The Parish Magazine April 2022

feature — 1
CHESS!
A game for
all the ages
The Parish Magazine - April 2022 19
Inara Prusakova, dreamstime.com
Although it has been suggested that the ancient game of Chess was invented by King Solomon (c990-c930 BC), who
was known as the wisest of all the wise people of his time, there is evidence that it was played about 250 years before
he was born. In this brief history of chess, Vic Ballard, a Rendezvous Club member and President of the Reading Chess
Club, suggests that chess, which is still enjoyed by the young and old alike, goes even further back in time. It is truly a
game for all ages and the ages — young and old, ancient and modern!
FACT OR FICTION?
To be a fact there must be proof. Is it
fair to assume the chess as we know
it today evolved over the centuries
from a variety of war games played by
moving pieces over a chequered board?
Here are a few facts:
In Kannak, on the tomb of Queen
Nefertari of Egypt, is a fresco depicting
the Queen sitting at a board game in
which figures resembling castles are
used. This is dated 1250 BC.
There is evidence of early war
games played on a chequered board
displaying a variety of different styles
of game.
Some of the early Egyptian games
were played on boards with 144
squares and 48 pieces. The Egyptians
also played on a board of 30 squares
with 12 pieces. Today we play with 64
squares and 32 pieces.
In the 5th Century AD, in Persia
there is evidence that a war game,
known as 'elephant chess' was played
on an 8x9 board with flat pieces —
one of the pieces was marked with an
elephant to denote a general.
There is also historical proof that
elephant chess was played in India in
the 4th Century.
A LIVING GAME
Chess is a living game that has
evolved over the centuries. It spread
to many parts of the world long before
easy communications could have
taken place. As travel became possible,
so the game adjusted to merge the
finer details of the different cultures of
the world.
From 500 AD, the old Sanskrit
name for chess is 'tesch aturanga',
meaning 'four sides'. This indicates
that the pieces could move in all
directions on the board.
The old Persian word 'shah-mat'
meaning 'the King is dead' evolved
into 'checkmate'.
In Indian elephant chess, the
elephant was the forerunner of the
bishop. The rook was a chariot of war
and pawns were soldiers.
HOW MANY BOOKS?
When asked on the old radio
programme, The Brain Trust, the
question: 'How do you define the skill
levels of one game compared to another
such as chess and draughts? an eminent
professor answered: 'By the amount of
literature that is written on the subject'.
Compare the number of books written
on chess with any other board game.
Some estimates for chess books are
about 100,000! The earliest books
were by Arabs who had learnt the
game from early Persia in the 8th
Century. The elephant was retained,
while the knight replaced the rook,
and the castle appeared.
An antique chess set including Julius Caesar (centre)
MASTERS
It was during this period that the
earliest masters of chess emerged. The
greatest player being an Arab, Ar-Razi
in 850 AD. He wrote a book wth the
descriptive title, 'Playing with Elegance'.
In the 8th Century when the Arab
world spread into Europe, chess was
introduced to Sicily and Spain.
The oldest written reference with
the name 'chess' is dated 1008. It is a
bequest made on a battlefield in Spain
by Count Er-Mengaud of Urgel who
stipulated that his rock crystal chess
set should be given to the Cloister St
Gilles-du-Gard.
The first western European chess
book was published in Spain in 1283.
It linked innovations to the Arab rules
of play.
The first chess book printed in
English was published in the 14th
Century by William Caxton. Today,
there are enough chess books to fill the
Louvre in Paris, yet still the demand
grows.
Final fact: chess has taken the
computer in its stride and confirms
that it is still the game for all the ages!
Sjankauskas, dreamstime.com