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Chess Origin: Chess is one of the oldest and most intellectual games in the world. But very few people know that it originated in ancient India about 1500 years ago. After this, it evolved across continents into today’s modern game. Let us know how chess started and how it changed into its modern form.
The birth of chess in ancient India
The story of chess begins in sixth century India. Here it was originally known as Chaturanga. It means four parts of the army. These divisions were infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots and later evolved into the modern pawns, knights, bishops and rooks. Chaturanga was played on an 8×8 board, just like modern chess. But in this the movement of the pieces was limited and slow. It was from here that the foundation of every future version of chess was laid.
How did chess arise?
From India, Chaturanga reached Persia towards the west. Here it developed into Chatranga. After the Arab conquest, it came to be known as Chess. Along with this, the word checkmate used in chess comes from the Persian idiom Shah Mat. Which means the king is helpless.
Chess reached medieval Europe
Between the 10th and 15th centuries, chess entered Europe via Spain and Italy. Here there was another change in it. European culture gave a new look to the seals and gave them royal and religious identity. It was during this time that the queen and bishop first appeared in recognizable form.
Changes in modern chess
By the end of the 15th century, a major revolution took place. At this time, Europeans made major changes in the rules. The queen was made the most powerful piece which could move in any direction on the board. Also the bishop’s move was also changed. After this change the game was made faster and much more aggressive. Now the pawns also got the option to move two squares forward on their first move.
Developments in chess in the 19th century
By the 1800s, chess had become a major game. The Staunton chess set, which is still the global standard today, was introduced in 1849. Let us tell you that the first modern chess tournament was organized in London in 1851. Chess clocks were invented in 1883, which increased time pressure and changed the game forever. The first World Chess Championship was held in 1886.
Chess in the modern era
Formal rules, rankings and global tournaments came into existence in the 20th century with the formation of FIDE (World Chess Federation). After this, computers brought a major revolution in chess analysis and engines like Stockfish and AlphaZero helped a lot in reshaping the way the world understands strategy. Today chess is played by millions of people on online platforms and the legacy of the game that started centuries ago still lives on.
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