Chess has had a long and colorful history since its
beginnings in the 6th century. And ever since the creation of the game the
board and game pieces have been a continuous source of inspiration for
artists who year after year create new interpretations.
Here is a look at chess's place in history and culture along with some
historically and artistically important sets.
Article with
amazing pictures of antique Chess board and pieces.
History
Early
Chess originated in India during the Gupta empire, where its early form in
the 6th century was known as chaturanga, which translates as "four
divisions [of the military]" – infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariotry,
represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight,
bishop, and rook, respectively. Both the Persians and Arabs attribute the
game of chess to the Indians. In Sassanid Persia around 600 the name
became shatranj and the rules were developed further. Shatranj was taken
up by the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of Persia, with the
pieces largely retaining their Persian names. In Spanish "shatranj" was
rendered as ajedrez, in Portuguese as xadrez, and in Greek as zatrikion,
but in the rest of Europe it was replaced by versions of the Persian shāh
("king"), which was familiar as an exclamation and became our words "check
and chess". Murray theorized that this change happened from Muslim traders
coming to European seaports with ornamental chess kings as curios before
they brought the game of chess.
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wikipedia;
Iranian chess set, glazed fritware, 12th century. |
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The game reached Western Europe and Russia by at least three routes, the
earliest being in the 9th century. By the year 1000 it had spread
throughout Europe. Introduced into the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors in
the 10th century, it was described in a famous 13th-century manuscript
covering shatranj, backgammon, and dice named the Libro de los juegos.
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DIA; Rock Crystal and Smoky Topaz Chess Set and
Board, around 1525, Germany |
Another theory contends that chess arose from
the game xiangqi (Chinese Chess) or one of its predecessors.
Modern
Around 1200, rules of shatranj started to be modified in southern Europe,
and around 1475, several major changes made the game essentially as it is
known today. These modern rules for the basic moves had been adopted in
Italy and Spain. Pawns gained the option of advancing two squares on their
first move, while bishops and queens acquired their modern abilities. This
made the queen the most powerful piece; consequently modern chess was
referred to as "Queen's Chess" or "Mad Queen Chess". These new rules
quickly spread throughout western Europe, with the exception of the rules
about stalemate, which were finalized in the early 19th century.
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wikipedia;
Original Staunton chess pieces by Nathaniel Cook from 1849 |
Writings about the theory of how to play chess began to appear in the 15th
century. The oldest surviving printed chess book, Repetición de Amores y
Arte de Ajedrez (Repetition of Love and the Art of Playing Chess) by
Spanish churchman Luis Ramirez de Lucena was published in Salamanca in
1497. Lucena and later masters like Portuguese Pedro Damiano, Italians
Giovanni Leonardo Di Bona, Giulio Cesare Polerio and Gioachino Greco or
Spanish bishop Ruy López de Segura developed elements of openings and
started to analyze simple endgames.
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DIA; Emroidered Chess Set and Board, 19th century,
Morocco |
Chess in Culture
Early
In the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance, chess was a part of noble
culture; it was used to teach war strategy and was dubbed the "King's Game".
Gentlemen are "to be meanly seene in the play at Chestes," says the overview at
the beginning of Baldassare Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier (1528,
English 1561 by Sir Thomas Hoby), but chess should not be a gentleman's main
passion. Castiglione explains it further:
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Photo by
mharrsch; Stained and White Ivory Muslim Style Chess Set Cambodia 18th
to 20th century |
And what say
you to the game at chestes? It is truely an honest kynde of enterteynmente and
wittie, quoth Syr Friderick. But me think it hath a fault, whiche is, that a man
may be to couning at it, for who ever will be excellent in the playe of chestes,
I beleave he must beestowe much tyme about it, and applie it with so much study,
that a man may assoone learne some noble scyence, or compase any other matter of
importaunce, and yet in the ende in beestowing all that laboure, he knoweth no
more but a game. Therfore in this I beleave there happeneth a very rare thing,
namely, that the meane is more commendable, then the excellency.
Modern
To the Age of Enlightenment, chess appeared mainly for self-improvement.
Benjamin Franklin, in his article "The Morals of Chess" (1750), wrote:
"The Game of
Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the
mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by
it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of Chess,
in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adversaries to contend
with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in
some degree, the effect of prudence, or the want of it. By playing at Chess
then, we may learn: I. Foresight, which looks a little into futurity, and
considers the consequences that may attend an action [...] II. Circumspection,
which surveys the whole Chess-board, or scene of action: - the relation of the
several Pieces, and their situations [...] III. Caution, not to make our moves
too hastily [...]"
Amazing Chess Sets
pictures on next page.......
