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The 2020 Netflix original ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ tells the fictional story of an orphaned chess genius and her many obstacles.

Sources: (TED) (Britannica)

▲With the advent of the international chess tournament, the game became geo-political. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union invested a lot in its competitive chess players.

▲The 2016 film ‘Queen of Katwe’ depicts the life of Phiona Mutesi, a girl from a Kampala slum who learns to play chess and becomes a Woman Candidate Master.

▲The association with genius and the fascination with the game has also made it a favorite in popular culture, and chess forms the basis for a slew of successful films and TV series.

▲For a long time Soviet players reigned supreme, but they were knocked off the top spot in 1997 when for the first time a computer beat the world champion.

▲Legend has it that when the youngest prince of the empire died in battle, his brother wanted to illustrate to their mother how her youngest son had died.

▲He chose to re-enact the scene of his brother's unfortunate death on an 8 x 8 board, called an ashtapada, which was used for other past times.

▲Game pieces that were previously regarded as dating back to a pre-6th century chess game are now regarded as coming from a similar but distinct board game.

▲It is commonly accepted that the earliest precursor to chess as we know it today originated in India during the time of the Gupta Empire.

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While the exact origins of chess remain uncertain, most historians accept that the game had its beginnings as early as the 6th century.

▲And thus the game of chess was born. The original game had two key features: different rules for difference pieces, and a key piece whose fate determined the outcome.

▲During this time the game was called chaturanga, meaning "four divisions." When the game was transported to Persia, it took on new terminology.

▲The Chinese version of the game was influenced by the native game go, and pieces were placed at the intersection of the squares rather than in the middle.

▲During the medieval period, Silk Road traders transported the game to East and Southeast Asia. Many different variants of the game then sprung up.

▲In Persia, players used the terms shah, meaning "King," and shah mat, meaning "the King is helpless." The exclamations traveled with the game to other countries.

▲After the 7th-century Islamic conquest of Persia, which led to the fall of the Sasanian Empire and the rise of Islam, chess became known to the Arab world.

▲The Japanese version of the game, shogi, had the distinguishing feature that pieces captured by one player could be used against the opponent.

▲However, it was in Europe that the game developed into the game we know and love today. By 1000 CE it was a staple of courtly education.

▲The Church, however, was disapproving of games in general, and chess in particular was banned by political and religious leaders time and again.

▲During this period, chess pieces began to take on new forms as they were seen as an allegory for people of different social classes performing their different functions.

▲When the Queen was introduced, a number of other rules were popularized and records of common openings and end games began to proliferate.

▲This is because the Queen was a more powerful piece, whose introduction increased the pace and drama of the game.

▲During the Enlightenment era, chess was played more and more often in coffee houses and was seen as a way for players to express their creativity.

▲The era of Romantic chess lasted until around the 1880s, when it was replaced by more strategic play due to the emergence of formalized, competitive chess.

▲Into the 21st century chess remains a very popular pastime. In 2015, a survey estimated that 605 million adults were regular chess players.

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Since that day computer analysis has been hugely important in chess theory and it is very important to human players during the preparation stages.

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The type of chess played during this period is referred to as “Romantic chess,” as it was characterized by bold, dramatic moves.

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Despite being banned repeatedly, chess remained popular, and with the introduction of the Queen piece towards the end of the 15th century, it became more popular still.

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An IBM computer called Deep Blue beat Soviet player Garry Kasparov in a game that signaled the arrival of the era of computer domination.

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The most memorable prohibition happened in France in 1524, when chess was banned by King Louis IX, who called it a "useless and boring game."

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Indian teenager becomes the youngest world chess champion

Dommaraju became a chess grandmaster at the age of 12

13/12/24 por StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Games

An 18-year-old chess prodigy from Chennai, India, has made history as the youngest world champion in the game's history. Gukesh Dommaraju defeated the defending champion, China's Ding Liren, at the FIDE World Chess Championship on December 12. Gukesh secured a dramatic win in the 12th game against Liren, which had been expected to end in a draw. The competition has a US$2.5 million prize fund.

Dating back to the 6th century CE, chess has a rich history, and is a game that over the years has taken on political, social, and cultural importance. Intrigued? Check out this gallery to learn all about the history of chess!