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's birthplace was in India, right around the year 600 A. D. The Indians called it "Chatarung", which makes reference to the divisions of India's military. These four divisions were the infantry, the cavalry, the elephantry, and the chariotry. These pieces that represented these divisions eventually became the pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively. This was the first known board game to have had distinct playing pieces, each with different abilities. It's also the first known board game to have had its outcome determined by the fate of just one piece. The modern version of chess retains both of these two characteristics. Even though there was a King, there wasn't a Queen. Rather, the piece beside the King was known as the "Advisor". The playing board was quite ingeniously engineered, based on sound mathematical principles.
Then, approximately around 1000 A. D., it was taken to Persia, where it was used to help educate Persian nobles. It was then taken throughout Europe by traveling Persian traders. By mid-twelfth century, the carved game pieces represented Kings, Queens, Rooks, Bishops, and "Men at Arms".
In its present incarnation, a game can last for hours. But in the original incarnation, a game could last even longer. Originally, the Bishop and the Queen were much less powerful than what they are now. This made it very much slower for players to develop their pieces and to checkmate the opposing King. During the Middle Ages, players would often accelerate things by setting up "mid-game" positions on the board, and starting game play from there.
Sometime toward the end of the fifteenth century, the rules of the game were radically changed. Where once the Queen was the weakest game piece on the board, she was now the most potent. The Bishop was given more power by giving him a longer range. These changes allowed the game to be played in a more rapid fashion, and completely got rid of the necessity of starting the game in a "mid-position". Dramatic checkmates could now be more commonplace.
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 quite the international sensation. Organized matches are held at all levels, from the local to the international. Matches are closely followed by fans, and the winner could take home a big jackpot. More than one big-name international player has become a celebrity, nearly achieving the notoriety of some 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's birthplace was in India, right around the year 600 A. D. The Indians called it "Chatarung", which makes reference to the divisions of India's military. These four divisions were the infantry, the cavalry, the elephantry, and the chariotry. These pieces that represented these divisions eventually became the pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively. This was the first known board game to have had distinct playing pieces, each with different abilities. It's also the first known board game to have had its outcome determined by the fate of just one piece. The modern version of chess retains both of these two characteristics. Even though there was a King, there wasn't a Queen. Rather, the piece beside the King was known as the "Advisor". The playing board was quite ingeniously engineered, based on sound mathematical principles.
Then, approximately around 1000 A. D., it was taken to Persia, where it was used to help educate Persian nobles. It was then taken throughout Europe by traveling Persian traders. By mid-twelfth century, the carved game pieces represented Kings, Queens, Rooks, Bishops, and "Men at Arms".
In its present incarnation, a game can last for hours. But in the original incarnation, a game could last even longer. Originally, the Bishop and the Queen were much less powerful than what they are now. This made it very much slower for players to develop their pieces and to checkmate the opposing King. During the Middle Ages, players would often accelerate things by setting up "mid-game" positions on the board, and starting game play from there.
Sometime toward the end of the fifteenth century, the rules of the game were radically changed. Where once the Queen was the weakest game piece on the board, she was now the most potent. The Bishop was given more power by giving him a longer range. These changes allowed the game to be played in a more rapid fashion, and completely got rid of the necessity of starting the game in a "mid-position". Dramatic checkmates could now be more commonplace.
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 quite the international sensation. Organized matches are held at all levels, from the local to the international. Matches are closely followed by fans, and the winner could take home a big jackpot. More than one big-name international player has become a celebrity, nearly achieving the notoriety of some 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?"
About the Author:
If you would like to know where did chess originate, click this link to www.woodstockerbooks.com. For information on many other interesting subjects visit Woodstocker Books at http://www.woodstockerbooks.com today.
No comments:
Post a Comment