Chess is a highly intellectual game with almost two thousand years of history, the relevance of which not only has not died out over the years but on the contrary is gaining momentum. Chess, presumably invented in the V-VI century AD, gained popularity in all corners of the globe, becoming an integral part of world culture.
The ancestor of a modern chess game is considered to be the chaturanga, which appeared in India in the sixth century AD. Over time, the game was reborn, developed its basic principles. However, the detailed rules of the game, known to us today, we're finally formed only in the 19th century, it was from that time that chess from intellectual entertainment turned into a sports game of international class.
However, even from the moment chess originated, many people argue about its true essence. Some consider chess a gambling game, others consider it a useful entertainment, while others equate it with real art.
And although every year archeologists find evidence that chess was played by ancient nations around the world, nobody knows the exact history of chess. Centuries-old game of chess gave birth to several ancient legends and myths about them, in particular about their appearance.
Legend of the brothers Gave and Talhand from the legend of the Persian poet Firdowsi
In the ancient Indian kingdom, the queen lived with her twin sons, Gav and Talhand. When the sons grew up and began to claim the throne of the supreme ruler, the queen faced a dilemma - it was necessary to choose one more worthy of them. The mother couldn't call one of the kings, because she loved each son equally much, so the tsarevich decided to choose the winner in the battle. The battlefield was equipped near the seashore, on the other hand, surrounded by a moat with water, so that there was no way to retreat. By the way, the fight was not aimed at killing each other, but at defeating the enemy's troops, however, it so happened that during the next offensive Talhand died. The burning mother reproached the second son for his brother's death. As it turned out, Gav had no direct relation to his brother's death, Talhand died of exhaustion under the scorching sun. The queen-mother asked Gava to show in detail how it was. To do this, Gav tried to recreate the battlefield on a wooden board, placing on it the figures of the enemy troops with the tsarevich at the head - in the center, surrounded by infantry, cavalry and chief assistants. And so began the game of chess.
The most popular legend about chess and grain
In ancient India, the rich king Bagram ruled, who lived by the principle of force, only knowing how to fight with neighboring countries. He had an invincible army, with fast chariots, sharp archers and mighty elephants. The king's army defeated all those who had fought with him, and when there was no one to fight with, the great king got bored. Bagram summoned the servants and ordered him to come up with interesting fun, distracting from the royal dumas, and for the most original idea promised to thank him well. The first servant brought gold cubes, which only for a few minutes carried the king. Next - diamond balls for riding, the game with which the king also did not cheer up. The most intelligent servant brought a wooden box, the appearance, and content of which first pissed off the king because everyone tried to give the king precious gifts. Seeing the king's genuine anger, the servant said that the interest here is not in gold, but in wisdom, then immediately interested the king and he agreed to play. In the box were small wooden figures in which Bagram recognized his troops, archers, elephants, and officers. The servant explained the rules, and they started the game. The king was sure that he would easily beat the servant, as he had already conquered the whole world by force. But, to his surprise, the ruler was defeated. Bagram thought more carefully about the next game and therefore managed to defeat the inventor. The game of chess was so carried away by the Tsar that not a day passed without him plunging into the fascinating world of chess pieces.
The governor remembered his promise and wanted to thank the servant by promising mountains of gold and silver. The wise man refused from gold but wanted to take the reward of grain, offering the king to decompose the grain into chessboard cells: the first cell - one grain, the second - two, the third - four, doubling the number of grains on each of the next of the 64 cells. The king was happy with such a small price, but he did not even suspect that the right amount of grain was not available all over the world. When court mathematicians counted the right amount of grains, no one could hide the astonishment, because the reward would require 18 446 744 073 709 551 615 grains of wheat. This is an incredible number because we can say with certainty that it is more than the number of grains of sand in the Sahara desert - the largest desert on our planet. This amount of grain would be enough to sow 9 times the entire land, including what is underwater and covered with glaciers. The Tsar was not able to return such a huge reward to the servant, but since then chess has become extremely popular not only in the Indian state but also far beyond its borders.
The legend of "white and black" about twin brothers
In ancient times, India was ruled by a wise king, whose rule brought power and prosperity to the country. He had two unicorn sons. Twin brothers were like two drops similar to each other, and they differed only in the fact that they liked to wear clothes of different colors - one preferred white decoration, and the other - black robes. After the death of his father, who divided the kingdom equally for each of the brothers, there was a quarrel between them. Everyone wanted to become the sole ruler and to rule the whole country, not just half of it. A long quarrel has turned into a real war, taking the lives of many people. However, none of the brothers was going to stop the war, because the end of the war on the part of any of them would have meant a lightning loss and that he would not become a ruler. At the same time, the brothers wanted to reconcile themselves and end the war, and find a way to come to the royal authority.
One day a wise man came to them and promised to show his brothers how to determine the winner honestly and without blood for the truce and the immediate end of the war in which half the Indian population had died. The brothers liked the idea, and they immediately agreed to try it. The old man took out a wooden plate and black-and-white wooden figures, after which he told about the basic rules of the game and that it is necessary to think carefully about each move. A long chess "war" began between the brothers, but now no human blood was shed, so the game could last until the true winner was determined. In this fight, the brother who played with white pieces won the game, and by right of the winner, he also became the new ruler of the country. Since then, the game has gained incredible popularity, and in chess, fighting are always the first to go white pieces.
Appeared hundreds and even thousands of years ago, the mind-controlled game has gained popularity around the world. From a military game of chess turned into an ancient sport of the wise men, and then - in a highly intellectual activity that stimulates mental development and creativity of players. The benefit of chess is undeniable, moreover, today chess can be considered a professional sport and an interesting, non-trivial hobby.