Salobreña Castle - The chess match story

The story of the chess match in Salobreña castle almost always appears in any history of the town. 

The castle in the town served not only as a summer residence for the monarchs of Granada, but also as a prison for dethroned sultans and members of the royal family who were deemed disloyal to the current sultan. The first person on this list to be imprisoned was Yusuf ben Muhammed.

Despite Yusuf having the right to become the monarch of the Kingdom of Granada, his brother Muhammad VII ascended to the throne. As a result, Yusuf was sent to Salobreña Castle as a prisoner, where he remained for a lengthy period of 11 years.

One day, Muhammad VII fell seriously ill, and during his final days, he ordered his imprisoned brother to be sentenced to death in order to ensure that his own son would inherit the throne instead of Yusuf.
When the sultan's messengers arrived at Salobreña Castle to deliver the verdict, they discovered Yusuf engaged in a game of chess with the prison's Chief. Yusuf requested a final wish, which was to finish the chess match, and the messengers agreed. Similar to Bobby Fisher in 1972, Yusuf deliberately prolonged the chess match in any way he could, buying himself as much time as possible. He was aware that Sultan Muhammad was on his deathbed and that his supporters in Granada, who were outraged by the unjust death sentence, would come to his aid. The plan succeeded, and in 1408, the prisoner Yusuf III finally became the new Sultan of Granada.