C hess-Backdrop and Evolution with Some Interesting Facts
One of the most popular and ancient board games is chess. Chess players around the globe have been fascinated by the game’s battles for hundreds of years. The great masters of the past have been revered as megastars of another order: megastars with intelligence. Chess is a game of strategy that involves two players and a chessboard. Chess is a well-known game that is enjoyed by all ages. Chess is thought to have originated in India in the 7th Century. It is derived from chaturanga, an Indian game. Chess’ history can be traced back to around 1500 years ago. It began in North India and spread across Asia. Chess found its way to Europe via the expanding Islamic Arabian Empire.
History and Roots of Chess
Chess, like many of our favorite board games such as backgammon and checkers, was invented sometime in the first millennium AD in a location along the Silk Road, which ran between Europe, Egypt, and Asia. Most historians can trace its origins back to Afghanistan or northern India around six hundred AD.
There is a lot of disagreement among historians about the exact time and location of the origins of chess. Although some historians believe it originated in China, most agree that the chess variant we know started in northern India as ashtapada. The game was 8×8 in size, but it had four players and the moves were determined by the throwing of dice.
A few historians mention that chaturanga and ashtapada are unique features of Indian culture.
It was a war game between four men, which was consistent with the division of the country into several kingdoms. The use of dice to make moves was an indication of Karma’s significance in Indian spiritual concepts.
Transformation in modern times
Chaturanga, an Indian board game, saw the gradual appearance of different types of Indian army forces – elephants and chariots, cavalry and infantry. This was in keeping with the transition from a “race” game into a war game. Players don’t take away or eliminate their opponents. If a player’s piece lands on the same square as the opponent’s, they can return to the beginning and begin again.
Once the concept of elimination or capture was established – in which the opponent’s piece is taken from the board – it required a new game idea, an alternative “mindset”. It was only a matter of time before different types of army forces with different capabilities and values would be created.
This transition from a racing game to a war game is crucial. The most important and most difficult step in the transformation was to eliminate the use of dice for determining moves. This was not possible in a purely Indian setting, as Yuri Averbakh, a Russian chess historian, and author, explains.
He states that “to transform the Indian war game into Chess, it was necessary to throw out the dice.” Contrary to the previous phases, which were important for the evolution of the game’s development and weren’t contrary to the spiritual beliefs and traditions of the Indians, the abandoning of dice was a significant, radical step that transformed not only the game but also its philosophy. This step was a departure from Karma, the core concept of Indian thought. The outcome was now entirely dependent on the players’ decisions. They were now the sole masters of their destiny.”
