Brief History of Chess

Chess, a game of skill and strategy between two people was believed to have originated in India in the 6^th century AD. It was originally known as Chaturanga which means the army Division – elephants, cavalry, chariots and infantry. Chaturanga spread rapidly along the commercial route and conquest and spreads eastward to China and then through Korea to Japan.

 The game appears in Persia where it was first called Chatrang after the Islamic conquest around 638-651. Shatranj, the Arabic form of Chess was studied, analysed by the Arabs. Treatises were written on the game that leads to the development of an Algebraic notation System. The game spread across Europe via the spread of Islam to Sicily and the invasion of Spain by the Moors between 700 & 900. Chaturanga later reached Russian through trade routes from several directions.

The game was well known throughout Europe between 12^th and 13^th century. The game of chess as it is known today evolves into its present form in southern Europe towards the end of the 15^th century.