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Early back into the seventh and eighth
centuries AD, the fate of
a game of intellect was being carved in
the lands of ancient Arabia. Shatranj,
as the Arabs called it, or what in the
West became popular as the game of chess,
once found in early Arab culture a
springboard for its development and
popularity to become the most highly
recognized board game of today.
Unclear
origins
The birth of chess is a story of differing
versions. When and where exactly the game
originated is somewhat of a mystery. Some
self-interested sources claim it was
invented in places such as the former
Soviet republics and even Afghanistan, but
most well founded historical research
places the birth of chess in either India
or China. A game of the mind, befitting of
the epoch it came from, chess depicted war
– a battle between armies. Old texts
suggest it was a sport of kings and
noblemen, perhaps helping them master the
strategies of armed combat. It may well
have been a tool to teach caution, tactics,
and arrangement, and to train the nerve.
In one chronicle, a Persian poem from the
10th century traces the roots
of chess to India. It describes the
Persian king of an earlier time receiving
as a gift from the Rajah of India, among
other items, a game representing two
armies at war. Older Persian documents
have also been found, illustrating the
names and functions of chess pieces. The
earliest of these date back to the 6th
century AD during the reign of King
Chosroe I Anushiravan (531-579). In all
likelihood, he was that man receiving the
first Indian game set.
Some historians are sceptical about such
findings and the assumed Indian origins of
chess. They rather uphold the idea that
the game originated in China, although
there it might have been played with dice
to decide the moves. The possibility
exists, and there are several east-Asian
versions of what today we call chess. In
all events however, historical accounts
agree that the game was later brought to
Persia, where in fact the term
“checkmate” originated. Pronounced “shahmat,”
it combined the Persian word “shah,”
meaning “king,” and “mat” –
translating as “dead” in Arabic. In
many countries even today, such as Russia
for example, some of the pieces retain
their original Persian names.
The
Arab contribution and Al-Adli – The
Great Player
The heightening of the Arab culture driven
by the new Moslem religion made the Arab
Moslems the strongest propagators of chess
in its entire history. Learning the game
from Persia, the Arabs made chess widely
spread in their lands starting around the
seventh century after the birth of Christ.
By the year 620, chess had already made it
as far as Egypt. Advancing the Moslem
faith further throughout North Africa and
reaching as far as Spain and France within
less than one hundred years, the Arabs
also took chess along. This swift westward
expansion of the game concurred with, and
was a result of, the early Moslem cultural
progress. As it turned out, there was not
enough time for chess to change
substantially from place to place.
Apart from the great dispersion of
chess, the involvement of the Arabs in the
history of the game included the
introduction of blindfold play, the start
of the first tournaments, found in
manuscripts dating back to the 8th
century AD, and the build-up of literature
on the game.
In roughly the same period, an Arab, a man
by the name Al-Adli, rose to the status of
a legend revered as the supreme Aliyat,
or master chess player, by many at the
time. Caliphs
who reigned over the Moslem realm endorsed
chess and had skilled players at court,
which may have helped his celebrity
repute. But the man had earned his fame. A
master player, Al-Adli is known for
writing Kitab ash-shatranj, a
comprehensive book dealing with chess,
sometime about 840 AD. The
book has been lost and we know of it only
through referring manuscripts preserving
some of its texts. The great Aliyat
had compiled chess history, including
information on chaturanga - an
early Indian form of shatranj. He had also
recorded openings and endgames, and
mansubat, or chess problems. Mansubat
had sections on won endings, lost
endings, and undecided games. The
collection had been impressive, including
hundreds of such chess problems. One
example conceived by Al-Adli deserves
admiration even today: White, play King on
g8, Rooks on e1 and g1, Knight on g3, and
Pawn on f4. Black, play King on f6, Rooks
on d7 and h7, Knight on g6, and Pawn on
f5. White to move next and mate in 3
moves. 1.Nh5+ Rxh5 2.Rxg6 Kxg6 3.Re6 mate.
Did Al-Adli visualize the chess figures
only in his mind? Physical pieces, as we
know them, possibly appeared later on, as
Arabic and Persian historic artwork has
just their names written on the board.
Documented figurative pieces won’t
appear until the game was brought into
Europe.
The introduction of classifying players
was also invented by Al-Adli. He
recognized five distinct classes. Only a
player of the highest class could be
called Aliyat. The lower classes
were not considered “proper” players.
The second rank, for example, was given
the name of Mutaqaribat, meaning
those near to the Aliyat. He
also found a system for sorting out the
openings into positions, which he called Tabiya.
Some of the openings were entitled
“Pharaoh’s stones,” “The sword,”
Goat-peg,” “Old women,” “The army
opening,” and “The sheikh’s
opening.”
So involved was Al-Adli with shatranj that
he also found additional uses for the
square pattern on the board besides purely
playing on it. For example, he devised a
technique for using the chessboard for
calculation purposes by placing small
stones on the squares as needed.
Inevitably however, Al-Adli’s repute as
the strongest player wouldn’t go on
forever. It found a closing stage on his
defeat by another Arab, Ar-Razi. A skilful
player, Ar-Razi followed suit and compiled
his own book of chess problems. The book
was written around 845 and is known as Al-luft
fy ash-shatranj. Other great chessmen
in history attest to the popularity of the
game in Arabia- two of them are As-Suli
(854-946) who wrote a book on mansubat
and tabiya, and later on, Al-Lajlaj
(900-970) who produced an updated Kitab
mansubat ash-shatranj.
Peculiarities
of historic shatranj design
After shatranj was embraced by the Arab
culture following the Muslim conquest of
Persia, there might have been some
peculiar changes in the physical outlook
of the game. Intricate figurative sets
representing soldiers, beasts, and kings
have been documented only early in the
introduction stages. They were most
probably soon considered illicit and were
replaced with Moslem non-figurative sets
of the 9th-12th centuries. The sets were
made in accordance with Islamic principles
so as not to depict living creatures. The
pieces were simply written on paper or
plainly made of clay or carved stone. This
physically less complex outlook of chess
has arguably been a contributing factor
for the game's success. The simpler forms
meant easier and quicker reproduction of
sets as well as less distraction during
the game, especially for inexperienced
players.
Introduction
to Europe
Chess was brought to European territory
after the Moslems invaded the Iberian
Peninsula and took control of Spain in the
eight century. The Moslem entrance in
Sicily provided another point of
introduction to the Old Continent. One of
the first preserved documents of Christian
Europe referring to chess was the
Catalonian Testament of 1010 AD. According
to such texts, the renowned Moslem monarch
Haroon-al-Rashid presented as a gift to
Charlemagne an elaborate chess set. After
these overture events, chess spread
northwards and with minor changes became
the favourite board game of Europe. The
European contributions to the game were
mostly practical. They included the two-colour
chequered board to ease the eye, the
introduction of the mighty queen, and the
empowering of pawns to move two squares on
the first move. All of these modifications
affected chess by speeding-up the game,
and Europe was ready to become the prime
advocate of chess for centuries to come.
Modern day
Finding fertile ground in Europe, chess
thrived through history until it reached
such popularity that it had become a
global attraction. In 1924, Fédération
Internationale des Échecs - the
International Chess Federation, or FIDE,
was founded in Paris. FIDE has more than
140 registered member countries, and is
considered today’s governing body of
chess dealing with all aspects of the
game. The federation organizes different
events and tournaments aiming to
popularise and support chess throughout
the world. Partly due to such activities,
in recent years the pawns and pieces have
been making a return to lands and places
where the game has been developed. Such
are some of the Arab states, where
popularity of the time-honoured game grows
in a modern setting.
The year of 1986 saw the first Chess
Olympiad to be held in an Arab country. It
was hosted by the United Arab Emirates.
The modern chess foundation in the country
was officially set up in 1979 when the Dubai
Chess & Culture Club was established.
The club has been a driving force for the
success of the game in the Emirates. Its
activity has earned many triumphs for the
country both home and abroad and has
broadened the recognition of chess.
In Abu Dhabi, the Abu
Dhabi Chess & Culture Club has played
a similar role in its activity. Since
1991, it has been organizing the Abu Dhabi
International Chess Festival every year
with its constructive involvement to
improve the game’s status. Approved by
the International Chess Federation, the
Chess Festival encourages local players to
put their flair in practice against
masters from throughout the world. In
1994, the Abu Dhabi Chess Festival
included the International Masters
Tournament for the first time, where 41
countries took part in what has now become
a major chess event.
Prospects
Great games simply don’t die off. And by
the looks of it, chess surely will not.
The game has so firmly established itself
as the prime sport of the intellect that
without it the world could well be quite a
different place. For billions of players,
be it Aliyats, Grand Masters, mediocre
enthusiasts or humble beginners, chess
attracts the mind as magnet does iron. New
technologies, and the Internet in
particular, have broadened game and
tournament opportunities. But had it not
been for the Arab contribution and
expansion of the game, hardly any of us
would have had imagined the beauty this
tactful contest emanates. Each played game
carries with it the tradition of ancient
times, a link to a stretched and almost
legendary past. There is a sense of
continuity and a sense of belonging to
this wonderful tale of chess, from the
time of its early dawn, through its
historic voyage, to the present day.
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