All about chess - A game that gave India an identity.
Diptaraj Bhaduri
March 11, 2022. 2 minute Read
Anyone who is fond of indoor games must be a fan of chess because this is one of the most engaging and popular indoor games. Chess is considered to be one of the oldest games in the world. It is a board game played between two players and the main objective of the game is to capture the king of the opponent. When a king will come to a position where it will not be able to move to any other square because of the challenges from other pieces of the opponent then the game comes to an end. A lot of brain power and patience is required to play this game.
History of chess
Many countries have claimed that chess was invented in their land. The list of such countries includes – Iran, Egypt, Greece, Ireland, Uzbekistan, and China. But a group of German indologists (students of history, literature and philosophy of the Indian subcontinent) declared that chess was actually invented in Uttar Pradesh, India. The group of indologists concluded that chess was actually invented in Kannauj when it was the capital of Maukhari kingdom.
The history of chess is very old and can be traced even in the seventh century BC. The earliest text where we can find a reference of chess is in Harshacharita. During that time chess was known as ‘Chaturanga’ which literally means ‘four divisions’. These four divisions were military – infantry, elephants, cavalry, chariotry. These four divisions were represented by different chess pieces. In modern chess those pieces are known as pawn, bishop, rook and knight. Ashtapada, an 8 by 8 uncheckered board, was used to play chaturanga.
Rules of chess game
Many people who are eager to play may have some problem in understanding the rules of chess game. So here we are to help with the rules of chess game.
Let’s try to understand know about the movement of different pieces and that will also help you to understand how to play chess game:
1. Queen
The queen is considered to be the most powerful piece in chess and plays an important role in your strategy in chess. If you lose it early in the game then your chances of winning decreases. Each side has one queen and the queen can move in any direction be it straight, side, or diagonal without any limit on the number of squares.
2. King
The king can move only one square at a time and is not so powerful while attacking the opponent. But the king is everything because once you lose the king your game is over. Your main strategy in chess should be to protect the king from checkmate at any cost.
3. Rook
The rook is also a very powerful piece. Each side has two rooks. In the starting of the game the two rooks begin in the two corner squares of both sides. It can move horizontally and vertically without any limit.
4. Bishop
Both sides have two bishops and bishops can only move vertically to any square from its current square. One bishop can only move in the white coloured squares and another one can only move in the black coloured squares.
5. Knight
The knight is also a very vital piece even though it can only move 2½ squares at a time. The knight moves first 2 squares horizontally and then one square vertically and vice versa. Another power of the knight is that it can jump over any piece. Both players have two knights.
6. Pawn
The pawn is the least powerful but can also turn out to be the most powerful. Both sides have eight pawns at the start of the game. The pawns can only move vertically and one square at a time. But when it’s time to capture any enemy piece then they cannot do that vertically. A pawn can only destroy an enemy piece when it is on the square diagonally in front of that pawn. But a lot of your strategy in chess depends upon the pawn. A pawn can become a queen when it reaches any one of the eight last squares of the opponent’s side.
Strategy in Chess
There can be different types of strategies in chess which you can implement to win. You will get better at strategy in chess with time. But one of the most famous strategies is Castling.
Castling is a way to safeguard your king. You can make this move by moving the king 2 squares in the direction of any of the two rooks and the rook is placed in the square beside the king which the king passes. This can be done only once in the game.
Some Facts and Benefits of Chess
- The longest official chess game was played in 1989 that continued for 20 hours and included 269 moves.
- Chess helps to improve your memory.
- Chess improves your creative thinking.
- Chess helps to deepen our focus.
Final Thoughts
Playing chess can definitely be a good hobby for anyone who is fond of indoor games and also for all the introverts. Playing an indoor game as a hobby can also help with your holistic wellbeing, as well. The One Liner is truly motivated by that idea. Stay Tuned!
Subscribe to new post
The One Liner
Useful Links
Order Related Queries
Useful Links
Order Related Queries
Trusted By |
