In Southern Food, John Egerton offers two more possibilities. The first has to do with a piece of furniture common in the early South called a pie chest or pie safe. Chess pie may have been called chest pie at first because it held up well in the pie chest. The second story is that a creative Southern housewife came up with the concoction and tried it out on her husband, who loved it. His wife hrugged and smiled.
Chess pie has a simple filling of eggs, sugar, butter and a small amount of flour.
Some recipes include cornmeal and others are made with some vinegar. Brown or white sugar may be used, and buttermilk is a common ingredient. Flavorings, such as vanilla or lemon juice, may also be added to vary the basic recipe. You can use a commercial refrigerated or frozen pie crust. Check for doneness after the minimum baking time by gently shaking the pie.