The Origins Of Chess Setup
Although there is much debate the history of the game, evidence reveal that chess and the chess set up may have originated from a game in 600 A.D. in Northern India. This ancient Indian game, which had a similar lay out, would bring the origins of chess to 1500 years ago. The game would then have made its way to Persia, China, and Europe. The rulers of the time played the game, called Chaturanga, as a hobby. It was meant to reproduce Indian armies and was played with six different pieces on an 8×8 square board.
Chaturanga featured an army comprised of foot soldiers, cavalry, chariots and elephants. The troops were led by the rajah (king), the Indian leader, and by the mantra or vizier, his chief advisor.
The structure of the game and pieces began to mirror European culture at the end of the 15th century. The foot soldiers were replaced by pawns while elephants were substituted by bishops. The king replaced the rajah while the queen took the place of the mantri. The cavalry became the knights. The chariot, which was an older European piece, turned into the rook, which was thought to be the castle in the traditional setup.
Today’s chess set up hasn’t changed much from the European version after the 15th century and the game is just as popular among strategy enthusiasts now as it was back then.
The game is designed to offer highly strategic advantages to replicate historical warfare. The most valuable pieces are positioned on the back row. The two rooks, knights and bishop have the responsibility to lead the main offensive tactics during the game and protect their leader, the king.
The foot soldiers or pawns as in war are the front ranks. They provide protection to the primary pieces and become a back up for the primary objective. As they have limited range, pawns are slightly more expendable. That being said, pawns should never be underestimated as each piece lost affects the course of the game.
The queen, represents that royal hierarchy and is the most powerful playing piece on the board. The queen is often saved for end game play and can be useful in mating an opponents’ king, also called check mate.
Much focus is given to protecting the queen along with the king. Just as in 15th century battle where the encampments upon the battlefield surround the royal tents which stand tall and erect. Similarly, as in chess, they are surrounded completely by the protection of the other soldiers.
Ultimately, the essence of warfare and the chess setup in the game are still the same, although some pieces and elements have evolved from the original Chaturanga.
With various opening chess moves copied from chess masters and the study of several chess tricks, Alan Stables has become a competent chess player. Check out what he has to say.