Definition: Caissa is the muse or goddess of chess. The name comes from a nymph in a poem composed in 1763 by Sir William Jones (British, 1746-1794). The poem of the same name was based on Scacchia ludus, composed around 1513 by Marcus Vida (Italian, c.1490-1566), in which the nymph is called Scacchis.
Pronunciation: 'ki-suh' or 'ki-ee-suh', long 'i' as in 'kite'.
Alternate Spellings: Caïssa
