The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CHESSMAN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
C
H
E
S
S
M
A
N
More clues leading to the result CHESSMAN
- Church title recalled when including a couple of Saints and Bishop?
- Church Mass arranged in heart of Kent castle for one
- Ham’s scent almost spoiled piece of game
- Bishop perhaps finding manse’s transformed after central heating
- Nazi member imprisoned, presumably in castle?
- Revolutionary’s son to join staff and figure on the board
- Revolutionary Nazi guard — knight perhaps
- One in position on board to help mate, perhaps
- Church manses converted for bishop, say
- A board member, he’s entertained by Civil Service staff
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "piece of game" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case piece of game = chessman.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CHESSMAN mean?
CHESSMAN noun- A chess piece.