“Since its birth in the 6th century, chess has been the game of kings, a test of genius, and the ultimate war game.”
— HBO
“The number of all positions that can theoretically occur in the game of chess is something like 10 with 45 zeros. That’s close to the number of atoms in the solar system you’re trying to anticipate.”
— Garry Kasparov
Chess: The Legend
As the story goes, when chess was presented to a great king, the king offered the inventor any reward that he wanted. The inventor asked that a single grain of rice be placed on the first square of the chessboard. Then two grains on the second square, four grains on the third, and so on. Doubling each time. The king, baffled by such a small price for a wonderful game, immediately agreed, and ordered the treasurer to pay the agreed upon sum. A week later, the inventor went before the king and asked why he had not received his reward. The king, outraged that the treasurer had disobeyed him, immediately summoned him and demanded to know why the inventor had not been paid. The treasurer explained that the sum could not be paid – by the time you got even halfway through the chessboard, the amount of grain required was more than the entire kingdom possessed.
Solving the Problem
The problem may be solved using simple addition. With 64 squares on a chessboard, if the number of grains doubles on successive squares, then the sum of grains on all 64 squares is: 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + … and so forth for the 64 squares. The total number of grains can be shown to be 264−1 or 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 (eighteen quintillion, four hundred forty-six quadrillion, seven hundred forty-four trillion, seventy-three billion, seven hundred nine million, five hundred fifty-one thousand, six hundred and fifteen, over 1.4 trillion metric tons), which is over 2,000 times the annual world production of wheat.
Origins and Development
Chess is believed to have originated in India during the Gupta Empire around the 6th century AD. The game was known as “Chaturanga,” which means “four divisions of the military”—infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots. Chaturanga spread to Persia, where it was known as “Shatranj.” The game underwent various changes and was played widely in the Islamic world. Chess reached Europe by the 9th century through Muslim Spain. The game evolved further, with rules and pieces gradually transforming into what we recognize today. By the late 15th century, the modern rules of chess began to take shape in Spain and Italy. The introduction of the powerful queen and the modern bishop’s move significantly sped up the game.
Popularity and Number of Players
Chess has become a globally recognized and played game. It is estimated that there are over 600 million people who know how to play chess. Approximately 70 million people play chess regularly, either online or in-person. Chess has a vibrant competitive scene with numerous tournaments held worldwide. The World Chess Federation (FIDE) organizes official events, including the World Chess Championship.
Chess Community Today
The rise of online chess platforms like Chess.com, Lichess, and others has greatly increased accessibility and participation. Millions of games are played online every day. Chess has a strong presence on social media and streaming platforms. Prominent chess streamers and content creators have large followings on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. Many schools and educational institutions incorporate chess into their curricula, promoting cognitive skills and strategic thinking. The World Chess Federation (FIDE) governs international chess competition. It has 195 member federations, representing almost every country in the world. This is one of the largest chess events, with teams from around the world competing biennially.
Chess has a rich history spanning over 1,400 years, originating in India and spreading across the globe. It boasts a substantial community with millions of active players and a robust presence in both physical and digital spaces. The game continues to grow, integrating into educational systems and thriving through online platforms and social media.
Quotes:
“Chess is everything: art, science, and sport.”
— Anatoly Karpov
“Chess is the university of the senses.”
— Blaise Pascal
“Chess is the art which expresses the science of logic.”
— Mikhail Botvinnik
”Chess makes people wiser and more clear-sighted.”
— Vladimir Putin
“On the chessboard lies and hypocrisy do not survive long.”
— Emanuel Lasker
“Tactics flow from a superior position.”
— Bobby Fischer
“Chess is the struggle against error.”
— Johannes Zukertort
“Chess teaches you to sit still, concentrate, and think ahead.”
— Judith Polgar
”Chess is life in miniature.”
— Garry Kasparov
“Chess is war on a board. The goal is to crush your opponent’s mind.”
— Bobby Fischer
“I don’t believe in psychology. I believe in good moves.”
— Bobby Fischer
”Not all artists are chess players, but all chess players are artists.”
— Marcel Duchamp
“I am still a victim of chess. It has all the beauty of art—and much more. It cannot be commercialized. Chess is much purer than art in its social position.”
— Marcel Duchamp
”Chess does not drive people mad—it keeps mad people sane.”
— Bill Hartston
“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.”
— Mikhail Tal
”In chess, as in life, the best move is always the hardest to make.”
— Garry Kasparov
”Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.”
— Siegbert Tarrasch
“Chess is the game of kings and a king of games.”
— Napoleon Bonaparte
“In war, as in chess, you must eliminate your opponent’s plan before executing your own.”
— Napoleon Bonaparte
“Chess is a game that contains beauty. The pieces are the block alphabet which shapes thoughts; and these thoughts, although making a visual design on the chessboard, express their beauty abstractly, like a poem.”
— Albert Einstein
“Chess holds its master in its own bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the very strongest must suffer.”
— Albert Einstein
“The chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the Universe, the rules of the game are what we call the Laws of Nature. The player on the other side is hidden from us.”
– Thomas Huxley
“If chess has any relationship to film-making, it would be in the way it helps you develop patience and discipline in choosing between alternatives at a time when an impulsive decision seems very attractive.”
— Stanley Kubrick
“Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe.”
— Indian Proverb
This last proverb beautifully expresses the depth and the universal accessibility of chess: “A gnat may drink”; Even a beginner in knowledge or experience, like a gnat, will enjoy and learn from chess. “An elephant may bathe”; At the same time, chess is so expansive and vast that even the greatest minds — enourmous and powerful like an elephant — can fully immerse themselves and still never reach the its peak. The sea represents infinite complexity and possibility. The gnat and elephant symbolize the full range of intellect, skill, and ambition. Chess effectively integrates both; a game for all levels, giving simple, but at the same time, elegant and timeless enjoyment, aswell as a path to lifelong mastery.
Each of us longs for the King in the other—not just power, but the soul behind the throne: reputation, wealth, beauty, resilience, love, heart, and Will. All reach for these crowns, but too often with hidden hands, through crooked paths or graceless means.
Chess offers another way. In chess, the pursuit is noble. The rules are clear, the conduct dignified. No masks, no deception—just clarity and form. It demands a higher code, and in doing so, it cleanses the soul.
You cannot rage at chess; it is too elegant, too precise. It aligns the warring parts within, balancing instinct and reason, calm and fire, thought and action. Perhaps this is why all the great chess players shine—not only in mind, but in the quiet beauty of a spirit well-tempered.
In the Spirit of Adventure, The Guide
