cliche anyway, and the connection between chess and battlefield tactics is largely romanticisation.
I actually think Gungi in HxH is a perfect counterexample because it succeeds where chess in Code Geass (and many other works of fiction) fails _because_ it's a fictional game. We can take Meruem and Komugi's skill for granted because we don't know the full implications of every move and the complexities of every board state. Also, it's not being used as a stand-in for anything other than their skill at Gungi, and the games have stakes despite this because of what they mean for both players. Meruem needs to win because being the perfect Ant King is his reason for existing, and he finds the idea of a human beating him at something even as insignificant as a board game inconceivable. Komugi needs to win because Gungi and Meruem are all she has, and she wants to keep impressing him (and has to if she wants to live).
Meruem is a skilled leader, fighter, and player, but we're never expected to believe he's good at any of these things just because he's good at the others. He has to learn these skills individually, and his ability to do so as quickly as he does is the true indicator of his intelligence.
Yea this is pretty much it. While the scene didn’t bother me significantly, it also was less impactful than it could have been due to breaking suspension of disbelief. They could have just made the scene 1 move earlier and have Lelouch go wait this allows an obvious checkmate. Instead, it appears more like 2 chess experts having no idea what they’re doing.
i agree chess is just a game which is not supposed in the first place to represent real life accurately at all specially if you have studied the medieval period at all
I'm not sure if you didn't bring it up because it's a different scene, or to protect some spoilers, but this scene isn't just intensely symbolic - it's the setup to Lelouch's victory in the finale.
Spoilers below -
Because I saw 2 things that mirror the chess game in the final battle for Damocles. First, Lelouch himself says that he predicted his brother's moves based on their chess match. He knew his brother would just give up at the end, forgoing a clear victory or defeat via some obscure third way - in the final battle, planning to blow up everything for a phyrric "draw" that kills Lelouch but loses the Damocles.
But second, to win that battle, Lelouch does exactly what he *didn't* do in the chess match - King takes King. Sure, Schnizel doesn't offer himself up to defeat like the chess match, but Lelouch makes the decision to Checkmate his brother *personally*, and devises his strategy accordingly.
So, the finale is really a huge call back to the very same match that angered everyone. Sure, the victory itself is important, but the fact that it's basically one big rematch of an original draw is a heavy thematic point.
What always bothered me was in the very first chess game we see Lelouch play he says something along the lines of "a king must lead". And while this, of course is just for showing his personal philosophy it is a really stupid thing to do in chess. So for me he didn't seem like the strategic genius the scene was trying to paint him as. Instead he seemed more like a reckless idiot.
Edit: I just looked up the exact situation on the board and turns out I was wrong. In this specific scenario it's actually a pretty smart move.
its actually a pretty good move when you know how to play it out
Your solution with Mao would make sense, but at the same time, I never had a problem with this scene. I always felt that this was done on purpose. The characters comment that it looks like the game will end in a draw, and then Schneizel purposefully throws the game instead, as just another move in the bigger game between himself and Lelouch. Placing his king in check is just a flashy way to do that, which fits with how he and Lelouch have already been using their kings metaphorically. The board state being uneven really is a much bigger issue than the illegal move, which makes perfect sense in context.
This doesn't really change much, but I've heard it theorized that in the show they play "Japanese chess" (that's what one such theorist called it, I think the actual name is jailbreak chess or something) where you can replace captured pieces on the board instead of moving if you've captured the same type of piece from the opponent. It doesn't really affect the legality of Schneizels move, but it is my headcanon for why theboard states are always so wonky throughout the show, and why lelouch and him could have been in a dead heat when lelouch seems to be missing so many pieces.
*Nobody*
Me playing chess with my friend:
1:32
I dunno, but in the first episode game position wad real. You can pause and find out that that king move really led to win.
The most jarring thing about this is that, as you mentioned, is inconsistent throughout its run when the very first game of chess can be recreated (although we only see one position) and has a narrative point that actually follows the rules of real world chess which shows they really put a lot of thought into it.
Check out Kato's video on the subject does a good job explaining it (The Man Behind the Mask: How Lelouch Led With the King | Code Geass Analysis
).
Love the video. But what I love the most are those TL Notes of that fansub of R2.
love this video!
I mean the purpose of the board for shadows the final episode where lelouch along with his only friend manage to beat snitsel who had more people on his side, including lelouch's sister
In real world chess if the were playing blitz with King takes rules (you take the opponent’s king if they make an illegal move) then this scene could be recreated in real life.
It for real bothered me. (haven't started the vid yet).
Maybe it's because chess is an actual real thing with clear cut rules. While people's suspension of disbelief towards robot fights and outlandish war schemes are a little more forgiving. Seeing a character who is meant to be smart, totally fuck up a game he's meant to be good at... just comes off as silly rather than thematically resonant.
They could have used Shogi instead, or crazyhouse chess with the king able to take another king
4:00
He could very well have used the pawn to take the king.
He could have also very well used the king to take the king. That's why the move is illegal in the first place - it'd give an instant win.
The entire point was that while he could very well have done that he refused to and the entire reason people were frustrated was that it would be illegal to even create that situation.
But the pawn IS a problem. It's not a king vs king if you have other pieces around that can take the white king. Even if that move is illegal, it's also extremely stupid, because in that part of the board there's no real stalemate, Lelouch is clearly winning. They should have arranged a more realistic game, in which Schneider could have broken the rule in not-so-ridiculous way
@@yraco1232 that still doesn't answer why he didn't take with the pawn. Game would have been won, black king is still in it's original square so no "the white pieces are about to pounce on him" bullshit, and opponent gets rekt in the most prideful "no u"
@@josephoyek6574 You know it would also have been won if Lelouch used the king to take it too, right? That flattens the significance of using the pawn instead. The idea is that he refused to take the opportunity that was handed over to him, but also subsequently moved his king back as to not give Schneizel the opportunity in return.
I can see what code Geass tries to do, but to anyone who actually knows the rules of chess it just comes off as a farce. There are way better ways to show the same things. Instead of 'making the king lead' just let him play the king's gambit, an actual viable opening that still exposes the king to attack (preserving the theme) Instead of attacking king with king, make him play a queen sacrifice.
Lelouch should have just challenged him to a Children's Card Game.
"Screw the rules, I have Geass!"
@@ReplayValue I summon Suzaku, The Forbidden One.
@@georgeprchal3924 you mean suzaku the spinning one
@@solmagnumxiii1734 Suzaku the Soup One.
The main problem with Schneizel's king move is that it completely breaks the idea it's trying to convey. That move was intended to show him as a tactical genius getting into Lelouch's skin, but for anyone with some chess knowledge, it just made him look like a dork and cause the viewer to cringe a bit. It's like using basketball, but making a player kick the ball to prove a point.
But the actual worst part is Lelouch's reaction. Moving his king back in panic makes zero sense. Even if Schneizel's move got into his skin, he'd instead start screaming for Schneizel to make a proper move or something. What happened in the scene simply screamed 'we writers have no idea of how chess works' and nothing else.
A few other ideas of how the scene could take place:
1 - Schneizel, while in a winning board state, refuses to touch the clock to let Lelouch move, and teases about flagging (losing due to timeloss) intentionally, then talking about this being just a game and how in real life everyone is just a piece.
2 - Schneizel making the same weird-ass move, while laughing off the illegality and claiming 'Real leaders make the rules and don't follow others. Now will you accept your free win and Suzaku?', prompting Lelouch to tilt and not accept it.
3 - Scheizel proceeds to play a bongcloud (notoriously bad chess opening that includes moving the king to the middle of the board right at the start), while mocking Zero's "real kings move first for others to follow'" philosophy. Which would prompt Lelouch to do the same opening (causing a hillariously bad game)
4 - (the safest idea, works well along with 3) Schneizel proceeds to kick Lelouch's ass. At some point in the game he goes like 'So, this is clearly looking like a win to me. But, as you know, if I move this piece, you'll check-mate me in two moves and there's nothing I can do about it'. He then moves, offering the free win and causing the same reaction from Lelouch.
I agree that Schnwizel making an illegal move and Lelouch reacting without telling anyone about the play isn't a problem given how they justified it. What is a problem, one that you sorta alluded to is how it's quite a stretch to believe that no one in this room outside of our two players have any idea how this shit works. It definitely should have been called out and they should not have said it was an even match. Hell, they could have still allowed time for Lelouch to hesitate and consider hiding before the illegal move is called out, which wouldn't remotely hinder the scene in the slightest as it ultimately still gets Schneizel's real purpose and result behind the move: learning something useful about Zero. Lelouch knows it's illegal and in the scene itself knows that Schneizel knows it's illegal, so it's not like the show doesn't acknowledge this. The inconsistent board thing is another issue but yea, I feel this issue with the scene could easily be fixed.
i think it was an attempt to surrender. Zero obviously values his identity greatly, and if he wins he loses that. Zero also gets an insane kick out of winning as an underdog, that flow state. Nigel took that away, he knew his brother
The timing of Lelouch's joke was imho not a plot convenience, but things going haywire the moment he opens up to someone and trust her, thereby letting his guard down for the first time in a long while.
Otakundead OU uh wrong video?
7:30
I understand ... But if lelouch was worried ... He can take the king with the pawn ... Mybe Shanzel we notice that Zero is not brave enough to do things on his own or put him self in danger, But its too late Because Zero Won ... So he can use his power on every body to make obey his orders .... + If they didnt change the chess logic in Code Gease it would be better ... Because this anime is tring to teach us lessons ... And making references to the real world is the best way to do that
nonono Its not about the ilegal move that didnt bother me, it was amazing, the problem is the inconsistency is almost like the creators dont understand chess
holy shit, is that new code geass content?
There's a variation of chess, the 1 minute real time clock, where you can move in a check and your king can be captured. At least in my city I have seen it.
Nah, the makers just legitimately didn't know how to play chess.
I think whatever Lelouch do in that situation, Schneizel would have his "win", it's just the kind of person Schneizel is. No matter what situation he find himself in, he's always have a backup objective, similar to how when he lost the final battle, he still had another objective in mind to come back.
Schneizel knows this won't be the last time he faces Zero. Even if he loses the game, a failed alliance doesn't matter much to Britannia, he might as well try to figure out what kind of a person Zero is.
If Lelouch say it's an illegal move, Lelouch is a stickler for rules
If Lelouch's king takes king, Lelouch is the kind to get personal
If Lelouch's pawn takes king, Lelouch is the kind to make his henchmen do his dirty work
If Lelouch's king falls back, Lelouch is the kind that won't accept his win if it's handed to him, or refused to play into his enemies objective(s)
Seems like everyone in the scene knew it was an illegal move. They don't need to yell "this is an illegal move."
I mean didnt he do something similar later in the series. He was willing to sacrifice the Damocles and everyone on it just to kill Lelouch. he was willing to sacrifice everything throughout the series so he could learn or win. Thinking back, he even used it on Suzaku and Euphy and the others when they were caught on the disruption field wne he fired the hadron cannons. He was willing to sacrifice them to kill zero.
Don’t forget the philosophy in the show as well that’s what makes this show so great it’s one of my favorites
I agree with most of this. Great video.
I think the blow could have been lessened by adding a line to the audience reaction like "that kind of move used to be illegal but an arcane rule change made it technically okay, albeit still dumb."
Excellent take, Replay. I often see people say that themes outweigh logic, and that frustrates me. We can have both. Great art and stories come from both: they don't work without the other.
I think they should have taken the opportunity to establish another game. To save time, they can say it's inspired by chess, but with variations: it'd hardly be the most drastic difference between that setting and our own. They could have taken it as a moment to relate the game with its variations to the characters. e.g Lelouch decides he identifies with the not-chess King piece, but hates using it because it lacks utility. Schniezel may also enjoy it, but enjoy using strategies with it. Take that opportunity to foreshadow this very moment.
But, hindsight is 20/20, and I respect some shows will stumble and have to make the best of bad situations. That doesn't make them bad, nor does it make them unlovable
Fun Fact: They're making a Gungi board game now. I'm hoping for some memes about how Meruem is a terrible player that is constantly getting Scholar's Mate'd.
As someone who does know about chess and has played it I can say that it never bothered me. The symbolic weight of what the game means overshadows any in inaccuracies shown. I think judging it off of that one inaccurate move Is just plain overreacting, if you care about chess it’s not a big deal and if you care about story really it does enough that it should get a pass
Yeah I mean this is pretty common in movies and other shows, it's pretty irrelevant to the story here so I don't really mind. But if it's something that most people would be like wtf then it's probably bad story telling
@@theblackdeath10 Yes, it's common, and it's annoying every time. Being common is not an excuse for lazy writing. The same thing could have been expressed in a different way.
Love this video
a bit late but this can relate to the line what was it in the final battle Lelouch not mastering the mask can not lead. as we see Shniezel he is always wearing a mask always hiding behind words or goals in fact as Lelouch pointed out. Shniezel hates losing and always puts things in a reset but Shniezel almost never shows that he hated that losing unlike Lelouch who acts like a brat at the loss or the action where Shniezel hides and still trys to put things as a victory never showing emotion needlessly and pokoveing the setback while Lelouch after his depressing brat stage uses the loss as a heavy learning experience and pushes himself harder then before
I played chess a lot and was captain of the chess team in high school too... when watching this, it honestly didn't bother me at all. Since I understood the concept of what the king represented in this show and that this wasn't a chess game but a battle of the mind. So this is a great breakdown and I don't think this ruins this wonderful anime at all. I love chess and I love this anime. I always see Lelouch and Zero as the two kings in the game, where Lelouch is the black king and Zero is the white king. Because of the way it ended.
I think the scene still works despite the illegal move because lelouche doesn't call Schneizel out on it and continues to play indicating that for them this is more than just a game where everyone plays by the rules. For them, they are the 2 kings on the board. I can't really tell but I'm assuming Lelouche (the black king) would also be moving himself in check if he took out Schneizel. Otherwise I agree with the complaints because the scene makes little to no sense. If he can kill schneizel without putting himself at risk he'd take it. There's really nothing to be indecisive about in that situation, and at least the basic knowledge of how pieces move needs to be followed or else the metaphor can lose it's meaning if it's being forced.
On the one hand you ignore the rule about putting yourself in check, and that works as a metaphor for the risk one would take in an actual battle. It would be ridiculous though if someones king jumped 3 spaces across the board to win because there's no deeper meaning behind it. My only gripe is lelouche's false dilemma of being afraid to win unless he's also putting himself in check when he takes Schneizels king which also means the rules still play an important role in sending a message even if they aren't being followed. This scene only works as a test of what Lelouche and Scheizel are willing to risk. It's fitting that lelouche backs down because it once again exposes a deeper character flaw he posses and eventually overcomes by claiming victory but dying.
That scene with the touching kings is the definition of "Wait. That's illegal." "No it isn't! I don't want it to be illegal, therefore it isn't!"
I've won the nordic chess championship twice and in this specific scene i don't mind (that much) that they are breaking the rules for thematic effect. But if you analyse all of the scenes with chess you realise that Lelouch is actually a really bad chess player and this doesn't fit his character at all. This i do mind. That is lazilly done by the crew.
In the scene where we are introduced to Lelouch he says black will win in 9 minutes but if Lelouch plays correctly it will take a maximum of 2 minutes by playing Kg6, Rh8, Qh1 checkmate.
Some other instances?
@@daemonspade8316 Both his games with Mao. If he was a good chess player and thereby avoided using dirty tricks Mao wouldn't win their game even thou he could read Lelouch's mind.
If i played against a worse opponent i would either win or draw if i told my opponent my plan and how he could avoid it.
The reason why i would either win or draw is because if you always play the best move or one of the best (which a good chessplayer should) there is no way to punish the move. The only way Leleouch could lose against Mao (if he was better than Mao) would be if he made mistakes he didn't know he was making before after having moved. Which shouldn't happen (much) to a good player.
I find that Schneizel's focus on theatrics is interesting viewed as a reflection of the show itself: Code Geass, moreso than most other works of fiction, presents itself through chance events and unrealistic coincidences, all for the sake of its dramatics. Not that I think it's a bad thing -- it carries a unique sort of character with it that you can't find in may other places, but my point being that, as you mention that Schneizel would rather lose in an interesting way than he would win, this to me reads as a sort of meta-commentary, stating that the most important thing in a work of fiction to emphasize drama, rather than realism, and uses its characters as a microcosm for that, against the backdrop of the least realistic yet most dramatically relevant chess match in the series. It's almost like Haruhi Suzumiya really, in that it inserts the mentality of the writers and the audience -- to make the happenings of the universe interesting rather than practical or realistic -- just here, rather than being a jab at shallow moe cultures and writing tailored towards it, here we're instead given genuinely fascinating character depth, and the meta subtext in turn talks up "good" fiction, wheras Haruhi Suzumiya instead makes light of "bad" fiction, and bad anime in particular.
I can attempt to make some solutions to that thing.
1. the suggestion from the video that the game is played till the king is taken is actually is a way chess was played at certain times.
2. they could've made the board state consistent, just play a game of chess and take moments from it, you don't need to be a pro but get some guidance on what moves you should highlight in the animation. so no one will be animating a move thinking it was a great move when in reality it was a mistake to even consider this a move in the first place.
on a side note, a rookie game is at times better suited to show than an actual pro game as this series takes chess in a more romantic way than as a game of strategy.
3. if you want to keep the piece imbalance have the rook be undeveloped on the white side resulting in a black advantage in tempo vs a white advantage in material and there are more.
4. as far as gameplay is concerned the show itself would've done better with Shogi as the creators would be probably more familiar with the rules
*also no one have ever played any castling or en passant in the show which would've been so fucking awesome and would stop me from getting called a cheater and needing to pull a fucking chess rulebook every 7 or so games.
p.s I used to play chess in a flavor way back when I was young. lots of Nimzowitsch shenanigans and theatrical masking on every move I could, not the most efficient playstyle but satisfying to play and explain. for me, the "chess talk" in the show actually made sense because every move made with a certain reason is actually linked in the correct way to the right moves. sadly there were those inconsistencies in board states but if you could just label it as "animators not understanding how a game works" it makes it all fine.
I could reconstruct a full game for this scene if I was still decent in the game and had someone to play with but both are no longer true.
He should have just merged his pieces into Megachessatron