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Chess

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For secondary uses of the word "chess" see

A typical Staunton-design set and clock

Chess is a two-player strategy game of pure skill and one of the deepest and most complex games commonly played in Western cultures. (The games of Go and Shogi hold similar places in Asian cultures.) It is nonetheless also the most popular board game in the West, played both recreationally and competitively in clubs, tournaments, on-line, and by mail.

It is played on a square board divided into 64 smaller squares on which move 16 "white" and 16 "black" pieces controlled by the two players. Sets used for play are commonly made of wood or plastic, though ornamental sets of stone, glass, or metal are often used to decorate homes.

The number of legal positions in chess is estimated to be 1043; the number of possible games is much larger and greatly exceeds the estimated number of particles in the observable universe.

History

Chess originated from the Indian game Shatranj, about 1400 years ago. The game is related to xiangqi (象棋, Chinese Chess) in China, and Shogi in Japan. The game reached Russia via Mongolia, where it was played at the beginning of the 7th century. From India it migrated to Persia, and spread throughout the Islamic world after the muslim conquest of Persia. It was introduced into Spain by the Moors in the 10th century, where a famous games manuscript covering chess, backgammon, and dice named the Libros de las Juegos, was written under the sponsorship of Alphonso X of Spain during the 13th century. Chess reached England in the 11th century, and evolved through various versions such as Courier.

By the end of the 15th century, the modern rules were adopted: pawns gained the option to move two squares on their first move, bishops could move diagonally arbitrarily far (Before, they moved exactly two squares diagonally, jumping over the intervening square.), and the queen was allowed to move arbitrarily far in every direction. making it the most powerful piece (Before, she could only move one square diagonally.).

These changes collectively helped popularize chess by making the action faster-paced. The game in Europe since that time has been almost the same as is played today. The current rules were completely finalized in the early 19th century.

The most popular piece design, the "Staunton" set, was created by Nathaniel Cook in 1849, endorsed by the then leading player Howard Staunton, and officially adopted by FIDE in 1924.

The title "Grandmaster" was created by Russian Tsar Nicholas II who first awarded it in 1914 to five players after a tournament in Saint Petersburg which he had funded.

Strategy and Tactics

Some rules of thumb for playing well are given in the Chess strategy and tactics article. Also, a sample game gives examples of how pieces move and capture, as well as an introdution to the thought processes of chess players.

The World of Chess

The world organization of chess players is the FIDE which organizes regular world chess championships. In recent years, some players complained about arbitrary decisions by FIDE and left to start competing organizations.

Strong players are awarded the lifetime titles "International Master" and "Grandmaster" by FIDE according to well-defined rules.

Ways to Play Chess

See also Chess variant.

Weblinks:

Subject overview

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