| Chess is one of the world's great board | | | | |
| games. For centuries chess players around the | | | | This kingdom lasted for about 200 years in |
| world have been mesmerized by its challenges, | | | | which time the region underwent a profound |
| and its great masters have been revered as | | | | synthesis of Greek and Indian religion, |
| superstars of a different order -- superstars | | | | culture, languages and symbols. As Wikipedia |
| with brains. | | | | says, "The Indo-Greek kings seem to have |
| | | | achieved a level of cultural syncretism with |
| ** Origins and background of chess | | | | no equivalent in history, the consequences of |
| | | | which are still felt today." |
| Like many of our popular board games, such as | | | | |
| checkers (draughts) and backgammon, chess | | | | The Greek influence was felt for hundreds of |
| originated sometime in the first millenium | | | | years after the demise of the Indo-Greek |
| AD, somewhere along the Silk Road that ran | | | | Kingdom. According to Averbakh it was this |
| between Europe, Egypt, India and the Orient. | | | | Greek influence that "helpd the Indians to |
| Most historians trace its origins back to | | | | make the final step for chess to appear." In |
| northern India or Afganistan sometime around | | | | particular, he mentions that Greeks brought |
| 600 AD. | | | | with them the war game petteia. Although it |
| | | | was a simpler game, it had two of the |
| As one might expect, there is a good deal of | | | | features that chess would eventually gain -- |
| controversy among chess historians about both | | | | players could "kill" each other, and there |
| the date and place of the origin of chess. | | | | were no dice. "It was the player himself who |
| While some place its origins in China, the | | | | decided where and which pieces should move. |
| most common theory is that the version of | | | | He had complete freedom of choice." |
| chess we are familiar with evolved from a | | | | |
| game played in northern India called | | | | ** Chess in the Kushan Kingdom |
| ashtapada. This game used an 8x8 board (like | | | | |
| ours), but had 4 players, and moves were | | | | Another writer goes even further in placing |
| determined by the throw of dice. | | | | the origins of modern chess in the Afganistan |
| | | | Northern India region, but places that |
| As some historians point out, the unique | | | | development much earlier than 600 AD. Gerhard |
| features of ashtapada, and its successor | | | | Josten, in his article "Chess - A Living |
| called chataranga, were deeply embedded in | | | | Fossil" claims that modern chess is an |
| Indian culture of the time. The fact that it | | | | amalgam of a number of different games. We |
| was a "four-handed" war game was consistent | | | | know this, Josten claims, because of its |
| with the division of the country into many | | | | completely unique feature of having three |
| kingdoms. And the use of dice to determine | | | | different types of characters: |
| moves was a reflection of the importance of | | | | |
| Karma in Indian religious thought. | | | | 1. A relatively immoble center piece -- the |
| | | | King -- the capture of which is the object of |
| ** Evolution into modern chess | | | | the game. |
| | | | |
| The gradual appearance of different types of | | | | 2. A number of pieces that can make varying |
| Indian military forces in the Indian board | | | | long moves -- moves that cover more than one |
| game known as chataranga -- elephants, | | | | space. |
| chariots, cavalry and infantry -- was | | | | |
| consistent with the transition of the game | | | | 3. A number of pieces that can only make |
| from a relatively simple "race" game to that | | | | short moves -- moves that cover only one |
| of a war game. | | | | space. |
| | | | |
| In a race game players do not capture or | | | | Josten claims these different pieces |
| extinguish their opponents. If a player lands | | | | originated in different games, and were |
| on the same square as an opponent, the | | | | amalgamated in what we know as modern chess. |
| opponent would simply have to go back to the | | | | He claims type 1 pieces originated in Chinese |
| beginning and start over. | | | | games, type 2 pieces originated in |
| | | | Mesopotamian divination rites -- in |
| But when the principle of capture or | | | | particular, the Babylonian astrolabe, and |
| extinction was accepted -- where the captured | | | | type 3 pieces originated in Indian race |
| opponent's piece is taken off the board -- | | | | games. |
| this involves a different game concept -- a | | | | |
| different "mind set". And it was then just a | | | | According to Josten, chess did not spring |
| matter of time before different types of | | | | fully developed into existence in 600 AD but |
| military forces, with different powers and | | | | evolved over the first two or three centuries |
| values would be introduced. | | | | of the first millenium -- in particular |
| | | | between 50 BC and 200 AD. This development |
| This transition from race game to war game is | | | | took place in a number of places -- India, |
| important. But perhaps the most significant | | | | China, and all along the Silk Road to Europe |
| evolutionary step -- and the one most | | | | -- and each of the areas would have |
| difficult to explain -- was the elimination | | | | influenced the others. |
| of the dice as the means of determining | | | | |
| moves. As Yuri Averbakh, a Russian chess | | | | But the most likely place where it all came |
| historian, points out, this was not something | | | | together was the Kushan Empire, the eventual |
| that would happen "naturally" within a pure | | | | successor to the old Indo-Greek Kingdom. This |
| Indian context. | | | | was the central Asian area encompassing much |
| | | | of northern India, Pakistan, and Afganistan. |
| As he says, "To change the Indian war game | | | | |
| into chess it was necessary to throw away the | | | | As we saw with the Indo-Greek Empire, this |
| dice. Unlike the previous stages which were | | | | area stood at the crossroads of Europe, India |
| typical for the evolutional way of the game`s | | | | and the Orient, and was deeply influenced by |
| development and were not contrary to the | | | | Greek culture. Most importantly, the Kushans |
| customs of the Indians and their religious | | | | were cultural, religious and linguistic |
| beliefs, giving up dice was a radical, a | | | | synergists. They took elements from various |
| revolutionary step forward that not only | | | | cultures and forged these elements into |
| changed the game itself but also its | | | | something new and different. |
| philosophy. In fact, that step meant the | | | | |
| withdrawal from the principle of Karma - the | | | | This, according to Josten, is exactly what |
| basic principle of the Indian philosophy. Now | | | | happened to the game of chess in the early |
| the result depended entirely on the players' | | | | centuries of the first millenium. It is also |
| will, on their choice. They became complete | | | | why we have so few hard facts about this |
| masters of their destiny." | | | | influential period. As he says, |
| | | | |
| According to Averbakh this would not have | | | | "Following the gradual disintegration of the |
| happened without the influence of Greece upon | | | | Kushan Empire, the neighbouring conquering |
| northern India. This influence stretched back | | | | states each claimed to be the intellectual |
| to Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC | | | | authors of chess, with no mention of the |
| and developed even further within what | | | | losers of the battles, the Kushans.... The |
| historians call the Indo-Greek Kingdom. This | | | | fall of the Kushan Empire may thus be the |
| was a large area including much of Afganistan | | | | main reason why so many facts have been lost |
| and northern India which was conquered by the | | | | and so many unbelievable legends have arisen |
| Greco-Bactrian kind Demetrius in 180 BC. | | | | around the genesis of chess... |