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"Gentlemen and Players" is a reference to class differences and snobbery. In cricket, the Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match regularly played from 1806 until 1962 between a team made up of elite amateurs (the "Gentlemen"), young sportsmen of independent means (from the Universities), and one made up of professionals (the "Players"). Until the Sixties, Gentlemen and Players had separate changing rooms and entered the grounds through separate gates (You can still see these gates at Lord's cricket ground)
In Harris's novel, the enemy within St Oswald's and his opponent, Roy Straitley, are represented by chess pieces, a black pawn and a white king, as the deadly game unfolds.
Although St. Oswald's, the staff, and the pupils are imaginary, Harris was a teacher at Leeds Grammar School. Therefore there are similarities between them, especially the staff.
"Gentlemen and Players" is also the title of a short story by E. W. Hornung, starring Raffles, "the gentleman thief".
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