Chess game history and evolution

Root Game: Chaturanga
Originated in India around the 6th century CE.
The Sanskrit word Chaturanga means “four divisions of the army” — infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots — represented by pawns, knights, bishops, and rooks.

Played on an 8×8 board called Ashtāpada.

Movement rules were not exactly like modern chess; for example, elephants moved differently.
2. Spread to Persia (6th–7th Century CE)
The game traveled to Persia, where it became Shatranj.
Pieces took on Persian names, and some rules evolved:
Pawns could only move one square at a time.
The bishop (called alfil) jumped two squares diagonally.
Objective: Checkmate or capture all but the king (bare king rule).
Words like check (from shah, meaning “king”) and checkmate (from shah mat, “the king is defeated”) come from this era.
3. Islamic Expansion (7th–10th Century CE)
The Islamic Empire spread Shatranj across the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain.
Muslim scholars wrote detailed chess manuals, studying openings, tactics, and strategies — making chess one of the earliest games to have formal theory.
4. Arrival in Europe (9th–15th Century)
Reached Spain via the Moors and Italy via trade with the Arab world.
Names changed to European languages:

Shah → King

Firzān (advisor) → Queen

Rukh (chariot) → Rook
Around the late 15th century, major rule changes in Spain/Italy created “Modern Chess”:
Queen became the most powerful piece (moved any number of squares in any direction).
Bishops gained their modern long-diagonal move.
Pawns could move two squares on their first move.
Checkmate became the only winning condition.
5. Renaissance & Early Modern Era (15th–18th Century)
Chess became a noble pastime in courts and among scholars.
Printed books on chess appeared — one of the earliest was Repetición de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez (1497) by Luis Ramírez de Lucena.
First recorded chess tournaments began in Europe.
6. 19th Century — The Birth of Competitive Chess
Standardized rules were fully agreed upon internationally.
First modern World Chess Champion: Wilhelm Steinitz (1886).
Major tournaments organized in London, Paris, and other cities.
Chess clocks were introduced to control game time.
7. 20th Century — Chess as a Global Sport
FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) founded in 1924 to govern international chess.
Rise of legendary champions:
José Raúl Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, Mikhail Botvinnik, Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov.
Soviet Union dominated world chess from 1948 to 1990.
1972 “Match of the Century” (Fischer vs. Spassky) made chess globally famous during the Cold War.
Introduction of computer chess engines in the 1980s–90s; IBM’s Deep Blue famously defeated Kasparov in 1997.
8. 21st Century — Digital & AI Era
Online platforms like Chess.com and Lichess made chess accessible to millions worldwide.
Powerful engines (Stockfish, AlphaZero) revolutionized analysis.
Magnus Carlsen (Norway) became World Champion in 2013, known for dominating classical, rapid, and blitz formats.
“The Queen’s Gambit” Netflix series (2020) sparked a global chess boom.
Chess is now played both over-the-board (OTB) and online, with official ratings for classical, rapid, blitz, and bullet formats.
Timeline Summary
Period Name & Region Key Changes
6th c. CE Chaturanga – India Four army divisions; early moves
6th–7th c. Shatranj – Persia Persian terminology; slower game
7th–10th c. Islamic world Spread to Spain & North Africa
15th c. Modern Chess begins – Europe Queen & bishop gain modern powers
19th c. Competitive Chess Clocks, tournaments, Steinitz champion
20th c. Global era FIDE founded, Cold War matches
21st c. Digital & AI era Online play, engines, Carlsen era