Chess, whether you play online on Chess.com or on a physical board, is one of the most influential games in the world. It has stood the test of time for over a millennium, and has shown the power of humanity to transcend boundaries, unifying people under a common enjoyment. But what is the story of chess, and how exactly did it shape cultures all across the world?

Chess originated from a game played in northwestern India called chaturanga. Historians believe that this game is the originator of chess because two of its key aspects are present in later chess variations: different movements for different pieces and victory depending on one piece, similar to the modern-day king piece in chess. After 600 CE, this game would evolve into shatranj, which resembled chaturanga, but added a new piece called the firzān. In this game, a player won by eliminating all of the opponent’s pieces besides the king, or by ensuring the elimination of the king, a forerunner to the modern-day checkmate in chess.

Shatranj would travel far from India due to trade, eventually spreading all across the eastern hemisphere. Carried by Buddhist pilgrims, Silk Road traders, and other Eastern travelers, shatranj arrived in China in 750 CE. By the 11th century, it had spread to Japan and Korea. After its arrival in East Asia, Shatranj changed into a unique version called Chinese chess. This version, which has nine vertical lines (files) and ten horizontal lines (ranks), along with a boundary (river) between the fifth and sixth ranks that limits access to the enemy, was a slower game compared to modern chess.

Shatranj also spread west in the 7th century, reaching Persia, the Byzantine Empire, and the expanding Arabian empire, entering the continent of Europe. Muslims in the 10th century took this game and brought it to North Africa, Sicily, and Spain. The modern rules of chess would emerge in Italy and Spain, with modified rules and renamed pieces. Early chess books appeared, with chess masters such as Luis Ramierez de Lucena, Ruy Lopez de Segura, and Gioachino Greco publishing books that significantly impacted the development of chess and continue to influence the game to this day.

Chess faced bans by kings and religious leaders due to fears of gambling and religious fears of games, with rulers like King Louis IX forbidding the game in France in 1254 and Cardinal Damiani of Ostin forbidding the clergy from playing it. There would be an eventual shift in opinion, with it becoming known as the royal game in the 15th century, played by Kings Henry I, Henry II, John, and many more kings later on.

Modern standardization evolved slowly, with widespread regional variation. Certain aspects of modern chess, such as the pawn being able to move forward 2 spaces on its first turn, did not obtain widespread acceptance in Europe for more than 300 years. Chess would have its most significant change of several key rule changes popularized after 1475. The counselor, a piece that initially could only move one square diagonally at a time, became the queen, the most powerful piece on the board. The piece could now move vertically, horizontally, and diagonally to capture any piece at any range, assuming a piece of the same side wasn’t blocking it. Along with this, the pawn obtained more freedom in being “promoted” after reaching the 8th rank. The pawn could be swapped for another piece when it reaches the opposing side’s border. Before the rule change the pawn could only be promoted to the weak counselor piece, making pawn promotion a minor aspect of the game. However, the new rule allowed pawn to be promoted to the very valuable queen, thus increasing its value. These two changes—along with adding the modern-day bishop piece, which can move diagonally for any number of spaces—added a dynamic element to chess where checkmate was quick and more common. Castling and the en passant capture—rules that allowed for strategic repositioning of the king and special pawn captures, respectively—were the final major rule changes and took longer to gain acceptance.

Chess thrived worldwide, with players competing for the title of world champion. Players competed not only to hone their skills, but to have higher ranks. This resulted in the first international chess event in 1834 in London’s Westminster Chess Club, resulting in Louis-Charles de la Bourdonnais of Paris becoming recognized as the best world player at the time. This was the first time a major chess event had extensive media attention in newspapers and books, attracting attention by the general public. Louis-Charles de la Bourdonnais would die in 1840 and would be succeeded by Howard Staunton after another match with extensive media attention. Howard Staunton would use his position to popularize a standard set of chess rules among the chess community and organize the first international tournament, held in 1851. Karl Ernst Adolf Anderssen would win the London tournament, becoming an informally recognized champion. American players, inspired by the London tournament, would organize their first national championship, known as the American Chess Congress, in New York City in 1857, kickstarting widespread American interest in chess. The winner of this tournament, Paul Morphy, would eventually beat Anderssen, becoming an unofficial world champion in 1858. After this, Wilhelm Steinitz, Morphy’s successor, would play Johann Zukertort for the title of official world champion, obtaining it in 1886. After this, the title of world chess champion would shift hands, passing on to chess legends such as Jose Raul Capablanca, Garry Kasparov, Viswanathan Anand, and, of course, modern-day Magnus Carlsen.

With the rise of the internet, chess became more popular than ever. Websites such as chess.com make chess incredibly accessible, only needing an internet connection to be able to play. Everyone from all levels of chess, from new players to grandmasters, play on websites such as this one, showing their chess skills and getting better by playing online opponents. Social media websites such as YouTube and Twitch allow for people to share their chess knowledge with the world, where people like Levy Rozman, host of GothamChess, offer commentary and valuable insight on chess games. 

Of course, AI has played a valuable role in the growth of chess as well. After the famous Deep Blue vs. Garry Kasparov match was played in 1997, where an Ai system first beat a reigning world champion, AI has had a greater influence in the world of chess. AI chess engines such as Stockfish have been revolutionary, making modern top chess engines virtually impossible to beat by any human player. Despite fears of traditional chess becoming irrelevant with the rise of AI, it still remains. In fact, chess is thriving more than ever thanks to AI, with even more valuable insights into game analysis, tactical errors, and optimal moves improving players’ chess skills. With the current rise of Google’s AlphaZero, chess is likely to grow even larger.

But why should HSMSE care about this? Chess is valuable not only for the entertainment it brings, but for the valuable lessons it gives on history. From its origins in India to its modern-day global pastime, chess has shown how even the most minute details of modern life can have a rich historical background, offering a powerful lesson for HSMSE students to appreciate.