I have often argued that this is the most pivotal scene in any of three seasons.

-D'Angelo see Wallace and Bodie playing checkers w/ chess peices (i.e. playing the game the wrong way- remember they were fucking up the money and dope in the pit and part of D'Angelo's penance was to straighen out the mess).

-Bodie bucks initially, but quickly tunes in and picks up the concept really quickly (especially about the pawns turning into more powerful peices) I think it's also ironic that it was Wallace that got bodie to listen to D'Angelo's message.

Look at all that occured in the aftermath of that lesson:

Wallace(pawn)-dead ("Pawns get capped quick" -D'Angelo)
D'Angelo (bishop)- captured then sacraficed by the queen
String(Queen)- Dead;had all the moves, but made one too many risky moves
Avon (King)- Currently boxed in, but still on the board.
Bodie(Pawn)- quickly ascending up the ranks

If you think about it, the same chess analogy applies to the law too, except that rather than them being killed they're sent to the boat... or pawn shop unit.