Chess is an exciting and challenging game that people have been playing for centuries. It is not only fun, but also helps strengthen one's critical thinking and is very popular across all age groups. The game has a colorful history which should be of interest to those who have always wondered where did chess originate.
The earliest origins of this game come from India in the 7th century AD. It was known then as "Chaturanga", which literally translates into "four parts". It was really a mock army battleplan, and the playing pieces were tiny replicas of the actual army and included elephants, chariots, horses, soldiers, the king and minister. The objective was to eliminate the opposing player's pieces and capture the king, just as it is today.
Around 600 AD, the game was introduced to Persia (Iran) by way of merchants and soldiers, and was renamed to "Shatranj". The Persians build upon the existing rules and were the first players to come up with the terms "check" and "checkmate", which were used from that time onwards. The game was also brought to the Orient around this same time, and was adapted into different forms by both the Chinese and the Japanese.
Following the conquest of Persia, the game was adopted by the Muslim world and was still played using Persian names. When the Crusaders from Europe came to Palestine at the time of the Holy Wars, they brought the game back to Europe, where it was officially dubbed "chess", derived from the French word "echec" which means "to check".
The game soon became popular in the many countries of Western Europe, and also in Russia and it now had many names in different languages. The game pieces also saw some changes around this time, with the elephants being replaced with castles, the minister replaced by the lone female piece, the Queen, and the addition of a new piece called a "bishop" which was added to please the Catholic church.
The popularity of the game increased, with wealthy Renaissance land barons sometimes playing a version that involved live people as the game pieces who were not merely captured but actually beheaded. Players began to discover that the earliest moves of the game could in fact determine the final outcome and made note of opponent's moves which they could later use to develop counter-strategies against them in their next match.
The chess game as people know it today had come about by the late 15th century, but not after surviving almost getting banned by the Christian Church. Imposing time limits on games first started in the 19th century, and professional tournaments came about as the number of skilled players increased.
With professional matches becoming more commonplace, it became necessary to have some formal rules established, and the organization known as the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE) was born. There is now even a Chess Olympics every two years for the best players in the world to compete in. Having an understanding about where did chess originate can give players a new respect and appreciation for the game.
The earliest origins of this game come from India in the 7th century AD. It was known then as "Chaturanga", which literally translates into "four parts". It was really a mock army battleplan, and the playing pieces were tiny replicas of the actual army and included elephants, chariots, horses, soldiers, the king and minister. The objective was to eliminate the opposing player's pieces and capture the king, just as it is today.
Around 600 AD, the game was introduced to Persia (Iran) by way of merchants and soldiers, and was renamed to "Shatranj". The Persians build upon the existing rules and were the first players to come up with the terms "check" and "checkmate", which were used from that time onwards. The game was also brought to the Orient around this same time, and was adapted into different forms by both the Chinese and the Japanese.
Following the conquest of Persia, the game was adopted by the Muslim world and was still played using Persian names. When the Crusaders from Europe came to Palestine at the time of the Holy Wars, they brought the game back to Europe, where it was officially dubbed "chess", derived from the French word "echec" which means "to check".
The game soon became popular in the many countries of Western Europe, and also in Russia and it now had many names in different languages. The game pieces also saw some changes around this time, with the elephants being replaced with castles, the minister replaced by the lone female piece, the Queen, and the addition of a new piece called a "bishop" which was added to please the Catholic church.
The popularity of the game increased, with wealthy Renaissance land barons sometimes playing a version that involved live people as the game pieces who were not merely captured but actually beheaded. Players began to discover that the earliest moves of the game could in fact determine the final outcome and made note of opponent's moves which they could later use to develop counter-strategies against them in their next match.
The chess game as people know it today had come about by the late 15th century, but not after surviving almost getting banned by the Christian Church. Imposing time limits on games first started in the 19th century, and professional tournaments came about as the number of skilled players increased.
With professional matches becoming more commonplace, it became necessary to have some formal rules established, and the organization known as the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE) was born. There is now even a Chess Olympics every two years for the best players in the world to compete in. Having an understanding about where did chess originate can give players a new respect and appreciation for the game.
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