Chess as a Wargame

Chess is believed to have originated in seventh century India as a wargame representing the moves of real military pieces such as chariots, troop transporting riverboats, and elephants.  Although the game evolved into something much more formalized, it has retained its associations with real war, such that it seems almost in some respects like a conflict simulation game.  It resembles an eighteenth or nineteenth century battlefield in that one goal is to disrupt the coherent enemy front line (i.e., the pawn structure), get behind it, and dislocate the organization of the army from behind.  Chess is also like twentieth century warfare, in that while breaking through the infantry in the front line is still important, especially if fast-moving pieces such as the queen, rooks, and bishops (i.e, tanks) can exploit the breakthrough and disorganize the command and control structure of the enemy forces (i.e., capture the king).  Finally, the knights seem to operate like long-range artillery or bombers, since even when faced with an impenetrable front line, they can still attack enemy forces behind the front without having to break through the front.