Chess Sets Online: Origins Of Chess In India

Have you ever handled chess set pieces and wondered where the game of chess originated?

Hopefully you were not thinking about this when you were in the middle of a game but nonetheless the story of the game is fascinating and extends over many centuries - and will continue for a long time, especially as it is easy to get chess sets online now.

Many traditions started in India. It is believed martial arts began in that great country before moving into China and Japan so it should not be a big surprise that such a significant game as chess began there too.

It is difficult to establish just when the game began but the first references to chess set pieces are recorded by Ratnakara around the year 850. It would be fascinating to examine a carved chess set from that period but sadly the earliest example of an Indian chess set dates from the 16th century - actually newer than the Isle of Lewis set found in Scotland - although a carving of a bowman in the Museum of Indian Art in Berlin (dating from around the twelfth or fourteenth centuries) may well be a chess pawn.

The names of the pieces reflect their origins. The earliest king was called 'Raja' which, indeed, means 'king' but the queen was a 'Mantri, ' which actually means 'minister.' Interestingly the bishop was originally known as 'Hasty' or 'elephant,' an animal that features much in the early history of the game. Indeed, early chess kings and queens would appear in palanquins strapped to the back of an elephant.

The knight was an 'Ashwa' or 'horse' and the rook a 'Ratha' or 'chariot,' thus showing just how far the fascinating history has developed over the years. Perhaps not surprisingly however, the lowly pawn was always a 'Padah' or 'soldier': the piece has always been seen as the infantry of the set.

So when you pick up a piece from your best chess set, you might reflect on how many people though the ages have done the same thing.

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