{"id":427,"date":"2021-02-22T19:56:11","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T19:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chessquestions.com\/?p=427"},"modified":"2021-12-01T08:45:45","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T08:45:45","slug":"chess-history-timeline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chessquestions.com\/chess-history-timeline\/","title":{"rendered":"A Chess Timeline – (Invention, Origins & Who)"},"content":{"rendered":"

⭐⭐⭐ Take 5 minutes to read and improve your chess game ➡️ : This article was first published on, and is Copyright of Chessquestions.com<\/p>\n

Chess has a history that could be over 1500 years old. Chess was arguably first around as early as the 6th century, it is Ancient, but who invented the game of chess as we know it, and how has it developed over time? So when was chess invented exactly and where?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The game of chess as we know it today was invented around 1475 and probably in the Valencian region of Spain during ‘The Golden Age<\/a> of Valencia’. The inventor of modern chess is the medieval Spanish with a version known as ‘queens chess’. So named as the versatility of the then ‘weak Queen’ and pawns was added.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is far more to the history of chess than can be explained in a few sentences, so if you would like to know more about where chess came from, how it and how it has developed to how we know chess today, then please read on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date<\/th>Event<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
6th Century<\/td>Chaturanga appears in India<\/td><\/tr>
7th Century<\/td>Persia adopts a version called Shatranj where ‘Check’ was introduced<\/td><\/tr>
9th Century<\/td>Appears in Russia<\/td><\/tr>
10th Century<\/td>Arrives in Southern Europe<\/td><\/tr>
12th Century<\/td>Pieces began to have definite shapes<\/td><\/tr>
1262<\/td>Chess becomes Shakhmaty in Russia<\/td><\/tr>
1450-1500<\/td>Queens Power Increased<\/td><\/tr>
1450-1500<\/td>Two 2-Square Pawn Move Introduced<\/td><\/tr>
1450-1500<\/td>En Passant<\/a> introduced<\/td><\/tr>
1450-1500<\/td>Modern Chess Invented<\/td><\/tr>
1620<\/td>Castling Introduced<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Invention, Creation and Development of Chess, the Geographical Source and those Responsible for the Evolution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Who Invented Chess?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chess was invented by migratory<\/strong> people through India in earliest relatable form and developed through the Middle East and Northern Europe before becoming the game that we recognize today in Spain around 1475 with the introduction of 2-Square pawns, En Passant and Castling<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Who Created Chess?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The modern game of chess that we recognize today was created by Medievil Europeans based on its prior existence as Shatranj in Persia and Chaturanga in its earliest form in India. So chess was the creation of evolution from an original Indian game modernized by Northern Spaniards as far we can tell.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Where was Chess Invented?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whilst Chaturanga is the ancient birthplace of the original game, the modern game we know and play today, chess was invented in the Valencian region of Spain around 1475. Given the Muslims attempted to invade Alicante in 1331 and The Reconquista<\/a><\/em> ended in 1492 we might be able to narrow it down to the Alicante area.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In The Beginning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is much debate as to when Chess was first invented, and indeed if it would even be recognizable as the game of chess we know today although there is good evidence to suggest that ‘Chaturanga<\/a>‘ is the very first iteration of the chess game we all play today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through much debate and years of research, it is arguably decided that the game of chess may go back as far as, and appearing no later than the 6th century in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chaturanga<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is evidence that the Indian Chaturanga had its’ earliest references from around the 6th century although there is an argument that it is much older. What we can be relatively certain of is that around this time is cited as the earliest origins of the game we call chess<\/a> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 8×8 board may have been used elsewhere, and indeed, it was not a chequered board in early references, although the markings were added manually for the purpose of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Persia and in Arabic the game was known as Shatranj, and indeed, the modern game of chess as we know it, is known by that name today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shatranj<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An old form of chess, still played today the earliest references found date to the 7th Century (c.620 AD) and is mentioned again some 400 years later in 1010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is very different today than its predecessor Chaturanga to be almost unrelated, in relation to modern chess, we find horses, the elephant (modern bishop), Chariot, and foot soldiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Check’ was first introduced here as a warning that the King was under direct attack. In the earlier version, the King could be captured to complete the game, whereas the rules of not being able to move into or left in a ‘check’ position removed the capture but could dictate a game was at its end with ‘checkmate’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Islam spread across the world, it was only natural that we should see it appear in Southern Europe and specifically Spain and Al-Andalus. A region that covers the great majority of what is Spain today. Al-Andalus is also the origin of the Andalusian region of Southern Spain, which was the last stronghold of the Muslims or moors as they are referred to in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, let’s head off to the sunny Costas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Southern Europe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As chess developed in India so it migrated to Persia and was embraced by the Muslim world who moved through and conquered much of Southern Europe and Spain into the bargain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is almost certainly the place where chess transformed into the game that we know today with some significant changes including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n