A Short, Happy History Of Chess

A Short, Happy History of ChessNo Two Authorities agree about the origins of the royal game. Over a dozen different nations and cultures have been named as its breeding-place. Some say it began as far back as 200 B.C.; others place the date as late as 500 A.D. It is believed that the word "chess" stems from the Persian shah (king), and the word "checkmate" from shah mat (the king is dead). The Eastern origin of the game, at any rate, seems fairly well established.Chess as we...