Selasa, 21 Mei 2013

Learn All About Where Did Chess Originate

By Carissa Glenn


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 game has its beginning in the 7th century AD in India. Originally it was called "Chaturanga" which means "four parts". It was believed to be a miniature battleplan of sorts, with the four parts of the army, elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers represented through game pieces, which had to be strategically placed in order to protect the safety of the king and his minister. The object of the game was exactly the same as in the modern version.

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.

The game was also adopted by the Muslim world, where it spread to after the conquest of Persia and was still played using the terms the Persians had given to it. As European Crusaders came to Palestine to fight the Holy Wars of the 12th and 13th century, they were introduced to the game and took it back with them to their countries where it took on the name "chess", derived from the French "echec" which means "to check".

Chess spread throughout Western Europe and also into Russia. Each country gave the game a name unique to its language. The game pieces were also changed. Elephants were replaced by castles, a "bishop" was added to please the Catholic church, and the minister was changed to the Queen, the only female playing piece.

Some renaissance land barons would go a step further in their involvement in the game and organize a variation which used human beings as the playing pieces, who upon their capture were in fact beheaded. It soon also became apparent to players that they could affect the game's eventual outcome from the first moves made at the start, and started noting the moves their opponents would often make and formulate moves to block them.

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.

The call for formal rules became necessary as official matches became more common, so the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE) was organized in the early twentieth century. Up to these modern times, there is a Chess Olympics every two years where the best players worldwide come to compete. By learning more about this amazing game and where did chess originate it can help players have a better understanding and appreciation of it.




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