Historians have pondered for many years over the origins and creation of chess. There are different schools of thought regarding this issue. Some of them feel chess has originated in India while others think it has been created in China. There are other theories describing the origin as well. Whatever be the true story behind the creation of chess, everybody, be it a historian or the common man has unanimously agreed that chess is the best recreational mind and skill game ever played.

The heart and soul of chess is the chessboard along with the thirty two chess pieces. The most popular and widely accepted theory is that chess had been created by an Indian philosopher in the 6th century A.D as a 4-player game; it was a war between four armies, two of them allied with 4 corps i.e. the elephants, boatmen, cavalry and infantry. The 64 squares-board is believed to be inspired by an earlier Indian race game known as Ashtapada. The names and roles played by the pieces throw some light on the then social structures and caste hierarchy.

The king piece is the most important piece of chess. In ancient India, a kingdom or empire’s responsibility was vested with the king. When a king was captured or killed, the power passed on to another authority. Here lies the importance of this piece.

The queen on the board has been fashioned after the king’s queen or advisor or a minister who enjoyed immense power and control over the state. The queen can move diagonally one field and be used for the king’s safety.

The bishop was basically an armed officer on an elephant back. The piece is known by several names across the world, depending on the people’s perception of its responsibilities and roles.

The rook in Chaturanga was like a war carriage in the army found till the 5th century. Then the portrayal of this piece was much simplified later.

Not much has changed about the knight’s responsibilities. In Chaturanga, he could make a special jump and was designed with a sword and shield. Then the figure was much simplified but the role remained the same.

The pawn represents the infantry in the army.

The main aim of the game is to protect the king and defeat the opponent’s king and this reflects ancient India’s social hierarchy.

FIDE or Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization which acts like a governing body for chess competitions around the globe. It was founded in the year 1924 in Paris. Its headquarters is currently situated in Athens. FIDE is now almost 86 years old. It also acts as an international organization that connects various chess organizations across the planet. FIDE’s motto is Gens una sumus which means “We are one people”. The current FIDE president is Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. Over 150 national associations are listed as FIDE members, a number which is rising day by day.

FIDE has done a lot over the last few decades in promoting chess not only as an indoor game but also as a means to educate people and unite people. It has done a lot as far as organizing events and competitions for women and children. All top level events nowadays abide by FIDE rules and regulations.
Moreover FIDE has contributed a lot to take chess to the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee in 1999 recognized FIDE and two years later IOC’s anti-drugs rule was imposed on chess. This helped a lot in inducting chess into the Olympic games.

It is mainly the work and effort put in by FIDE that has given worldwide recognition to chess. FIDE has taken chess from being a common recreational indoor game to a whole new competitive level and a game for all people of all ages. It is mainly due to its efforts that chess continues to fascinate people like it has always done.

Name a hobby which keeps the mind fresh, the observation powers acute, increases the ability to concentrate and take winning strategies against opponents and does not incur much cost. Yes, you got it right. That hobby is the game of chess. Ever since its inception, the game has been riding high on the crest of popularity. More and more people have started taking an interest in the game, schools have introduced them as a part of their curriculum and people have started playing it seriously, almost like a profession. Professional chess players and winners of international tournaments are revered. Many of them run their own chess training institutes which are extremely popular among the mass.

Although historians are unsure about its true origin and the name of its founder, roots of the game have been traced to India in the 7th century. From there, it had traveled to Persia, to the Arab countries and finally to Europe via various trade links. The game became extremely popular in European countries amongst the ruling classes by the Middle Ages. It was in the Renaissance period that the rules of the games were modified in a way that they provided a clear picture of the contemporary social, political and economic lives. Till today, chess remains popular with many famous names in the history having done their bits to promote the game. Very soon, chess clubs emerged in coffee shops and other public spaces and caught on in the cities.

In our lives, we often face situations which demand proper strategies, decision-making abilities, critical analyses, problem-solving abilities and correct understanding of the situation. Chess helps one in developing these senses. It, being a recreational game, provides much entertainment free of cost with players getting engrossed in the game. Chess players reportedly have greater aptitude for mathematics and other analytical subjects than their non chess-playing peers. People have been known to have bonded like no other over a good game of chess and barriers have been broken as it can be played by anyone. May who suffer from boredom or other certain health related issues have found relief in a game of chess!

All these benefits at absolutely no other cost than the price of the chess board or the internet rates if you are playing it online. No wonder the game has survived the hazards of time and still remained as popular as ever!