ἄξιον γὰρ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις κἀκείνων μεμνῆσθαι, ὑμνοῦντας μὲν ἐν ταῖς ᾠδαῖς, λέγοντας δ’ ἐν τοῖς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐγκωμίοις, τιμῶντας δ’ ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς τοῖς τοιούτοις, παιδεύοντας δ’ ἐν τοῖς τῶν τεθνεώτων ἔργοις τοὺς ζῶντας.

For it is right for all men to remember them, praising them in songs and recalling their names in the praise of good men, honoring them on occasions such as this, and teaching the living through the deeds of the dead — Lysias, Epitaphios, 1–3

A handful of names in this site’s theory appear nowhere in Ferdinand Maack’s original rules, and never will be found in any other book on the game. They are not geometric or descriptive, the way nearly every other name on this site is. They were given to honor someone.

The theory volumes introduce each of these names briefly, in the place where they belong — enough to show why the name was earned, not just borrowed. This page exists for whoever wants more than that brief introduction: a fuller portrait of who is named, and a complete index of where their name appears in the theory. New names will be added here over time, as more of this project’s namesakes find the concept that fits them.

Index of Named Concepts

Percy

Persephone — Percy, as she was always called — was an orange cat, soft and beautiful and elegant and graceful in every way, and a little wary of strangers. Percy was a lady in every sense. However, whenever a stranger came into our home, she jumped quickly but gracefully, straight to the calmest and most defensible spot in the room — as far from the visitor as the space allowed. Her favorite spot was to crawl under the covers, right between our pillows. After the visitor left, we always went to get her, and let her know that she can come out now, otherwise she would hide for quite a while, just to be sure.

The opening that bears her name does the same thing: the Knight leaps once, to the safest useful square on the board, remains relatively hidden down below (if White), yet it keeps tabs on that half of the set. Often, this is an excellent defensive position for the Knight to hold for quite some time.

On September 21, 2023, Percy died a few days before her estimated 17^th birthday on September 24. Near the end, she had a benign tumor on her liver.

Joey

Joey was a black cat who was geriatric, age 16, when we got him. We got him because Pluto was killed, Jupiter was affected, and we did not want Jupiter to be alone and suffer. Joey was soft and an absolute sweetheart. If Joey were a chess piece, he would have been a Bishop, because he was so innocent.

On May 22, 2026, Joey died. He was euthanized because in two months his kidney disease went from Stage I to Stage IV. The disease progressed so quickly, despite everything we did for him. He was such a good boy, perfectly dutiful to the end. He suddenly began to lose mobility, and crawled to his litter box, which he did without fail. It was completely heartbreaking. Even though I only knew Joey for 8 weeks, he changed my life, and I have the greatest love and respect for him.

On June 17, 2026, this opening was first noted and examined. Joey’s Attack trades a Bishop for a pawn and a Rook — a sacrifice that looks careless until the recapture arrives a move later and restores the balance exactly. It is named for Joey, in loving memory.

Pluto

Pluto was a black cat who was adventurous, happy, and needy; he was the brother of Jupiter. It was one of the highest honors in my life to know Pluto. He was happiest when he hunted in the nearby woods, and he often brought home multiple little creatures every day as gifts to us.

Pluto died on March 21, 2026, eleven days before the line that now carries his name was first played.

On April 1, 2026, the first recorded game between Raumfischer and a human opponent produced a combination that attacked so well, I was reminded of Pluto. Raumfischer produced a Knight maneuver pressing three threats — King, Rook, and Unicorn — at once, with no square left for the opponent to settle on. The resemblance was immediate, and the name followed naturally.

Jupiter

Jupiter is an orange short-hair, and the brother of Pluto. On both sides of his ribs, he has a swirl that resembles the storm on the planet Jupiter, hence his name. On our first night together, he was a kitten and when I went to bed, he wanted up onto the bed, so I helped him up. He curled up on the pillow next to my head. Usually I move around at night, but the next morning I awoke as if I had not moved, and he was still curled up on the pillow, right against my head. On that day, he claimed me as his, and we have spent hours together every day since. When Jupiter caught Pluto, his brother, spending time with me, such as being on my lap, Jupiter usually annoyed Pluto until he left, so Jupiter could have me all to himself. I have never known a connection from an animal to a human like from Jupiter to me.

Jupiter’s Attack sends the Queen deep into the opponent’s territory on move two, a move that looks reckless but isn’t — the square it lands on was secured one move earlier, and isn’t going anywhere. It is named for Jupiter. I first examined this attack while I waited for hours outside an Emergency Room for Jupiter, who survived a sudden and extensive oral inflammation that appeared to be squamous cell carcinoma, but luckily, it was not. As a senior at the time, he responded well to treatment. Whatever his opponent was, he came back from a seemingly hopeless situation and delivered spacemate.

For anyone who likes weird fiction, Jupiter’s Attack is in Du Vide (2026), as an attack, not an opening.

Jupiter is alive and well at the time of this writing.

This page will grow. Not every honoree will find a concept that fits them the way Percy’s jump or Pluto’s temperament fit theirs — some names will simply be given, as a dedication rather than a description, and that is its own kind of fit. Both belong here equally.