Today's chess historians agree that chess itself - with some differences to today's rules - began in north-west India around 500 AD and spread from there to all points of the compass. This is also supported by the fact that the basic position of the chess pieces corresponded to the Indian army of the time.
Chess originated in north-west India around 500 AD. This is the consensus among today's game historians. In the course of its almost 1500 years of development around the world, the original rules have also evolved. The starting line-up has basically remained the same. The vizier, or queen in today's chess, is the commander-in-chief and stands next to the king in the centre of the back row. The elephants, horses and chariots follow on the right and left. The foot soldiers stand in front. Rules and symbolism were incorporated into the game as it spread around the world. The different cultural characteristics of Eastern and Western cultures gave chess its own character. The beginning of the world tour can certainly be traced back to the Indian traders and soldiers who brought the game with them to Persia.
It can be assumed that the game also received its name ‘chess’ in Persia. This is because the Persian word for king is ‘shah’.
The first great boost for chess was the time of the rise of Arabic science. Like a treasure chest filled with unsolved mysteries, masters of all classes wrestled with this new game. Mathematicians, mystics and even physicians also got involved. They recommended chess as a remedy for psychiatric treatment. The doctors wanted to use special game variants to change character and cure illnesses. Strategies planned down to the smallest detail were to be followed by melancholics, for example, and phlegmatics were to guard against schematism.
‘There's nothing wrong with chess. It has to do with war,’ the son-in-law of Muhammad is said to have said about chess in 632 AD. He thus helped the game to make a breakthrough. There is certainly nothing good about war. Against the backdrop of the warlike actions to liberate the ‘infidels’ at the time, this saying becomes more understandable. Chess also found its way into literature. The art of love and the art of chess were closely related. A game of chess between a man and a woman often ended in bed. The art of love probably took precedence over the art of chess, just as love chess became a leitmotif of Minne in the Middle Ages.
When the crusaders returned to Central Europe from the Orient in the 10th/11th century after more or less successful battles, they brought chess with them. As a result, this game also spread to our regions. Unfortunately, another game was almost forgotten in the process: hnefatafl, also known as tablut.
Our board games are burnt onto leather, making them durable. And the game almost packs itself for transport. The only thing you have to do is press the game down slightly with one finger in the centre of the playing field, pull the string and the game has already packed itself. It should stay that way for transport. So all you have to do now is push the bead up to the bag that has just formed and the game is packed ready for travelling. The games can be used in this way on hikes, on bike tours, in the car or even on long flights. The games are packed so small that the pocket of a jacket is sufficient to take this pleasant form of entertainment with you.
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