History of Chess: Origin of the Game

Origin of Chess

Today, we will take a look at where it all started.

Which country is believed to have invented the game of chess? Any guesses?

Fig. 1: A modern day Chess Board

It all started in India

In the 6th century A.D., when the Gupta Empire ruled in India, a game called Chaturaga was fast gaining popularity

Chaturaga, translates as "four divisions (of the military)": infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and chariotry, represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively

Fig. 2: An illustration of one of the supposed ways in which

Chaturanga was played

Why Chaturaga was similar to Chess

The four divisions in Chaturaga (infantry, cavalry, elephantry and chariotry) are found in modern Chess

Chaturaga was also played on a 8 x 8 board

Both games are played with different pieces having different powers

Victory depended on the fate of one piece, just like the king in modern chess

Fig. 3: Modern day Chess has a lot of similarities to the

ancient Indian game Chaturaga

How Chaturaga changed to Chess

When the game spread to Persia in the 7th century A.D., it began to be called Chatrang which changed with time to Shatranj

The term Shah Maat to describe what is now known as Check mate also evolved at that time and it is the word 'Shah' meaning King, which is gradually believed to have evolved into the word 'Chess

Fig. 4: The word 'Chess' is thought to have been

derived from the Persian word 'Shah' meaning King

Other theories for Origin of Chess

Many people claim that Chess was first invented in their country including Russians, Chinese, Turks and Greeks

However most scholars now agree that India gave birth to Chess through Chaturaga

The theories regarding the origin of Chess has given rise to many interesting though untrue tales. Now we will take a look at two such stories

Fig. 5: An illustration of the Chinese game of

Xiangqi, an early form of which is also claimed by some to have led to the

game of Chess

Ravana's Queen Mandodari

In the great epic Ramayana, the demon king Ravana invents chess to amuse his wife Mandodari.

A brilliant mind, she promptly beats him at it.

Some other versions credit Mandodari for inventing the game herself while Ravana was busy fighting wars Fig. 6: In mythology,

Mandodari the wife of Lanka's king Ravana is

supposed to have invented Chess

The story of Talhand and Gav

This story appears in Persian poet Ferdowsi's Shah-nama written in the 11th century.

Talhand and Gav, two half-brothers battle for the throne of Hind (India). They meet in battle and Talhand dies on his elephant without a wound.

Their mother is sad that Gav killed his brother but Gav tells her that he did not kill Talhand

To convince her the sages of the court invent the game of chess, detailing the pieces and how they move, to show the mother of the princes how the battle unfolded and how Talhand died of fatigue when surrounded by his enemies.

Chess has come a long way

The game has spread all over the world in the last fifteen hundred years

Despite being the country of origin, India had to wait a long time before we produced an official World Champion of the game Vishwanathan Anand in 2000.

In the next lesson on Chess History, we will look at how the game spread outside India

Fig. 7: Vishwanathan Anand became the first Indian

world champion of Chess in 2000