Why is chess called chess?

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Avatar of u335394862

I just dont know...

Avatar of Scottrf

Because those letters in that formation weren't already taken.

Avatar of macer75

chess (n.) Look up chess at Dictionary.com13c., from Old French esches "chessmen," plural of eschec "game of chess, chessboard; checkmate" (see check (n.)), from the key move of the game. Modern French still distinguishes échec "check, blow, rebuff, defeat," from plural échecs "chess."

The original word for "chess" is Sanskrit chaturanga "four members of an army" -- elephants, horses, chariots, foot soldiers. This is preserved in Spanish ajedrez, from Arabic (al) shat-ranj, from Persian chatrang, from the Sanskrit word.

Copied from http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=chess

Avatar of papagar

From old french "esches", derived from latin "escacum" (board square).

Avatar of Pat_Zerr

It's called chess because "tiddelywinks" was already taken.

Avatar of u335394862

maybe they just thought chess was a good name?

Avatar of conejiux

From: Cheating Engines Solves Situations (CHESS)...

Avatar of u335394862
conejiux wrote:

From: Cheating Engines Solves Situations (CHESS)...

wheres the h?

Avatar of conejiux
335394862 wrote:
conejiux wrote:

From: Cheating Engines Solves Situations (CHESS)...

wheres the h?

CHeating Engines Solves Situations...

Avatar of Ubik42

Because Cheers was taken.

Avatar of u335394862

no i know maybe because chess is simple so the named it chess

Avatar of Knightly_News

Back in Medieval times, where it originated, for years it was called "chest".  Floozies earning a sordid living in taverns would ask "Would you like to play with my chest?"  As the sport grew in popularity and more drunks started using the term, it gradually got slurred into chess.  It eventually turned into a board game (etymology: "bored" game) because the women got tired of being groped by drunks, moved on, and the drunks, suddenly bored, having no chests to play with, had no choice but to play "chess", which entailed sliding their little pieces around and spending a lot of time in contemplation.  Coincidentally, the word "masturbation" was coined during the same era.

Avatar of u335394862
reflectivist wrote:

Back in Medieval times, where it originated, for years it was called "chest".  Floozies earning a sordid living in taverns would say "Would you like to play with my chest?"  As the sport grew in popularity and more drunks started using the term, it gradually got slurred into chess.  It eventually turned into a board game (etymology: "bored" game) because the women got tired of being groped by drunks, moved on, and the drunks, suddenly bored, having no chests to play with, had no choice but to play "chess", which entailed sliding their little pieces around and spending a lot of time in contemplation.  Coincidentally, the term "masturbation" was coined during the same era.

lol

Avatar of captdad12
conejiux wrote:

From: Cheating Engines Solves Situations (CHESS)...

Good one!

Avatar of Suvel

why not

Avatar of batgirl

"Checkers" was already taken.

Avatar of MJ4H

because of reasons

Avatar of koroloi

Porque si no se llamara ajedrez, tendria otro nombre 

Avatar of DrFrank124c

I was under the impression it was from "shah" a persian word meaning King. But then where did the word "shah" come from? And where did that word come from? Back and back to grunting monkeys. To prove this there is a YouTube video showing grunting monkeys playing chess. 

Avatar of goldendog

how long before chepp takes over?