There are several theories as to why this particular pie is called chess pie. One theory is that the original recipe for this pie was made with cheese, which was pronounced as “chess” in the old English language. Another theory is that the name of the pie comes from the fact that in the South, when people were asked what kind of pie they were eating, they would answer with the phrase “jes’ pie” which eventually got converted to “chess pie”. Another theory suggests that since the filling of this pie is simple and can be made with ingredients easily found in one’s pantry, it was often served to guests when they dropped by unannounced, and hence, was called “chess pie”, where “chess” might have been a corruption of the word “guess”. Regardless of how it got its name, chess pie remains a beloved dessert in many Southern US households.