Chess, the fabled game of kings, has been a popular board game for a very long time. It's still quite popular, and a whole tournament industry has grown up around it. You, perhaps, might even play it yourself. But, have you ever wondered, where did Chess originate?
The game originated in India, around the year 600 A. D. Its Indian name was "Chatarung", which refers to the four divisions of the Indian military. These divisions were the infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and the chariotry. The game pieces that represented these four divisions eventually evolved into the pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively. Chatarung is the first board game known to have had different playing pieces with different powers, and is also the first board game known to have had its outcome rest on the fate of only one piece. Modern versions of chess retain both of these characteristics. Although the King was there, there was no Queen. Instead, the piece next to the King was simply the "Advisor". The board was ingeniously designed, based on mathematical principles.
Then, about the year 1000 A. D., it spread to Persia, and became an important part of education for the Persian nobility. It then spread throughout Europe by way of Persian traders. By the middle of the twelfth century, the carved play pieces represented Kings, Queens, Bishops, Rooks and "Men at Arms".
In its modern form, a game can take several hours to complete. But in its original form, it could take even longer. At that time, the Queen and the Bishop were much weaker than they are now, which made it much slower for a player to develop his pieces and to checkmate the enemy King. During the medieval era, players would often speed things up by setting up "mid-game" positions on the board, and starting play from there.
Sometime around the end of the fifteenth century, the rules of the game underwent a radical change. The Queen went from being the weakest player to the strongest. The Bishop was made stronger by giving it a longer range. This allowed the game to be played much faster, and did away with the notion of having to start the game in "mid-position". More dramatic checkmates were now possible.
Nobody knows who came up with the new rules, or even if it was a single individual who did. But, whatever the case, the new rules became pretty much standardized at some point in the sixteenth century. The faster pace made the game more suited for organized play, and the new rules made it easier to write books about playing strategy.
Now, Chess is an international phenomenon. Organized tournaments are held at local, national, and international levels. They're closely followed by fans, and there can be big money involved for the winner. Some big-name international players have become celebrities, almost rivaling the notoriety of rock stars.
There are many clubs, books, magazines, and stores that are devoted to this "game of kings". It makes for a fascinating hobby, that can help build critical thinking skills. With a bit of Google searching, you'll be able to find much information that will help answer the question, "Where did Chess originate?"
The game originated in India, around the year 600 A. D. Its Indian name was "Chatarung", which refers to the four divisions of the Indian military. These divisions were the infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and the chariotry. The game pieces that represented these four divisions eventually evolved into the pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively. Chatarung is the first board game known to have had different playing pieces with different powers, and is also the first board game known to have had its outcome rest on the fate of only one piece. Modern versions of chess retain both of these characteristics. Although the King was there, there was no Queen. Instead, the piece next to the King was simply the "Advisor". The board was ingeniously designed, based on mathematical principles.
Then, about the year 1000 A. D., it spread to Persia, and became an important part of education for the Persian nobility. It then spread throughout Europe by way of Persian traders. By the middle of the twelfth century, the carved play pieces represented Kings, Queens, Bishops, Rooks and "Men at Arms".
In its modern form, a game can take several hours to complete. But in its original form, it could take even longer. At that time, the Queen and the Bishop were much weaker than they are now, which made it much slower for a player to develop his pieces and to checkmate the enemy King. During the medieval era, players would often speed things up by setting up "mid-game" positions on the board, and starting play from there.
Sometime around the end of the fifteenth century, the rules of the game underwent a radical change. The Queen went from being the weakest player to the strongest. The Bishop was made stronger by giving it a longer range. This allowed the game to be played much faster, and did away with the notion of having to start the game in "mid-position". More dramatic checkmates were now possible.
Nobody knows who came up with the new rules, or even if it was a single individual who did. But, whatever the case, the new rules became pretty much standardized at some point in the sixteenth century. The faster pace made the game more suited for organized play, and the new rules made it easier to write books about playing strategy.
Now, Chess is an international phenomenon. Organized tournaments are held at local, national, and international levels. They're closely followed by fans, and there can be big money involved for the winner. Some big-name international players have become celebrities, almost rivaling the notoriety of rock stars.
There are many clubs, books, magazines, and stores that are devoted to this "game of kings". It makes for a fascinating hobby, that can help build critical thinking skills. With a bit of Google searching, you'll be able to find much information that will help answer the question, "Where did Chess originate?"
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