| I come from a family of golfers. Golf is the | | | | elephant, in its cavalry, which represent |
| favorite recreation of everyone in my family, | | | | knight, bishop and rook in chess. Also, there |
| including my grandparents, my mom and dad, | | | | are a lot of similarities between the way |
| myself and my four siblings. Every year, we | | | | chess is played today and the way Chaturanga |
| have a family reunion of sorts featuring all | | | | was played in India during the 6th century. |
| my relatives from my father's side. At those | | | | Historians believe the Persians later created |
| gathering, the entire clan always has a | | | | a more popular version of the game and called |
| sportsfest wherein each of the different | | | | it Shatranj. But there is yet another theory |
| families take on one another in four key | | | | that claims that chess started from a game |
| sports. We always win the golf competition. | | | | called Xiangqi that traces its roots to China |
| The others are volleyball, ping pong and | | | | during the 2nd century. there are a number of |
| chess.My dad told me to study chess for next | | | | well-known scholars and historians who |
| year's family sportsfest. I complained a lot | | | | support the latter theory.Eventually, the |
| at the beginning but have grown quite fond of | | | | popularity of chess caught on in the west |
| the game. I often like to recite the history | | | | particularly in Europe as well as to the east |
| of the game to my friends and, actually, to | | | | particularly in Japan. Chess also started to |
| anyone willing to listen.Like the game of | | | | spread throughout the world of Islam |
| golf, chess also has a number of fathers as | | | | following the Muslim's conquest of Persia. |
| many countries claim to have originated the | | | | After some time, chess found its way to |
| game. This has some basis especially if you | | | | Russia (via Mongolia) where people started |
| note that the Arabic, Persian, Greek, | | | | playing it in the 7th century. In the 10th |
| Portuguese and Spanish words for chess are | | | | century, the Moors introduced chess into the |
| all derived from the Sanskrit game | | | | Iberian Peninsula as mentioned in a popular |
| Chaturanga. You might also want to consider | | | | 13th century manuscript that also covered |
| the fact that among all countries, only India | | | | backgammon and dice, which was referred to as |
| had three animals in its cavalry -- the | | | | the Libro de los juegos. Historians say that |
| horse, camel and elephant. In chess, these | | | | the entry of chess into Europe is |
| are believed to be represented by the knight, | | | | characterized by the enhancement of the |
| bishop and rook.In addition, in the past only | | | | queen's powers. |
| India had all three animals, horse, camel and | | | | |