Where did chess originate?

portugal inveted spain mexico invented the spanish stereotype so mexico invented spain asmy logic goes

rainbow greece only invented olives which invented the plant

i am just sayong greece is where all the nerds live (just joking but look at what they invented)

Damn Cro magnons!

Since humans originated in Africa, I have to conclude that Africa invented every damn thing in the world. End of discussion. 

:))))))

but which part of africa

Pfffft...we are nothing more than alien seeds. Talk to the Greys.

At what point is proto-chess differentiated from modern chess?  i.e. is Shatranj the same as Chess?  is Chatrang?  is Xiangqi? Or did these ancient civilizations invent games that were NOT chess, but which later civilizations would appropriate and use as the basis for what we might recognize today as Chess. It seems to me that these earlier civilizations weren't so much the incubators of Chess as they were the source of the seeds from which Chess would later sprout.  The distinction may not be totally clear, but I think it's important and often glossed over.

The Welsh variant Cwm Llynchwmryllych Pobl predated all recorded forms.  It was first mentioned in the oral tradition of the druidic tone poems from about 100BC.

We all have a first creator, so why did he not invented it before he invented humans, and gave the game to use, so we are just a test for the game of heaven, only war allowed in the peacefull heaven.

Play on for heavens shake.

The way people can completely ignore evidence in an attempt to romanticize history boggles my mind.

Thank you MikedaSnipe, i didn't see it that way!

I thought; 'well, the half of the comments sounded like India and a quarter from somewere else, the last quarter made fun with it in way of "old, older, oldest" and i thought i go to the creator of all beginning, that must be the oldest.'

I just wrote my thoughts off, it and that was the result.

I believe from what i read on the net, India. But that's just based on the feeling i hear it more often then the others.

I did. 5 minutes ago. I just travelled back in time so that past civlizations could enjoy it. You're welcome.

Apart from all the silliness in this thread, I think modern chess is a product of 15th century europe.

Well, it's pretty close. Although chess seemed to have been somewhat stabilized toward the modern around the 12th-13th century, so many important developments, many of which make the game really recognizable today, didn't seem to have occured until the Renaissance. I'm not convinced that anything prior to this (the 12th century maybe; arguably prior to the Renaissance) could even be called "Chess."  But it's all pretty nebulous.

welll sure modern chess, but the original game was thought to be invented somewere in the late 5th century to the early 6th century. It came up somewere in india and was originally called chatchrang and checkmate was shamat or litterally the king is dead. Back then bishops (elephants),and rooks (chariots) were limited to 4 squares ahead, and the queen(kings minister) moved like a king. Pawns could only move onne square in advance. This ment the night was the strongest peice. =]

my rescourse for all who doubt my knowledge was from the book "The Imortal Game" a fabulous book for any chess afficianado. It has a detailed history with some amusing stories, real life relation to the body and mind all tied around the famous game between two grandmasters playing the kings gambit.

Clearly Aliens.

I was under the impression it was India...

sigh...

thanks to all for your reply. I too go for India because of two reasons. I am an indian. Secondly, only India can invent such a mythical and mysterious game. I disagree with those who said America.

Thanks a lot