The game that today we all know as Chess was originated in India in 6
th century. It was first known as “chaturanga”.
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| Chess game in ancient India |
The name means four divisions- infantry, chariotry, elephantry, cavalry. They were represented by the figures that evolve in modern bishop, knight, rook and pawn. The game was introduced in Persia where it became part of the education of the nobility. Today the game is played all around the world. It can be found in countries from India to USA.
Indian roots of Chess. |
| Viswanathan Anand |
The specifics of earlier chess called Chaturanga are that different pieces have different powers. This is essential and it defines modern chess. The victory depends on the fate of each piece so the player have to “fight” for each pawn. In the past the game was not that developed as it is now. Some players used dice trying to decide which piece to move. There is also unproven theory that chess started as a gambling but the dice were removed because of Hindu religion. Some scholars make connections between the game and the military strategy,mathematics and even astronomy. It Is interesting that most of the ivory in India used to be used for producing of chess pieces. After India the game spreads in China, Japan, Mongolia, Pakistan and even East Siberia. Today one of the best players in the world is Viswanathan Anand. He is an Indian grandmaster and he is the Undisputed World Champion since 2007 till now. For these 4 years he defended his title several times against players like Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov. The next big game for the title will be in 2012 on the World Chess Championship. He is one of the six players in history which brake 2800 mark in FIDE (World Chess Federation) rating list.
