World Chess Day is celebrated every year on July 20. It will be the 99th World Chess Day this year and hence it is very much important that we know details about this game. It is all the more important because chess first originated in India and through the subcontinent spread across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
Over the years India has produced many Chess World Champions like Vishwanathan Anand, Gukesh D, and many more. The game is considered to be a game of intellectuals and is all about using your mental power and hence is dedicated to the culture and intellectual abilities required for playing chess.
History of chess and its Indian connection
In around the 6th century CE, chess first appeared in India, and from the 10th century onwards it spread to other parts of the world. But even before that Chaturanga, a game similar to chess was played in the country and hence is considered to be the precursor of what today is called modern chess.
Chaturanga and chess are similar because both games end when the players capture the singular piece that is the king by using pieces with different abilities.
Similar to chess, Chaturanga which was mostly played in the Northern part of India during the Gupta period was played between two players using a strategic board.
Over the years, it has evolved manifold with more than 2000 identifiable variants. When Chaturanga spread to Persia through the popular silk route, it came to be known as Shatranj or Chatrang.
References to Shatranj can be found in the Persian manuscript of 600 CE which states that an Indian Subcontinent ambassador gifted King Khosrow I the Chaturanga board.
United Nations declared July 20 as World Chess Day
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) was established in Paris in 1924. And professional chess players across the world have been observing July 20 as International Chess Day under the canopy of FIDE. But it got recognition in 2019 when the General Assembly also declared the day as World Chess Day.
Through this move, the United Nations not only gave FIDE recognition but also accepted the crucial role that it has been playing to promote the game of chess internationally. Through this acceptance, the FIDE has now become an official platform for all the activities related to chess.