India's Forgotten Master And Chess Traditions

If I told you that a legendary chess master once lived in the Saurashtra region in the 1830s, would you believe me? A player with extraordinary abilities, capable of reciting full games from memory and calmly announcing checkmate with a soft “Bus” (meaning "enough" in Hindi), sounds like a myth. And yet, this is the story of Ramadasa, a near-forgotten genius of Indian chess.

In this article, third and final installment on the forgotten history of Indian chess, we will explore his story, as well as how Indian chess has influenced poetry and math. (If you missed the first two installments, you can find them here: "The Forgotten History Of Indian Chess" and "The Forgotten Book That Connects India's Chess Traditions.")

• Blindfold King a.k.a Philidor of Indian Chess 
• The Chathuranga Vallabhanathar Temple
• The Knight's Tour
• Conclusion

Blindfold King a.k.a Philidor of Indian Chess 

The name Ramadasa is shared by a couple of other well-known figures: Ram Dass, the American spiritual teacher and devotee of Neem Karoli Baba, and Samarth Ramdas, the guru of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. But this Ramadasa stands alone as a master of the 64 squares. There’s not much documented about him, except that he hailed from Kathiawar in 19th-century western India. What makes Ramadasa remarkable is that he was highly skilled at both the Indian and European versions of chess, a rare trait even in his time. 

I came across Ramadasa in a paragraph from Marianne Postans (later Marianne Young), who lived in Bhuj with her husband, an army officer. In 1838, she authored a two-volume travelogue titled Western India, filled with vivid descriptions, local stories, and cultural accounts from Surat, Saurashtra, Bombay, and the Deccan.

One paragraph in particular left me awestruck, as if I had stumbled upon a hidden gem from India’s intellectual past. After reading about him, I couldn’t help but wonder how incredible it would be to meet someone of that caliber. See for yourself:

With constant practice, and a good memory, a student of chess, previously well-acquainted with its scientific principles, might, he averred, acquire his method of playing chess without a board in six months. 

- Ramadasa

If you, dear reader, happen to find more information about this enigmatic chess savant, please do share it with me.

The Chathuranga Vallabhanathar Temple

Adding yet another fascinating layer is the Chathuranga Vallabhanathar Temple in Tamil Nadu, a rare shrine where Lord Shiva is believed to have played a game of chess with a king, a legend so uniquely Indian in spirit.

According to Wikipedia: In Hindu legend, a childless king named Vasudevan worshipped Shiva, and as a result Parvathi was born to him as Rajarajeswari. It is also believed that Shiva appeared to the king in the guise of siddha at this place and worsted him in a game of chess. As a consequence, he married Rajarajeswari.

PM Shri Narendra Modi mentions about Chathuranga Vallabhanatha Swamy Temple at Thiruppoovanur village in Tiruvarur Dist of TN, during his Chess Olympiad inagural address. pic.twitter.com/ayTbuMNFqi

— Ethirajan Srinivasan 🇮🇳🚩 (@Ethirajans) July 31, 2022

The Knight's Tour

India’s contribution to the world is vast and foundational. From the invention of the zero and the decimal system by Aryabhata, to the development of Ayurveda—a holistic medical science codified by sages like Charaka—India has shaped global knowledge across disciplines.

Even in mathematical puzzles and logical reasoning, India's legacy stands out. Centuries ago, the concept of the Knight’s Tour was described in a Sanskrit shloka by Rudrata, showcasing the deep integration of mathematics, poetry, and chess in ancient Indian thought.

In the 14th century, the Sri Vaishnava poet and philosopher Vedanta Desika wrote a famous Sanskrit work called Paduka Sahasram, a collection of 1,008 verses praising the divine sandals (Padukas) of Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam. In chapter 30 (Chitra Paddhati), he created two special verses with 32 letters each (in the Anushtubh meter).

What’s amazing is that the second verse can be formed from the first by following the path of a knight’s tour on a four-by-eight chessboard, starting from the top-left square! The International Institution of Information Technology has come out with the translation and the images connected with the poem here.

The Instagram reel below explains the specifics of the knight tour and the poetic connection in the knight's tour: 

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A post shared by यश साळुङ्के | saṃskṛtam ♾️ (@yasalunke_)

Conclusion

India's bond with chess runs deep. From the poetic elegance of Vilasamaimañjarī to the genius of minds like Shyamcharan and Maheshchandra, as well as the brilliance of Ramadasa, the blindfold king of Kathiawar, the game has long been entwined with our cultural and intellectual heritage.

These glimpses tell us something important: India isn’t just a country where chess is played! It’s a land where chess has been lived, imagined, worshipped, and woven into story and spirit.

I hope this series contributes to reviving awareness about the forgotten history of Indian chess. A heartfelt thank you to Sam Copeland, Alex King, Jacques Pope, Aniruddha Deshpande, Aishwarya Yardi, Amrit Yardi, Chandrashekhar Navalgund, Sandipan Chanda, Bipin Shenoy, Sayan Mukerji and Nathaniel Green for their invaluable help and support in completing these articles!