Which Country Invented Chess? Discover An Interesting Fun Fact About The Game

Fun Fact About Chess:  Chess is a mind game, and is also known as the Game of Kings. However, do you know where this game originated? To your surprise, the board game was invented in India around the 6th century CE. In ancient India, it was just a strategy game known as the ‘Chaturanga.’ Chess was initially a four-player game, including infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots. Later, the game evolved with modern pawns, knights, bishops, and rooks. The game was played on an 8x8 chessboard, which was traditionally called ‘ashtapada.’

The game of Chaturanga was famous across the lands of India to Persia, which was also known as 'Shatranj’ in many parts. The Persian enthusiasm for the game also influenced the future of chess, and one such highlight is 'checkmate,' which came from the Persian phrase 'Shāh Māte,' which simply means that the king is dead or the king is helpless. Later, with the widespread of the Islamic empire across the world, chess also became known in the Arab world and then across Europe, where it became global.

Interesting Fun Fact about Chess

The fun yet interesting fact about chess is that the earliest way of playing chess, as it is played in India, did not include a queen, but only 'mantri,' known as a councellor, who moved one square diagonally. The inclusion of the powerful queen, as today, was a contribution of Europeans.

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