Teaching History Of Chess To Children
Would you like to go on an adventure with a mythical red panda and travel back in time to discover the origins of chess? Readers of The Discovery of Chess do exactly that as they accompany two imaginary children on a journey that spans centuries, travels along trade routes, and crosses continents.
How Chess Has Been Played And Evolved
Dao, the panda, can travel back in time and place. After befriending Ethan and Emma, two very curious kids, he takes them on the adventure of a lifetime to observe how the game of chess has been played and evolved over time.
Chaturanga, Predecessor Of Chess
They start in ancient India in the fifth century C.E. and watch how rival rajahs competed in a board game known as chaturanga, which is believed to be the earliest predecessor of the game of chess. The pieces represent the four divisions of the Indian army at the time: infantry, elephantry, cavalry, and chariots.
Chess Pieces Evolve
Then the panda shows the kids how the game was taken by trade and empires westward in medieval times, and they watch as the chess pieces change into those that we recognize today. Leading chess figures make cameo appearances in the story and are included with warriors, matriarchs, and literary figures in illustrations artfully drawn by Juan Calle. The Mechanical Turk, who beat famous people such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin, even makes an appearance.
Chess Events And Players
The book highlights several significant historical events, such as the Immortal Game and the first world chess championship. It also captures several important chess events of the modern era, such as the world championship battle between GM Bobby Fischer and GM Boris Spassky in 1972.
Storybook: The Discovery Of Chess
Written by Phil Amara and Oliver Chin, the 40-page storybook is the fourth publication in their series The Asian Hall of Fame. The other tales explore further noteworthy inventions from Asia that have had enduring cultural influences around the world. All are published by Immedium, which is based in San Francisco and known for its delightfully illustrated children's books.
Although written primarily for children up to age 12, this informative and fascinating tale will also entertain chess players of all ages. Young readers will enjoy the illustrations just as much as the narrative, and families and friends will appreciate having this book to share their knowledge about the history of chess. The authors have filled a significant void in chess literature for children.
Ray Linville’s high point as a chess player occurred when he swiped the queen of GM Hikaru Nakamura in a 60-second bullet game in 2021. This game was reported in a “My Best Move” column of the Chess Life magazine, published by the U.S. Chess Federation.
At Chess.com, he has been an editor (part-time) since 2019 and has edited news articles and tournament reports—including those of the Candidates and World Championship Tournaments and other major events—by titled players and noted chess writers as well as Game of the Day annotations by leading grandmasters. He has also been a contributing writer of chess terms, e-books, and general interest articles for ChessKid.com.
He enjoys “top blogger” status at Chess.com. His blog has won the award for Best Chess Blog from the Chess Journalists of America for several years. In addition, he has also been the recipient of first-place CJA awards for feature article, humorous contribution, online review, and educational lesson as well as honorable mention in the categories of personal narrative and historical article.