History of chess

. New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.]]
 (four kings). They are not this colour in nature, and are made of walrus ivory]]
, c. 1283]]

The **history of chess** goes back almost 1500 years. 

The game originated in northern India in the 6th century AD and spread to Persia. When the Arabs conquered Persia, chess was taken up by the Muslim world. Later, through the Moorish conquest of Spain, chess spread to Southern Europe. 

In early Russia, the game came directly from the Khanates (muslim territories) to the south.

In Europe, *the moves of the pieces changed in the 15th century*. The modern game starts with these changes. In the second half of the 19th century, modern tournament play began. Chess clocks were first used in 1883, and the first world chess championship was held in 1886. The 20th century saw advances in chess theory, and the establishment of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). Chess engines (programs that play chess), and chess data bases became important.

## Milestones of the game 
* 550 AD: Northwestern India
* 600AD: First clear reference to chess, in a Persian manuscript describes chess coming to Persia (Iran) from India.
* ~700AD: Date of first undoubted chess pieces.
* 800AD: Moors bring chess to Spain and Sicily.
* 900AD: Early Muslim chess masters, as-Suli and al-Lajlaj write works on the technique of chess.
* 1000AD: Chess widespread in Europe, including Russia.
* 1300AD: First European comments on chess in sermons and stories.
* 1475–1500AD: Birth of the modern game: especially, new moves for queen and bishop.
* 1495: First printed chess book. 
* 1497: First printed chess book to survive to the present day.
* 1600: First professional player-writers.
* 1780s: First master games to be recorded as they were played. 
* 1836: First chess magazine.
* 1849: First US chess tournament. 
* 1851: First international chess tournament.
* 1866: First match to be timed by clock.
* 1883: First tournament to use specially designed chess clocks.
* 1886: First acknowledged world championship match.
* 1927: First chess Olympiad, with FIDE as the organisers.
* 1960: Numerical rating of players becomes standard.

## The origin of the game 
, showing Christian vs Muslim]]

Earlier forms of chess came from northern India during the Gupta empire,p173; p74

### 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 travelled 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" مَاتَ 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: 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. However, this understates the case, since the table does not allow for castling, nor the initial optional double move of the pawn. Also, the pawn promotion to the new queen is hugely significant when it takes place. No exact value can be placed on these elements, but perhaps the modern game makes use of up to a third more force than in the original game. Also, the fast development of the pieces makes the opening far more important in the modern game.

## Evidence from archaeology 
Single pieces found in archaeology are seldom taken as chessmen; they are more likely to be art objects, or hnefatafl pieces. *Groups* of small objects are more likely chessmen if there are of more than two types. Many board games have used two kinds of pieces, but only chess uses six different kinds. A dig might not turn up all six forms, but more than two is indicative of chess. If the forms have characteristic chess figures (foot soldiers, kings, man on horse) this is even more convincing.

The evidence from archaeology comes mostly from the discovery of early chess sets, and also from rock art: carvings (petroglyphs) and paintings on rock.

### Afrasiab 
The earliest chessmen found are the Afrasiab collection. In 1977 the Uzbekistan Academy of Archaeology conducted a dig at Afrasiab, near Samarkand.p15p58 Samarkand is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, and at times it has been one of the greatest cities of Central Asia. Samarkand is on the trade route between China and the Mediterranean (the Silk Road), and so it is a logical place for a trader to store some of his precious goods.

The Afrasiab finds include seven chess pieces. They are heavily worn, but they include: two foot soldiers with shields and short swords (= our pawns); a war elephant with chain armour and a rider in full battle-dress (= our bishop); a visier (= our queen) with two horses with armed rider; two mounted riders with sword and shield (= knights); and the Shah, on a three-horse chariot, holding a mace-like symbol of power (= our king). That is five out of the six types of piece, and completely convincing as a chess set. The rukh (rook) is also known: it features a three-horse chariot with two men, one driving, and the other armed with sword and shield.p61–62

This group is dated to the 7th–8th centuries, and probably come from the end of the Sassanid Empire just before the Arabic conquest. They are *representational*, meaning they are small carvings (though somewhat crude) of war men and equipment. Later Arabic sets became abstract shapes, in accordance with their religious teaching.

## References