Chaturanga: The Game That Made the Development of Chess Possible in India

The general history of chess is comprised of four eras which include the early game, the creation of the modern game which covers the years 1450 to 1850, the recognition of chess as a sport which took place in 1850 to 1945 and the post-war stage of chess. Each of the eras is important to determine how the game has evolved into a popular sport and an enjoyable past-time activity today. By examining the game's history, players will have a chance to be familiar with the great names that make chess attractive and challenging to play.

Aside from looking at the different eras of chess history, it is also necessary to assess the game's history in some regions where it is prominent. India is one of the countries that have been significant to the evolution of the game. As known to many historians and players, India is considered as the birthplace of chess.

Chaturanga is believed by historians and anthropologists to be the board game wherein chess is patterned. This board game is prominent in India in the 6th century. According to researchers, the concepts behind chaturanga and chess are basically the same. Like in chess, the pieces used in chaturanga has differing values. In addition, the success of chaturanga players depends on only one piece which is the king when we talk about chess.

Based on the evidences uncovered by archaeologists, the board used in chaturanga is different from the chess board. A chaturanga board has more than 100 squares which enable players to apply many strategies as possible to win. When chaturanga is first developed, people also used a die in the game. However, the inclusion of a die in the game created criticisms from Muslim and Hindu people. To avoid conflict in the evolution of chaturanga people eliminate the use of die in the game.

Mathematics, military strategies and gambling are the important elements that made chaturanga and chess basically the same. During this time, Indian civilizations are focused on strengthening their knowledge and skills in warfare. This is the reason why chaturanga is really attractive to early people in India because their knowledge about military is used to win in the game.

Many studies prove that chaturanga is the game wherein chess originated. Without the prominence of chaturanga in early India, people of the present time will not be able to enjoy the challenging game of chess. In the end, we can safely say that it was chaturanga which made the development of chess possible in India.