Did you know that chess is the oldest game of skill in the world? It is believed to have originated in India over 5,000 years
ago from a game known as Chaturanga, which refers to the four parts of an Indian army: the soldier, the elephant, the chariot
and the horse. It was brought to Europe in the tenth century and adapted there into the game we know today as chess.
The first chessboard with alternating light and dark squares – as it appears today – was made in Europe in 1090.
The Isle of Lewis chess pieces are the oldest surviving complete chess set known. Discovered on the Isle of Lewis, they are
made from walrus tusks and show their characters in a range of bad moods, from anger to depression.
The folding chessboard was invented in 1125 by a priest. At the time the Church forbade priests to play chess, so he disguised
his chessboard by making one that looked like two books lying together.
There are six different pieces in a game of chess:
The King – the most valuable piece because capturing him ends the game, the king can move in any direction but only one square at a time.
The Bishop – moves in a diagonal direction on the board and can capture any opposing chess piece as long as no other piece stands in its way.
The Rook (or Castle) – moves straight up and down or from left to right. The rook can capture any other chess piece in its path, but cannot jump over another piece. The Queen – the most powerful chess piece; she can move in all directions.
The Knight – moves in an L-shape around the board and can jump over other pieces.
Pawns – these are the least powerful pieces on the chessboard and can only move forwards.
The word ‘checkmate’ actually derives from a Persian phrase, shah mat, which means ‘the king is defeated’.
Robert James ‘Bobby’ Fischer (9 March 1943 – 17 January 2008) was an American chess Grandmaster, and the eleventh World Chess
Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time.
A game of chess can last hours or minutes depending on the skill, or luck, of the players. One of the longest games recorded
was held in Yugoslavia in 1989. The game involved 269 moves and took over twenty hours, ending in a draw.