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