I'History of Chess

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I. History of Chess
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B. Shaturanga

• Invented around A.D. 600 in northern India
• Infantry - 4 pawns
• boatmen - a ship which could move 2 squares
  diagonally but could jump over intervening pieces
• cavalry - like a knight
• elephant - rook
• rajah - king
• 4 players - 2 allied loosely against the other 2
• use of dice decided who went when

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B. Shatranj

• Gambling was forbidden in Hindu civilization so
  they got rid of the dice
• other changes
• by 650 AD the game had reached the Arab kingdoms
• became a 2 player game
• 2 Rajahs were demoted to Prime Ministers
• moves of the elephant and the ships were swapped
• resulting game was called Shatranj

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B. Shatranj (continued)

• Theories on how Shatranj was brought to Europe
• 1. Charlemagne the Empress Irene of the
  Byzantine court were contemplating marriage and
  Charlemagne was given a Shatranj set for a
  present (but queen had too much power) so he
  called the wedding off!
• 2. Knights of the Cross obtained the game from
  Arab lands during the Crusades (the court of
  Saladdin held Shatranj in high esteem)

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C. Other forms of Chess
Japanese Chess or Shogi
Chinese Chess or Shiang-Chi
Sittuyin or Burmese Chess
Cambodian Chess
Korean Chess
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D. European Chess
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D. European Chess (continued)

• Chess was believed to reach Spain by the 11th
  century
• Chess in the form it is today appeared in
  Southern Europe at the end of the 15th century

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D. European Chess (continued)

• Change in rules
• 2 square pawn advance
• capturing en passant
• castling
• king remained
• pawns remained foot soldiers
• elephant became the bishop
• chariot became the rook
• queen became the most powerful piece

Henry VIII Chess Set
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E. Other Chess Sets
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1
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2
(1) American Civil War (2) Gothic (3) Sherlock
Holmes (4) Viking Raiders (5) Roman
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