The History of Chess

Now you might have seen seen the hit Netflix show The Queen's Gambit, and we have all dug out that old, dusty chess set from the closet to see if we still have the skills. We at We Are Tricycle even have Giant Chess among our collection of Giant Garden Games.

But to be a true grandmaster, it is important to understand exactly where chess came from. After all, understanding the history of the game might give an insight into some of the best strategies to use when attempting to checkmate your friends! So read on, there's more to chess than you think you know!

What is the history of Chess?

The history of chess is not a simple thing to understand. It is difficult to pin down exactly when the game was invented. It has evolved through many different and unique cultures, meaning there have been various diverse origins and versions of the classic game. What is not debated is the fact that the game, or versions of chess, have been around since the 6th century, if you can believe that!

The fact that the game has survived and thrived through so many different eras and cultures speaks to how creative and engaging it is. There are claims the game was played in Arabian countries as well as throughout all major, more current cultures and countries. None more so than in the thriving chess environment in Russia.

The game also has roots back to India where versions of the game were known as Chaturanga. These versions of the game, which originated around fifteen hundred years ago, were played by four players rather than two. Chess has also been immensely popular in all corners of the world, including the Islamic Arab world as well as Europe. Chess was played frequently in China, Japan and other Southeast Asian countries. These versions of the game evolved into different versions known as shogi (in Japan) and xiangqi (in China).

This all speaks to the popularity of the game, throughout all these years. We can see why Netflix were so keen to get on board!