History of chess around the world.

The true history of chess has been lost in the mists of time, and has been the subject of many hypotheses associated with myths and legends that have no evidence to support them. Historians have not been able to find anything to prove its origin or place of origin.

However, chess in its primitive form can be traced back 1,500 years from our current era to the 6th century AD. Most historians believe that it originated in India, while a few believe that it originated in China.

From India, where it was known as “Chaturanga”, Chaturanga spread to Persia. It underwent minor changes in the way its pieces were moved to become known as “Old Chess” there. After the Islamic conquest of Persia, this version was transferred to the Islamic and Arab world, where it became very popular and flourished. It was admired by the caliphs, such as Harun al-Rashid and his son al-Ma’mun. Chess masters emerged, and a complete book on chess was written.

After the conquest of Andalusia, Old Chess spread to Spain and from there to Europe, where it was played by kings such as Napoleon. Sir William Jones republished “Caissa” in English in 1763, and seven years later Wolfgang von Kempelen invented the Turk machine in 1770. After several centuries, it underwent many changes to appear in its modern version, and champions such as “Ruy Lopez, Philidor and Paul Morphy” emerged. That era was known as the “Romantic Era of Chess”, characterized by intelligent tactics, great sacrifices, sharp attacks, and dynamic play. In the middle of the 19th century, tournaments began to be played, and in 1886, the first World Chess Championship was organized.

In the 20th century, chess saw a major leap in its theories, and many books were written on the subject. The International Chess Federation was founded in 1924. At the end of the century, chess saw the use of computers in analysis, which first appeared commercially in 1970. The “Cayissa” program was the first chess program to become world champion in 1974, and online chess appeared in the mid-1990s.

Chess is still very popular among people today. In 2012, a survey was conducted that showed that chess players now make up the largest social group in the world, with 605 million adults playing chess regularly. Chess is played at least once a year by 12% of Britons, 15% of Americans, 23% of Germans, 43% of Russians, and 70% of Indians.