you must read this theory

[Gower]

It could just be me, but from the way Ron worded his choice, I think he had the choice to be any of the pieces...

[Female_alien]

All the figures for chess were there. Ron thought a little and than said what will Hermione, Harry and him be and than those figures moved-they heard him. So he had a choice, he could choose the king, but he didn't.

Ron is my favourite character and I would really cry, cry, cry if he dies... But sacrificeing himself is so .... I don't know... My emotions are mixed up.

[yasmane]

Well,
if we consider that they were able to choose any character in the chess game, I think chosen the king would have be weird :
if you play chess, you know that the king almost doesn't make anything.
He's here only to be protected : so choosing to be him would mean that you do not want to be involved in the battle, and we all know Ron, he's not that kind of person.
Therefore, the description of each player regarding the figures they are representing is very well done in the first post of this topic.
Now as you said, even if Ron has to sacrifice himself to help Harry winning, he doesn't die, and furthermore as said before he's the only one to be on an horse : so if this chess game shows us the future, we can easily imagine that Ron will have to sacrifice a part of him to help harry in his battle versus VD, but that he won't die.
Concerning the other character, such as Mc Gonagall, well we all know that in any battle, people sometimes die in order to reach your goal. Too bad for the professor, but we know now that JKR won't hesitate to kill someone if she had planned to do so.

and by the way, excellent theory.
:

[Shadow]

I had never thought about the chesss game that way.

I really hope Ron doesn't die, but if he does o help Harry defeat Voldemort, atleast there's something good coming from it.

[Meg Boyd]

If the literary mastermind, K. Swett has taught me anything is that to beware of reading too much or too little into something. However, that is one of the most amazing theories I have ever seen. Going on with what I have learned from Swett, is that you can't take everything literally. I too refuse to believe that Ron Weasley will die. The fact that he chose himself to be a knight is a metaphor for his own personality and the role he will take on the journey of the series. He is not a great man himself, yet he has small victories like Knights. He also aides the higher pieces in the game, such as Harry and Dumbledore. Continuing on, Ron was not the whole piece, and the fact that his figure (the Knight's horse) was smashed and not him may be very important. His sacrafice might not be his physical body, but other means of sacrafice...and perhaps the "death" of his Knight-Figure will represent the "death" of his knightly persona...maybe a confrontation with Bellatrix or whomever the White Queen is will bring about a drastic change in his personality or life...The Longbottoms sacrficed themselves for the Order, yet they did not die. Ron might also make a huge sacrafice, which is not his life, but something he loves dearly.....family? Love? Pride? Humility? Who Knows???

---I also Liked the different use of Black and White for the pieces. Usually Black=evil and White=Good. I came upon another thought on that through the novella, Heart of Darkness. The darkness (Africa) symbolized the deep, harsh, truth that was drowned out by the blinding, white symbolic light of the European Imperalists, enlightening Africa. In the same way The Order knows the true evils of humanity that the DE's commit. They see the truth behind Voldemort, which he tries to drowned out by his blinding lies. Voldemort spills his blinding, bright, optomistic lies to his followers, yet The Order sees the darkness behind them...???

[Mistress Siana]

About Bellatrix being the white queen: Did you know that the Star she was named after, a blue-white shining one, is one of the brightest star we can see?

It might be a little off-topic, but I think it fits. It's something I found about Bellatrix:

Bellatrix, the "Female Warrior", the Amazon Star, is from the translation of its Arabic title, Al Najid, "the Conqueror"
Al Murzim al Najid, "the Roaring Conqueror", or, the "Conquering Lion" (referring to an ancient Arabic configuration here) heralding his presence by his roar. Murzim occasionally appears in our day as Mirzam, which is also applied to both of the stars beta in the two Dogs as heralds of Sirius and Procyon.
Alpha (Betelgeuse) with this star gamma (Bellatrix) and lamda (Meissa) were the Euphratean Kakkab Sar, the "Constellation of the King", or Ungal - which portended fortune, martial honors, wealth, and other kingly attributes.

In astrology it was the natal star of all destined to great civil or military honors, and rendered all women born under its influence lucky and loquacious; or, as old Thomas Hood said, "women born under this constellation shall have mighty tongues." (Allen).
(...)
If positive properties can be drawn out, will lead to advancement and success, but those who succeed always have to allow for being surrounded with envy and hatred. Quick decision making, thoughts and plans being realized with energy, courage, fighting spirit, strategic talents, ability to organize, discrimination. Reckless aggressiveness of a belligerent daredevil. (Ebertin).

Associated with marriage for money and honors followed by reverses. (Larousse Encyclopedia of Astrology).

Great courage, but a tendency to fight futile or lost causes if it is not well aspected.

[Sacred Guardian]

this is a great theory, and i do like it, however, i am not sure if one of the trio will die, the problem i see with ron sacraficing himself is that it is too predictable, and besides, you can never really tell with rowling

[James87]

Can someone give me a link to the origional source of this theory? I read it before and have been looking for it ever since...*sigh*

[rock_star]

I think it's a coincidence.
I agree though, that it's very unlikely that it means nothing. As she does like symbolism, I can see it meaning something - just not the ending.
I believe that DD and Hagrid will die, and so will Ron.
I think Hermionie and Harry will live.
I think that the entire castle will be nothing by the end of the end of the 7th book, and only a very few wizards will survive.

[darkcloak]

I think that as well as meaning that Voldemort has lost to Harry, there is another, more sinister, interpretation of this.

>>The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear.
Harry kills Voldemort and survives. The Second Wizard War ends.

Perhaps Harry picks up Voldemort's crown after he has been defeated, everyone bows to him...........................

Edited to enable BBCode

[Athena Appleton]

hmmm... that's an interesting theory, darkcloak! I don't think it'll happen (after all, Harry didn't stick around and play chess all day, he went and conquered other evils and saved the day) but it's worth theorizing.

[darkcloak]

I'm just wondering if Harry will stay on the side of good the whole way through.

Will he have to to turn slightly bad in order to defeat Voldie? Or can Voldermort exert influence upon him through his "mind link" (or scar link )

[Jotomicron]

Hmm!!! They do have a connection...

I think that teh scar is able to mantain Voldemort's soul alive, even if Harry kills his body. Stranmge thought!

[Athena Appleton]

But doesn't voldywart tell us in book 4 that he had already taken precautions to be immortal before the attack on the potters? that's why, when the curse rebounded, it didn't kill him.

[Nobby]

One ? Where does Lupin and the other characters e.g. Arthur and Molly Weasley fit into the chess game? Surely they are important characters too! Grt theory though!