History

The history of chess can be traced back nearly 1500 years, although the earliest origins are uncertain.
The earliest predecessor of the game probably originated in India, before the 6th century AD; a minority
of historians believe the game originated in China. From India, the game spread to Persia. When the
Arabs conquered Persia, chess was taken up by the Muslim world and subsequently spread to Southern
Europe. In Europe, chess evolved into roughly its current form in the 15th century.

"Romantic chess" was the predominant chess playing style from the late 15th century to the 1880s.[1]
Chess games of this period emphasised more on quick, tactical maneuvers rather than long-term
strategic planning.[1] The Romantic era of play was followed by the Scientific, Hypermodern, and New
Dynamism eras.[1] In the second half of the 19th century, modern chess tournament play began, and the
first World Chess Championship was held in 1886. The 20th century saw great leaps forward in chess
theory and the establishment of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). Developments in the 21st century
include use of computers for analysis, which originated in the 1970s with the first programmed chess
games on the market. Online gaming appeared in the mid-1990s.

Chess remains a highly popular pastime to this day. A 2012 survey found that "chess players now make
up one of the largest communities in the world: 605 million adults play chess regularly". Chess is played
at least once a year by 12% of British people, 15% of Americans, 23% of Germans, 43% of Russians, and
70% of Indian people.

Origin of the Game

The precursors of chess originated in northern India during the Gupta empire,[1] where its early form in
the 6th century was known as Chaturanga. This translates as 'the four divisions', meaning infantry,
cavalry, elephantry, and chariotry, represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn,
knight, bishop, and rook, respectively.

Persian and Arabic chess

In Sassanid Persia around 600 the name became Chatrang and the rules were developed further, and
players started calling Shāh! (Persian for 'King') when threatening the opponent's king, and Shāh māt!
(Persian for 'the king is finished') when the king could not escape from attack. These exclamations
persisted in chess as it traveled to other lands.

The game was taken up by the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of Persia, with the pieces largely
retaining their Persian names; in Arabic "māt" or "māta" means "died", "is dead". In Arabic, the game
became Shatranj. In all other languages, the name of the game is derived either from shatranj or from
shah.
Changes in names of pieces

The following table provides a glimpse of the changes in the names and character of chess pieces, as
they passed from one culture to another, from India through Persia to Europe.

Changes in the Arabic names of pieces happened over several centuries after the game arrived in
Europe. Most changed were the pieces which had no equivalent in Europe, such as the elephant (eh-l-fh-
ant), the visier (an advisor: the firzan or wazir), and the chariot (rukhkh). The greatest variety of names
was for the elephant, which was not seen in Europe, and so not used in war. In Spain names derived
from Arabic lasted for centuries (alfil, aufin, orfil...). Eventually, all but France used a word for "bishop".
In a similar manner, vizir eventually became "queen", and the chariot became a word for "castle".
Except, that is, in English, where "rook" is obviously a version of "rukh". The following table does not
capture all these complicated changes.
Europe and the East

The game reached Western Europe and Russia by at least three routes, the earliest being in the 9th
century. By the year 1000 it had spread throughout Europe.[5] Introduced into the Iberian Peninsula by
the Moors in the 10th century, it was described in a famous 13th century manuscript covering shatranj,
backgammon and dice named the Libro de los juegos.

Buddhist pilgrims, Silk Road traders and others carried it to the Far East, where it was transformed into a
game often played on the intersection of the lines of the board rather than within the squares.[6]
Chinese chess and Shogi are the most important of the oriental chess variants. However, it was the
changes made in medieval Europe which led to our modern game.

Birth of a sport
The first modern chess tournament was held in London in 1851 and won, surprisingly, by German Adolf
Anderssen, who was relatively unknown at the time. Anderssen was hailed as the leading chess master,
and his brilliant, energetic attacking style became typical for the time, although it was retrospectively
regarded as strategically shallow.Sparkling games like Anderssen's Immortal game and Evergreen Game
or Morphy's Opera game were regarded as the highest possible summit of the chess art.

Deeper insight into the nature of chess came with two younger players. American Paul Morphy, an
extraordinary chess prodigy, won against all important competitors, including Anderssen, during his
short chess career between 1857 and 1863. Morphy's success stemmed from a combination of brilliant
attacks and sound strategy; he intuitively knew how to prepare attacks. Prague-born Wilhelm Steinitz
later described how to avoid weaknesses in one's own position and how to create and exploit such
weaknesses in the opponent's position.In addition to his theoretical achievements, Steinitz founded an
important tradition: his triumph over the leading Polish-German master Johannes Zukertort in 1886 is
regarded as the first official World Chess Championship. Steinitz lost his crown in 1894 to a much
younger German mathematician Emanuel Lasker, who maintained this title for 27 years, the longest
tenure of all World Champions.

Facilities or Equipment
Chess Piece

A chess piece, or chessman, is any of the six different types of movable objects used on a chessboard to
play the game of chess.

Chess Board

A chessboard is the type of gameboard used for the game of chess, on which the chess pawns and pieces
are placed. A chessboard is usually square in shape, with an alternating pattern of squares in two
colours. Traditionally wooden boards are made of unstained light and dark brown woods. To reduce cost,
many boards are made with veneers of more expensive woods glued to an inner piece of plywood or
chipboard.
Chess Clock

A chess clock consists of two adjacent clocks with buttons to stop one clock while starting the other, so
that the two clocks never run simultaneously. Chess clocks are used in chess and other two-player games
where the players move in turn. The purpose is to keep track of the total time each player takes for their
own moves, and ensure that neither player overly delays the game.

Score Sheet

The sheet of paper used to record a game in progress. During formal games, it is usual for both players to
record the game using a score sheet. A completed score sheet contains the game score

Chess Table

A chess table is a table built with features to make it useful for playing the game of chess. A chess board
is usually integral to the table top and often two drawers are provided to hold the pieces when not in
use. Chess tables can be extremely decorative, well made and potentially expensive pieces of furniture.
Most chess tables have the board inlaid or engraved though cheaper tables may have it painted on. A
chess table is not necessary to play chess and is not restricted only to playing chess.