The Cultural Quest of the Game of Chess

Have you ever thought about the origins of the globally popular game of chess? It is more interesting than you might think.

With World Chess Day approaching on 20th July, we thought we would delve into the origins and interesting history of the strategic game.  A game that has travelled the world, and is popular with kids and adults alike, often bringing generations together in mostly friendly competition.

The lineage of chess can be traced back around 1500 years, originating in North India. There are, as you would expect, many versions of how this beloved game came to be, which are often disputed.  However, what is agreed, with certainty, is that the game of chess had to be developed by more than one person, due to its complex rules and concepts.  Far too much for one human mind to produce. 

A well-known legend states that the Indian King Shahram, a ruthless and hard-hearted King, was introduced to the game by a wise man from his Kingdom.  The wise man created the pastime as a way to educate the mean-spirited King on the importance of every person in his Kingdom, which is where the different names of the pieces come from.  The King, Queen, Rooks, Bishops, Knights and Pawns – All vital in the success of both the game and the Kingdom.

The King liked the game so much, he ordered everyone in the Kingdom to play chess! He offered the wise man all the gold and silver he wanted.  But the man didn’t want any treasure.  Instead, he asked the King to put one grain of wheat on the first square of the board, two on the second, four on the third, and to continue to double each grain on each square, until the chessboard was full. Initially this angered the King, but he complied, quickly realising that the wise man had taught him a second valuable lesson.  Such an enormous amount of wheat did not exist.  Just like the pawns in chess, you should never underestimate the small things in life!

Whether this is true or not, we love the morals behind the story, and like to think that even a small part of could be accurate.  

In India, chess was originally known as Shatranj, however there are also some who believe the game was conceived in China, 200 BC. By a Commander called Hàn Xin, who invented the game to illustrate a particular battle. Quickly forgotten, and resurfacing some time later in 7th Century AD, in China the game was called XiangQi meaning ‘The Elephant Game’, and barely resembles the game of chess we know today.#

Wherever the origin, the game travelled well, through the Middle East into Europe. and as it continued on its journey, the game was modified, adapted and developed into the familiar game we know today. As with any long adventure; the game of chess faced some challenges. As it found its way into the Middle East, the largely Islamic countries worried that it resembled gambling, which is forbidden in Islam, when the strategy of the game became clear, chess was welcomed and enjoyed.  The game was sanctioned by the Christian Church, but by the 1880s was widely accepted and embraced the world over.  So much so, that this time period is referred to as “the romantic era of chess”. A game that could be played by anyone regardless of age, gender or class. 

As the popularity of the game gained momentum, so did the competitiveness.  Rules became concrete, competitions were held and the matches began. The first official world championship was held in 1886, with Wilhelm Steinitz becoming the first official World Chess Champion. 

With such a rich history of development, it is no surprise that there have been some momentous chess moments, over the years. We have picked out three of the best. 

The Immortal Game 

This is possibly one of the most famous, if not the most famous games from the aforementioned Romantic Era of chess. An informal game played during a break in a formal tournament between Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky on 21st June 1851. At the time Anderssen was considered one of the strongest, if not the strongest player, he is famous for making some bold sacrifices in this game, giving up both rooks, a bishop and his queen, then checkmating Kieseritzky with three minor pieces. 

Kieseritzky lived in France for most of his life, gave chess lessons and played games for five francs an hour in Paris. He was known for giving great odds to weak players, but was less successful against the masters. 

The Game of the Century 

Played in the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament, at the Marshall Chess Club in New York in 1956, by one of the leading American chess masters Donald Byrne, and a 13-year-old Bobby Fischer. Fischer later went on to become a World Champion; but at this time he was simply a promising junior facing a skilled, and experienced opponent.  Initially Fischer’s performance was mediocre, but he quickly gained the upper hand, sacrificing his Queen, but still securing a checkmate to win the game. Hans Kmoch stated, “A stunning masterpiece of combination play performed by a boy of 13 against a formidable opponent matches the finest on record in the history of chess prodigies”.  It was Kmoch who called the match “the game of the century”.

Kasparov-Deep Blue, Game 6

This game goes down in history as the first victory by a computer over a reigning champion. At the time, in 1996 and 1997, well known Gary Kasparov was the World Champion, and he played a series of games against the IBM supercomputer named Deep Blue. In the 1996 match Kasparov actually beat Deep Blue, however Deep Blue returned, much improved, unofficially renamed ‘Deeper Blue’ sacrificed his knight, forcing Kasparov to resign in less than 20 moves. 

The journey and development of chess, is as intriguing as the game itself. Whether played in competition, or between family and friends, it is certainly a game of mystery, strategy and skill, that can be enjoyed by all.