The Origin of Chess: The Most Detailed History

Hello! 👋
Welcome to the world of chess – a game of intellect with a history spanning over 1,500 years!
    1. Origin in India (6th Century) – The Game of Chaturanga
Chess originated from a game called Chaturanga, which appeared in India around the 6th century CE during the Gupta Empire. The Sanskrit word "Chaturanga" means "four divisions of the military", representing the key army units of that time:

Infantry → Pawn
Cavalry → Knight
Elephants → Bishop
Chariots → Rook
Initially, Chaturanga had rules that differed from modern chess, but it already featured the concept of "check" (threatening the king) and winning by capturing the enemy's king.

 
2. Spread to Persia (7th Century) – Shatranj
By the 7th century, Chaturanga had spread to Persia (modern-day Iran) and evolved into a game called Shatranj. The Persian influence introduced key terms:

"Shah" (شاه) – meaning King,
"Shah Mat" (شاه مات) – meaning "The King is helpless", which later became "Checkmate" in English.
Shatranj had some differences from Chaturanga:

The Bishop (then called "Elephant") could only move two squares diagonally.
The Queen was a weak piece, moving only one square diagonally.
There were no special rules like castling or pawn promotion.
 
3. Spread to the Islamic World and Europe (8th-10th Century)
With the expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate, Shatranj became popular across the Islamic world, North Africa, and Spain. The Arabs were passionate about chess and wrote strategic books on it.

Between the 9th and 10th centuries, chess entered Europe through:

Spain, due to Islamic influence (during the Al-Andalus period).
Italy and France, through trade with the Middle East.
At first, chess was mainly played by royalty and the aristocracy in Europe.

 
4. Major Rule Changes (15th Century) – Birth of Modern Chess
By the late 15th century (around 1475), significant changes in Spain and Italy transformed chess into its modern form:

The Queen became the most powerful piece, moving in any direction as far as possible.
The Bishop gained its modern movement, traveling unlimited diagonal squares instead of just two.
Castling was introduced, allowing the king to move safely and the rook to be activated.
Pawn Promotion was introduced, allowing pawns to transform (usually into a Queen) upon reaching the last rank.
These changes made chess faster, more strategic, and more exciting

 
5. Chess Tournaments and the Rise of Modern Chess (19th-20th Century)
1851: The first international chess tournament was held in London, won by Adolf Anderssen (Germany).
1886: Wilhelm Steinitz became the first official World Chess Champion.
1924: The FIDE (International Chess Federation) was established to regulate chess competitions and rankings.
20th Century: Legendary world champions emerged, such as Emanuel Lasker, José Capablanca, Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, and Magnus Carlsen.
 
6. Chess in the Technology Era (21st Century)
1997: IBM's supercomputer Deep Blue defeated world champion Garry Kasparov, marking the rise of AI in chess.
Today, chess is played worldwide on platforms like Chess.com, Lichess, making it accessible to millions of players.
 
Conclusion
Chess has a history of over 1,500 years, originating in India, evolving through Persia and Europe, and becoming a global intellectual sport. While the rules have changed significantly over time, chess remains one of the most strategic and enduring games in human history !