The History Of Chess: A 1500-year-old Strategy Game

"The game of chess has a particularly long and fascinating history of more than 1500 years. Over the centuries, there have also been hundreds of different chess variants, all of which incorporate the fundamental distinguishing feature of standard chess: the explicit individuation of different types of pieces with different values and movements to be jointly manipulated by each player towards the overarching objective of cornering the opponent's king."

"Some of these games - such as Xiangqi, Shogi, Janggi, and Makruk - are still very popular throughout many parts of the world (particularly Asia), while others - such as courier chess or Tamarlane's Chess - are now typically only played by games specialists. But all testify to the remarkable degree of diversity that the game of "chess" has spawned over the centuries, providing tangible evidence of how the games we play are often a significant reflection of our societal values."

"Historians agree that chess originated in northern India somewhere during or shortly before the 5th century CE. Played on an uncheckered 8x8 board called an ashtāpada, it was clearly created as a simulation of war, with its very name, chaturanga (literally "four-limbed") being a standard Sanskrit term of reference for the ancient Indian army composed of four components: foot soldiers, elephants, cavalry and chariots."

Chess originated in northern India around the 5th century CE as chaturanga, played on an uncheckered 8x8 ashtāpada and conceived as a simulation of war. Chaturanga represented four military arms—foot soldiers, elephants, cavalry and chariots—plus a king and minister, with the objective of capturing the opponent's king. The game spread westward into Persia as chatrang and later diversified into hundreds of variants worldwide. Some variants such as Xiangqi, Shogi, Janggi and Makruk remain widely popular, while others survive only among specialists. The diversity of variants reflects how games mirror societal values and historical contexts.

Read at World History Encyclopedia