INTERESTING CHESS FACTS
Early Origins:
The earliest version of the game of Chess (based on archeological evidences and
recorded history) was called “Chatur-Anga” and originated in India
(also known as “Bharat”), around
2,000 years back, during the “Gupta Empire” - the golden age of India. The name
is also referred to as a battle formation in the Indian epic Maha-Bharata (composed around 5,000 years back).
The Original Name:
The name chatur-aṅga (translation in
ancient Sanskrit language: Chatur =
Four and anga = arm), can be described
as four divisions (of the military): infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and
chariotry. The pieces were designed as such in very artistic way out of wood,
stone or metal, and the game was taught to all princes, kings and warriors for developing
tactical and strategic warfare skills. Chatur-Anga
was essentially a battle-simulation game involving tactical and strategic aspects
in the development of the board and trapping the opposing king. Chatur-Anga was designed for an Ashtāpada (Sanskrit for "having
eight feet", i.e. an 8×8 squared board). The King was called Raja, the Queen was Mantri (or minister), the Knight was Ashv, Rook was Ratha (or chariot), Pawn was Padati (or foot soldier) and so on based on the military divisions in those days.
Journey From India
to Europe and Far East: From India, the game spread to Persia in around
600 AD. Persia (modern day Iran) was a very influential country following the
Zorastrian religion), and Chatur-Anga
gained popularity as a household game. The original name Chatur-Anga became Chatrang.
After the Arabs conquered Persia, chess was introduced in the Middle-Eastern
countries and subsequently spread to Southern Europe. This is when the name Chatrang
evolved to Shatranj, as the Arabic
languages do not emphasize ch and ng sounds.
In Europe, chess evolved into roughly its current form in
the 15th century. From the late 15th century to the 1880s, the game format was
predominantly based more on quick, tactical maneuvers rather than long-term
strategic planning. In Europe, the name changed based on regional dialects and
languages e.g. Axedrez in Spain, Xadrez in Portuguese, Zatrikion in Greek,
Scacchi in Italian, Schach in German, Schack in Swedish and Shakhmaty in Russian.
Buddhist pilgrims, Silk Road traders and others carried it
to the Far East countries like China, Korea and Thailand.
Modern Chess: In
the late 19th century, modern chess tournament play began, and the first World
Chess Championship was held in 1886. The 20th century saw great leaps forward
in chess theory and the establishment of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). The
Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an
international organization that connects the various national chess federations
around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess
competition. FIDE was founded in Paris, France, in 1924. Its motto is Gens una sumus, Latin for "We are
one people".
Popularity: Chess players make up one of the largest
communities in the world: 605 million adults play chess regularly. Chess is taught as a subject in many schools in India and Russia. Chess
is played at least once a year by 15% Americans, 70% Indians, 43% Russians, 23%
Germans and 12% British people.
Chess and Academics: There have been various studies worldwide since many decades
that summarize the contribution of Chess towards academic progress.
- improves academic performance by improving the cognitive abilities, rational thinking and reasoning
- brings out latent abilities that have not been reached by traditional educational means
- promotes logical thinking, instills a sense of self‑confidence and self‑worth, and improves communication and pattern recognition skills
- teaches the values of hard work, concentration, objectivity, and commitment
- improves “future problem solving” skills and time management
IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THIS, WE CHALLENGE YOU TO ENROLL YOUR CHILD AT POLK SCHOLASTIC CHESS AND WITNESS THEIR ACADEMIC PROGRESS!