Bill Wall's Chess Blog

  In the 16 th century, a manuscript now in Perugia, Italy described a new chess piece called “Amazon.”   This unorthodox piece combined the powers of a rook, bishop, and knight.   This piece was sometimes used up to the 18 th century as a substitute for the queen.   In Vida’s famous poem, the queen was sometimes called the Amazon, probably the first use of this word to describe a chess piece.   (source: Hooper, p.13)   For the rest of the 16 th century, “Amazon” cropped up as an alternative term for “chess queen” in various European languages.   (source: Yalom, p. 218) Around 1500, the Gottingen manuscript was written.   It is the earliest known work devoted entirely to modern chess.   It is a Latin text of 33 pages (leaves).   The manuscript received its name because it was discovered in the library of the Gottingen university by Professor Oesterley in 1869.   It contains 12 games or openings and 30 problems.   It may ha...

  Around 1100, the Persian writer Abul-Qasim ar-Raghib al-Isfahani  (1050-1108) wrote a treatise on the ethics of shatranj.  The treatise consists of a short introduction, a chapter on the meaning of shatranj, a chapter on the legality of the game, and a chapter on the covenant that the players must follow.  The treatise is now in the Department of Manuscripts and Rare Books of the Lobachevsky Scientific Library in Kazan.  (source: Averbakh, p. 37)   In 1101, Fulcher de Chatres (1059-1130) mention chess as a pastime.   This may be the first French reference to chess.   Fulcher wrote his chronicle of the Crusade  Gesta Francorum Iherusalem Peregrinantium  (A history of the expedition to Jerusalem) in three books.   He asked why did some of the pilgrims amused themselves with chess.   He recorded that Kerbogha was playing chess during the siege of Antioch. In 1105, O mar Khayyam (1048-1131) wrote the Rubaiyat , using with che...

    Chaturanga ( Sanskrit :  चतुरङ्ग ) is an ancient Indian strategy game and may be the ancestor of chess. Chaturanga is first known from the Gupta Empire (319 to 465 CE) in the Punjab  area of India in the 6 th century CE.   The Sanskrit word “chaturanga” means “four limbed” or “four arms.”   This refers to the four ancient army divisions of infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and chariotry (pawn, knight, bishop, and rook) Chaturanga is said to have been invented by the wife of Ravana, King of Ceylon, when his capital, Lanka, was besieged by Rama. (source: Falkener, p 119)   Chaturanga was played on an 8x8 uncheckered board, called ashtapada (Sanskrit for spider).     The board was also used in other games in which the use of the dices was combined with a game on the board.   The ashtapada was identical with our chessboard.   (source: Murray, p. 33)   The pieces in chaturanga were (in Sanskrit) Rajah, the king; Mantra, t...