A strange little side quest
A quick detour while Straight waits for your next move: The word 'checkmate' is linked to the Persian expression 'shah mat', used when the king was trapped. And then there is this: Pac-Man went on sale in 1980, and its creator Toru Iwatani famously linked the character's shape to a pizza with a slice missing. That history is one reason familiar mechanics can still feel new when they are recombined well.