Chess

Chess is a game whose origins are somewhat veiled by time itself. There are two schools of thought as to where it’s possible beginnings may have been. The two contenders for the title are China and India. There are valid arguments and even documentation in favor of each of these. It is a Gordian knot of sorts which we shall attempt to untie.

The first school of thought has chess originating in what was then Northern India, but what is now modern Afghanistan around 600CE. However, there is an indication that it may have had an even earlier beginning somewhere closer to the year 100CE. The game itself traveled from India along the trade routes into the heart of the marketplaces of Italy and from there into Spain by the year 1000CE. Just a few short years later the Vikings carried it back to Scandinavia and then to Iceland. The game made its way into central Europe by the year 1200CE, and by the year 1400CE it was well known throughout Europe.

From India the game migrated to Persia. It is in Persia that the first reference to the game is mentioned in written text. There was a manuscript written between the years 531CE and 579CE during the reign of King Chrosroe –I Anoushiravan which went into great detail regarding the names and purposes of the various pieces. Ferdousi, a Persian poet of the 10th century also speaks of chess, and a book was written entitled Chatrang Namakwor which being translated means A Manual of Chess between the years of 242CE and 651CE.

The Moors invaded Spain in April of 711CE bringing the game of chess with them providing another explanation for its spread throughout Europe. A reference to chess is found in the Catalonian Testament of 1011CE where mention is made of a chess set being given to Charlemagne. From there the game of chess was introduced to both Germany and Russia.

The second school of thought talks of chess originating in China. In the book Youguai lu whose name means Book of Marvels, written by Niu Sengru between the years 779CE and 847CE a story is told of a bad dream and a grave wherein was buried a chess game. There are other pieces of literature from China that refer to the game of chess.  One such piece of literature is a part of a series of poems entitled ‘Poems on the quiet in spring’, by Bo Juyi between the years of 772CE and 846CE.

Materials used to make these game pieces were rhinoceros horn, ivory and wood. Evidence has also been found of chess in Korea where it is known by the name Changgi, and in Japan where it is known as Shogi Sets of older shogi pieces can be quite valuable.

We haven’t truly untied the Gordian knot, but maybe we can understand a little better the two possible beginnings of chess and how they both explain its spread throughout the known world.