History of Chess

Many historians believe that chess is the oldest game of skill in the history of mankind. It is thought to have originated in what is now northern India or Afghanistan sometime before 600 AD. The oldest written references to chess date from that era, but there are unverified claims that chess existed as early as 100 AD.

It was in Persia that the terms chess and "checkmate" found their origins. The Persian word for king was "shah." Over the course of time, shah was somehow translated into, among other variations, the Old French (e)sches, plural of (e)schek, which translated into English, means "check." From there it was simplified to the Saxon and Modern English word "chess." The term "checkmate" (used to signify victory over the opponent's king) is derived from the Persian "shah mat," which means "the king (shah) is dead (mat)." "Mat" is related to the Latin stem "mort" (death) as found in the word "mortuary." Early traders coming out of India took the game back with them to their native homelands, and as a result, variations on the game of chess exist in nearly every country of the world. But the most common variation played by Europeans and Americans today traveled from Persia (now Iran) to Spain via the Moors. In the eighth century, the Moors invaded Persia and, as the two cultures intertwined, chess became popular with the Moorish soldiers. When the Moors later invaded Spain, the soldiers brought the game with them, and soon after, chess spread throughout all of Europe.

By 1400 AD, the game of chess was well-established across Europe, and the rules for chess were almost identical to those still accepted today. The names and ranks of the pieces represent the very way in which both ordinary people and persons of rank lived their lives in Europe back in that time.

The pawns on the chess board represent serfs, or laborers. These pieces are often sacrificed to save the more valuable pieces, and there are more of them on the board than any other piece. In medieval times, serfs were considered simple property of landowners, and were often left unprotected during times of war. During battle, serfs were often traded, used as diversions, or even sacrificed to keep landowners out of harm's way.

The knight in chess represents the professional soldier of medieval times, whose purpose was to protect persons of rank. In the game, knights are more important than pawns, but rank lower than bishops, kings, or queens. Their purpose in the game is to protect the more important pieces, and like pawns, they can be sacrificed to ensure the safety of the ranking officials.

The castle piece is the home, or refuge, just as it was hundreds of years ago.

The bishop, who represents the church, was an important figure in medieval times, a figure of power. Behind the king and queen, the bishop is the highest ranking piece on the board.

The most powerful piece in the game of chess is the Queen, and it is the only piece that represents a female figure. Many people are unaware that queens in medieval times often held great influence with the kings, who relied on them for support and advice. There are many instances in history of queens working either for or against their kings, and behind the scenes some queens held more power than the kings themselves.

In chess, just as in medieval times, the king must be defended at all costs. Surrender of the king means defeat, and hundreds of years ago, defeat of the king meant loss of the kingdom to invading armies. So it was to everyone's advantage, from the lowest serf to the highest ranking bishop, to keep the king safe from harm. The king is the most important, but not the most powerful piece in chess. Loss of the king - means loss of the game.