Murray and van der Linde the two chess historians were almost certain that the birthplace of chess was Indian sub-continent, but most certainly it was invented in Iran for the following reasons: (To be brief I can outline the factors) .

1): Indian literature has no early mentions of chess but Persian literature does:
The first unmistakable reference in Sanskrit writings is in the "Harschascharita" by the court poet Bana, written between 625 and 640. On the other hand, pre-Islamic documents have solidly connected chess with the last period of the Sasanian rulers in Iran (VI-VII century). The "Kamamak", an epical treatise about the founder of this dynasty, mentions the game of chatrang as one of the accomplishments of the legendary hero. It has a proving force that a game under this name was popular in the period of redaction of the text, supposedly the end of the 6th century or the beginning of the 7th. Closely related is a shorter poem from about the same period entitled in Pahlavi "Chatrang-Nâmag", dealing with the introduction of chess in Iran.

Master Ferdowsi wrote also about it in the 11th century, but his sources are solid and form a continuous chain of witnesses going back to the middle of the 6th Century in Iran. Mater describes chess as arriving from Hind. According to historical sources this name "Hind" was not used for India until after the 11th century. Here Hind means Eastern-Province of Iranian Empire including Baluchistan, and while others thers have extended Hind to Khuzistan . As some Russian chess historians claim, nobody could possibly generate the rules of chess only by studying the array position at the beginning of a game. On the other hand, such an achievement might be made by looking at Takht-I Nard (backgammon).

2): India has no early chess pieces but Iran does:
The presence of carved chess men in Iranian domains contrasts with the absence of such items in India. There are no chess men there from early times, and only in the 10th century appears an indirect mention from al-Mas’udi: "The use of ivory (in India) is mainly directed to the carving of chess- and nard pieces". Some experts believe that old Indian chess pieces may be discovered one day! So far, this is mere speculation. The three oldest sets of chess pieces closely identified as such belong to Iranian domains, not to India. The most important are the Afrasiab pieces. They were found 1977 in Afrasiab, near Samarqand, and have been dated by its Soviet discoverers as early as the 7th-8th century. Western experts accept at least the year 761 because a coin so dated belongs to the same layer. These seven ivory men, questionable as all "idols" may be, are Iranian, even if the territory was under Islamic rule since 712. Next group of chess pieces (three chessmen) comes also from the Greater-Iran. The so-called Ferghana pieces include a "Rukh" in form of a giant bird, and its antiquity should be not too distant from the Afrasiab lot. In Nishapur another ivory set was discovered though belonging to later times, 9th or 10th century. These are not idols anymore and are carved following the abstract pattern which has been characterized as "Arabic".

3): The Arabs introduced chess in India after taking "Shatrang" from Iran:
Games upon the "ashtapada" board of 8x8, with dice and with two or more players may have served as "proto-chess", but the two types of games already differ too strongly in their nature and philosophy to make the evolution of "Chaturanga" into "Shatransh" a simple question of direct parentage via the Persian "Chatrang". Arab writers stated quite frequently that they took the game of "shatransh" from the Iranians, who called it "chatrang". This happens in the middle of a political-cultural revolution, which has been analysed in historical texts. The ruling Umayyad dynasty was thrown out after a fierce civil war by a certain Abul Abbas, who initiated a new era, founding in Baghdad in the former Iranian territory, around the year 750 and translating there from Damascus the Islamic political centre. The Abbasid dynasty was culturally of Iranian origin. So Iranian influences became clearly dominant in the cultural renaissance which took place inside the Arabic trunk. A lot of the previous knowledge from classical Greece, Byzantium, early Egyptian and Middle East civilizations and even "from the country of Hind" was compiled and re-translated into Arabic and absorbed in a scientific body which followed its further path towards the West. Chess was only a part of this knowledge, packaged together with earlier mathematical, astronomical, philosophical or medical achievements.

However, we know that while chess flourished in Baghdad in the 9th century, the earliest reliable account of chess-playing in India date only from the 11th century.

4): Etymology is unclear:
Although, Murray shows that Pahlavi words in the game are adapted from Sanskrit, and the Arabic in turn from Pahlavi but Sanskrit closely-linked contemporary relatives such as Avestan. However, the roots of several chess terms may be so go further to India, but the fact is that the Sanskrit word "Chaturanga" means only "army", and it is unclear whether it referred to chess, to a possible form of "protochess" with four players, or to some strategically exercise with pieces over a board with military purposes.

In any case, to be on safer ground, we must remember the earliest solid evidences about the board game called chess belong to Iran. The Pahlavi word "Chatrang" means, even to- day, the mandrake plant, which has a root in form of a human figure. So, there is a good case in favour of a different etymological interpretation: Any game played with pieces representing figures may be compared with the "shatrang" plant.

Another hint is the nomenclature of the pieces, persistently related to different sorts of animals rather than to components of an army: In the "Grande Acedrex" of King Alfonso of Castile (1283) lions, crocodiles, giraffes etc. play over a board of 12x12 cases with peculiar jumping moves, and the invention of it is connected to the same remote period in India as normal chess. They are very atypical in any context referring to India. (See the reference "Hasb"(War) in "The Encyclopaedia of Islam", De Gruyter, Leyden-New York 1967). On the other hand, elephants are not at all exclusive from Indian origin (Sir William Gowers, "African Elephants and Ancient Authors", African Affairs, 47 (1948) p.173 ff. Also Frank W. Walbank, "Die Hellenistische Welt", DTV 1983 p. 205-6), not even in military campaigns: The Iranian were the first nation that introduced cavalry and they had also foot-soldiers, chariots and elephants as well as river and battle-ships. In Egypt, the Ptolemaic Kings obtained elephants regularly from Somalia. Strabo (16,4,5) mentions the foundation of several cities in Africa with the main purpose of hunting elephants. The hunters have even written dedications to Ptolemaios IV Philopator (221-204 BC). Polybios describes a battle with elephants between Ptolomaios IV and Antiochos III in 217 BC. Pyrrhus and Hannibal used it in the West. Modern research has confirmed all the details.

http://www.parstimes.com/sports/chess/chess.html - http://www.parstimes.com/sports/chess/chess.html

The origins of chess is one of the most controversial areas of board gaming history. Countries which, at one time or the other, have been associated with invention of chess include http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindh" title="Sindh - Sindh / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India" title="India - India , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China" title="China - China , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Empire" title="Persian Empire - Persia , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt" title="Egypt - Egypt , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyria" title="Assyria - Assyria , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabia" title="Arabia - Arabia , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece" title="Greece - Greece , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland" title="Ireland - Ireland and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistan" title="Uzbekistan - Uzbekistan .

Many countries claim to have invented the chess game in some incipient form. The most commonly held view is that chess originated in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindh" title="Sindh - Sindh . As a matter of fact, the Arabic, Persian, Greek and Spanish words for chess, are all derived from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit" title="Sanskrit - Sanskrit Chaturanga. The present version of chess played throughout the world is ultimately based on a version of Chaturanga that was played in India around the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6th_century" title="6th century - 6th century CE . It is also believed that the Persians created a more modern version of the game after the Indians. One ancient Persian text refers to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardashir_I_of_Persia" title="Ardashir I of Persia - Shah Ardashir , who ruled from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/224" title="224 - 224 – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/241" title="241 - 241 CE , as a master of the game.

Another theory exists that chess arose from the similar game of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiangqi" title="Xiangqi - Xiangqi ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China" title="China - Chinese chess), or at least a predecessor, thereof, existing in China since the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_century_BC" title="2nd century BC - 2nd century BC . Scholars who have favored this theory include http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Needham" title="Joseph Needham - Joseph Needham and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_H._Li" title="David H. Li - David H. Li .

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Other theories

A seven-piece chess set made of ivory, dated to 762 AD and found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samarkand" title="Samarkand - Samarkand

Many of the early works on chess gave a legendary history of the invention of chess, often associating it with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nard" title="Nard - Nard (a game of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tables_%28board_games%29" title="Tables (board games) - tables variety like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backgammon" title="Backgammon - backgammon ). However, only limited credence can be given to these. Even as early as the tenth century http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zakaria_Yahya&action=edit" class="new" title="Zakaria Yahya - Zakaria Yahya commented on the chess myths, "It is said to have been played by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle" title="Aristotle - Aristotle , by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yafet_Ibn_Nuh" title="Yafet Ibn Nuh - Yafet Ibn Nuh ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japhet" title="Japhet - Japhet son of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah" title="Noah - Noah ), by http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sam_ben_Nuh&action=edit" class="new" title="Sam ben Nuh - Sam ben Nuh ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shem" title="Shem - Shem ), by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon" title="Solomon - Solomon for the loss of his son, and even by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve" title="Adam and Eve - Adam when he grieved for http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abel" title="Abel - Abel ." In one case the invention of chess was attributed to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses" title="Moses - Moses (by the rabbi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_ibn_Ezra" title="Abraham ibn Ezra - Abraham ibn Ezra in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1130" title="1130 - 1130 ). However, this claim is opposed by some Muslims who consider chess forbidden in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam" title="Islam - Islam .

The Origin of Chess

Western Chess Chronicle Vol. 1 July, 1936 No. 9

   Chess, as the world knows it today, has an ancestry clearly definable and easily established. The student of the game's history, indeed, can find a wealth of corroborative evidence to further his efforts in tracing its ancestry, in philology.

   "A Number of the mediaeval European chess terms," writes H.J.R. Murray in his voluminous work, A History of Chess, "can be traced back by way of Arabic to Middle Persian." For his authority Mr. Murray has utilized an elaborate compilation of data from chess literature both in printed and manuscript forms dating as far back as the Egyptian Dynasties.

   He continues: "The name of the game in most of the European languages (e.g. English, 'chess'; French, 'echecs'; Italian, 'scacchi') can be traced back, through the Latin plural 'scaci' ('scachi', scacci', meaning 'chessmen'), to the Arabic and Persian name of the chess King, 'shah'."

   We may find confirmation of this evidence in the fact that the name, "chess", in modern Spanish or Castilian is "ajedrez", and in Portuguese it is "xadrez". Further, we find these two forms in more ancient Castilian as "acedrix", which is nothing more than the Arabic "ash-shatranj", or the "shatranj" in European costume. To proceed one step further back we find "shatranj" to be an "Arabicized form of the Middle Persian 'shatrang'," which in turn is an adaptation of the Sanskrit "chaturanga". "All these terms are in their respective languages the ordinary names for the game of chess."

   To substantiate this process of derivations Mr. Murray makes a most interesting assertion: "This philological evidence derives some support from the documentary evidence. The earliest works which make mention of chess date from about the beginning of the 7th century A. D., and are associated with the northwest India, Persia, and Islam. It is difficult to assign exact dates, but the oldest of a number of nearly contemporary references is generally assumed to be a mention of chess in a Middle Persian romance --the 'Karnamak'-- which is ascribed with some hesitation to the reign of Khusraw II Parwiz, the Sasanian king of Persia, 590-628 A. D. The others belong to northwest India."

   Our game today, as the western world plays it, is one of the two main branches in which it may historically be divided. Our game is known as European chess, or Occidental chess. The second branch is known as Asiatic chess and includes those forms familiar to China and Japan. "Shon-gi" is the Japanese form of chess; "I-go, Wei-Ki" is the ancient Chinese game of chess. In 1904 a Japanese philosopher, Cho-Yo, wrote regarding these games:

   "The Chinese have been for many centuries acquainted with chess under a form not very unlike the Occidental branch of the Chessological game. Yet the rules for playing are very different from those of the Hindostanese and its descendants' modified offsprings, so that it gives us a strong suggestion to let it be a quite, though only apparently, independent origin on account of the peculiar feature of a central space or strip called 'The Sacred Barrier or River'.

   "The origin of the Chinese Chessological game is also of very great antiquity, and the reputation of the inventor of the game for the sake of getting clear riddance of brutal, bloodthirsty struggle….is generally yet fabulously attributed to the great sage Wei Wang, in 1120 B.C.

   "Japanese chess, or 'Shon-gi', is of a very great antiquity, and is a descendant of that which originated at least 5000 years ago."

   Referring again to Mr. Murray's writings, we read:

   "It is interesting to note that early Persian and Arabic tradition is unanimous in ascribing the game of chess to India. The details naturally vary in different works and the names in the tradition are manifestly apocryphal.

   "Chess is usually associated with the decimal numerals as an Indian invention, and its introduction into Persia is persistently connected with the introduction of the book 'Kalila wa Dimna' (the Fables of Pilpay), in the reign of the Sasanian monarch, Khusraw I Nushirwan, 531 A.D., and European scholars of Sanskrit and Persian generally accept the traditional date of the introduction of this book as established. The so-called Arabic numerals are well-known to be really Indian.

   "Finally, a comparison of the arrangement and method of the European game of the 11th and 13th centuries A.D. with the Indian game as existing today and as described in the earlier records supports the same conclusion….

   "We must accordingly conclude that our European chess is a direct descendant of an Indian game played in the 7th century with substantially the same arrangement and method as in Europe five centuries later, the game having been adopted first by the Persians, then handed on by the Persians to the Muslim world, and finally borrowed from Islam by Christian Europe."

   To substantiate the assertions as to the origin of the Asiatic branch of chess, as quoted above from Cho-Yo, Mr. Murray has this to say:

   "Games of a similar nature exist today in other parts of Asia than India, The Burmese 'sittuyin', the Siamese 'makruk', the Annamese 'chhoen trang', the Malay 'chator', the Tibetan 'chandaraki', the Mongol 'shatara', the Chinese 'siang k'i', the Corean 'tjyang keui', and the Japanese 'sho-gi', are all war games exhibiting the same great diversity of pieces which is the most distinctive feature of chess.

   "There is naturally far less direct evidence respecting the ancestry of these games than in the case of European chess, but there can be no doubt that all these games are descended from the sam original Indian game. The names 'sittuyin'' (Burmese), 'chhoen trang' (Annamese), and 'chandaraki' (Tibetan) certainly, and the names 'chator' (Malay) and 'shatara' (Mongol) probably, reproduce the Sanskrit 'chaturanga'…."

   In respect to the arrangement of pieces and board in the Malay, Tibetan and Mongol games Mr. Murray points out that they are identified very closely with the Indian game, but he further comments that the relation of the Chinese, Corean, and Japanese games are "not so obvious." He leaves no doubt, however, that both the Corean and Japanese games are derivatives of the older form of the Chinese game. Mention is made of Chinese writings which refer to the introduction of modifications in their game about 1279 B.C. Such coincidental features as the Chariot with the move of the Rook occupying the corner squares, and the Horse with the characteristic move of the Knight occupying adjoining squares indicate, and not accidentally, that the Chinese games are of Indian origin.

   In summarizing, we find this salient and self-evident fact. To again use Mr. Murray's words: "The broad lines of the diffusion of chess from India are fairly clear. Its earliest advance was probably westwards to Persia; the eastward advance appears to have been rather later, and at least three lines of advance may be traced." The first group, we are able to clearly trace, carried the game by Kashmir to the far east via China, Korea, and Japan. The second line, and most probably the same by which Buddhism traveled, carried the game to Further India (where it took on dissimilar features to that of Indian chess). Somewhat later the game spread from the southeast coast of India to the Malay Peninsula. How the game may have reached Tibet and the northern tribes of Asia is yet in doubt. Very ancient Persian manuscripts have revealed that the Zoroastrians had meanwhile passed on chess to the Eastern Roman Empire, and, further documents also disclose that, resulting from the Mohammedan conquest of Persia, Islam acquainted herself with the game. Following this period the Muslims became the most prolific pioneers of chess, thus bringing into being the first concepts of the Occidental branch, and carrying their game as far west as Spain and as far east as India where they ascribed the Arabic nomenclature on the Northern and Central provinces of the peninsula. There is in existence pronounced evidence of the fact that Christian Europe took up the study of chess from the Moors as early as 1000 A.D. Upon gaining a foothold on the Mediterranean shores, it gradually spread northward over France and Germany to Great Britain, to Scandinavia, and to Iceland.

   Archeological discoveries have brought to light chess pieces and boards found in tombs as old as the pre-dynastic period which dates back to about 4000 B.C. At King's College, London, in July, 1909, there was on display at the annual exhibition of the Egypt Exploration Fund a clay gaming board, measuring 7 inches by 2 1/2 inches, with three rows of six squares and eleven conical pieces varying in height from one-half inch to one inch, taken from a pre-dynastic tomb at El-Mahasna, which lies eight miles north of Abydos. The tomb is presumed to have been the burial-place of a medicine man or magician.

   There have also been found in tombs of the Fifth Dynasty, about 3600-3400 B.C., paintings on which were depicted early inhabitants of Egypt playing at chess. Chess games are mentioned in the earliest Buddhist literature of India, which manuscripts date back to about 500 B.C.

   A wealth of archeological discoveries, and a vast collection of Sanskrit, Indian, and especially Persian literature conclusively prove that the origin of chess dates back to the beginning of civilization itself.

http://www.chessdryad.com/articles/wcc/transcribed/origin.htm - http://www.chessdryad.com/articles/wcc/transcribed/origin.ht m

The Persian Chatrang ( and the Indian Chaturanga) had already two armies of 16 pieces each, with a familiar set-up, on an uncheckered 64 cases board :

Each side has :
· 1 Shah, whose capture is the aim of the game and which moves 1 step in all direction as our King.
· 1 Vizier (Farzin, Firzan in Arab), close to the Shah and which moves 1 step diagonally.
· 2 Elephants (Pil, Fil in Arab) which moves diagonally 2 steps, leaping over the intermediate case if occupied.
· 2 Horses (Asp, Faras in Arab) moving obliquely exactly as our modern Knights.
· 2 Chariots (Rukh in Persian and Arab) which have exactly the orthogonal move of our Rooks.
· 8 Soldiers (Piyadah, Baidaq in Arab) which move 1 step straight ahead (never 2) and capture diagonally ahead as our modern Pawn. When reaching the last row, they are promoted to Farzin.

In China, the earliest description of Xiangqi, with all its pieces, are more recent. They are from Bei Song Dynasty, around 1000 A.D. and depicted the modern Xiangqi already. They are two armies, one blue and one red, with 16 pieces placed on the intersections of a 8 x 9 cases board, then 9 x 10 points :

· 1 General (Jiang for blue, Shuai for red) whose capture was here again the aim of the game and which moves 1 step, orthogonally only. It is confined to the 9 points of its citadel.
· 2 Advisors or Mandarins (Shi), also confined in the palace and which moves 1 step diagonally.
· 2 Ministers for blue, or 2 Elephants for red (both named Xiang but with different ideograms) which move 2 steps diagonally. They can not jump and are not allowed to enter the opposite half-board.
· 2 Horses (Ma) whose move is similar to that of our Knights with, maybe already, the impossibility of jumping over the first leg case if it is occupied.
· 2 Chariots (Ju) strictly equivalent again to our Rooks at the corners of the board.
. 2 Cannons (Pao) placed before most of the troops on the third row
· 5 Soldiers (Zu for blue, Bing for red) which step 1 case straight ahead as long as they are in their own half of the board, then which can also move 1 case sideways when they have penetrated the opposite camp. This is their only form of promotion. As all the other pieces, their move and capture are identical.

http://history.chess.free.fr/images/medieval/Florence-Byzantine.jpg - http://history.chess.free.fr/images/persian/Elephant-Irak-10th.jpg -
Two Rooks, Byzantine art. The Elephant was found in Iraq and is from 10th c.
Museo Bargello, Florence, Italy

http://history.chess.free.fr/images/shatranj/s71-arabic-cristal-13e.jpg -
Pawn, Shah, Vizir, Knights and Rook, Arabic chess set, Rock-crystal and smoken topaz, 13th.c,
Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkiye  

Nice insight mamikon

Yes , right. due to this respect they never dare to say the king is dead.

I am sure they won't  they have their own king.

I found some interesting articles on origin of chess.Please take a look.

Sorry about the light-blue colour.Tried changing it many times but it didn't change.

It is worth looking at chess as representing war. We will then see that it fits Indian warfare very well. The pawns are the great masses of infantry: slow and ineffective but valuable for their sheer numbers and for support roles. The horse: representing knights- capable of quickly occupying ciritcal spots on the battlefield. The rook, or siege tower: slow to move in the beginning of the battle but valuable if the war drags on. The queen or vizier representing the small but elite professional army or palace guards. And the king: slow but holding the whole army together by his influence. In Indian warfare, if the king was captured, all was lost.

I would think that an Iranian game would have somewhat less emphasis on infantry, elephants and siege towers, and more emphasis on cavalry. I don't find the points in the original article particularly convincing. I would say that chess originated in India and it was taken and perhaps modified by the Iranians.

It seems you are right Yazzmode.Some information on Chaturanga and Chaturanga rules.

Of course I am.

You may be right Iranian.Have you ever played Ludo.Did you notice the similarity between Ludo and Chaturanga.I think Ludo is a simplified version of Chaturanga.What's you view.

Some more articles on origin of Chess

Originally posted by Land of Aryan thanks AnO for your contribution

It was my duty Aryan considering the way you titled this thread.

Herez a nice website if you'd like to play different variants of Chess.

http://www.pathguy.com/chess/ChessVar.htm - http://www.pathguy.com/chess/ChessVar.htm

This one gives news about Chess in India.

http://www.chathurangam.com/ - http://www.chathurangam.com/

Nice pics of a few Antique Indian Chess Sets.

http://www.geocities.com/dermot_rochford/indian_chess_sets_new.htm - http://www.geocities.com/dermot_rochford/indian_chess_sets_n ew.htm

Well, I found Shatrang namak,
Chess came from India

http://www.avesta.org/pahlavi/chatrang.htm - http://www.avesta.org/pahlavi/chatrang.htm

Explanation of Chess and arrangement of Vin-Artakhshir.

Translation by J. C. Tarapore, Vijârishn I Chatrang, Bombay, 1932

(1) It is said thus that during the reign of Khosraw of immortal soul¹, Divsaram², a great king of India, for the trial of the wisdom and knowledge of the Iranians and for securing his own benefit set up the game of Chatrang (or chess); 16 pieces were made of diamonds³ and 16 of red ruby⁴. (2) With that game of chess were sent 1200 camels loaded with gold and silver and jewels and pearls⁵ and clothes, 90 elephants which carried selected things came with them and Takhtritus⁶, who was the vizier among the Indians, came with them.

(3) In the letter it was written thus, "As your name is the King of Kings, all your emperorship over us connotes that your wise men should be wiser than ours. Either you send us an explanation of this game of chess or send revenue⁷ and tribute⁸ to us."

(4) The King of Kings asked for 4 days' time, and there was nobody among the wise of the country of Iran who could explain that game of chess. (5) On the third day Vazorgmitro, son of Bôkhte, stood up on his legs. (6) He said, "Be thou immortal! for this reason I did not expose the explanation of the game of chess till this day so that you and those who are from the country of Iran should know that I am wiser than any man in the country of Iran. (7) I shall solve the game of chess easily and secure revenue and tribute from Divsaram and I shall prepare another thing and shall send it to Divsaram which he shall not be able to solve and I shall exact double the tribute from him; and be you sure of this that you deserve the emperorship, and the wise men here are wiser than those of Divsaram.'' (8) The Emperor thrice said, "O Vazorgmitro! my Takhtritus, may you live long." He ordered 12000 jôjans⁹ to be awarded to Vazorgmitro.

(9) Next day Vazorgmitro called Takhtritus before him and said, "Divsaram made this game of chess like war. (10) He made the two generals like the Kings (who are) essential for the left and the right¹⁰, the farzin¹¹ to resemble the chief of the warriors, the elephant¹² to resemble the chieftain protecting the rear, the knight¹³ to resemble the chief of the horsemen, (and) the pawns to resemble the foot-soldiers who lead in battle." (11) After this Takhtritus arranged the game of chess and played with Vazorgmitro and Vazorgmitro thrice defeated Takhtritus and thereby great joy prevailed in the whole country.

12) Then Takhtritus rose on his legs. (13) He said, "Be you immortal! The Creator has given you this greatness and glory and courage and victory and made you the lord of Iran and non-Iranian countries. (14) Several wise people of the Indians prepared this game of chess after great toil and trouble and sent it to this place and none could solve it. (15) Your Vazorgmitro through his innate wisdom explained it easily and quickly¹⁴. (16) He has thus by this wealth increased the treasures of the Emperor."

17) The next day the Emperor called Vazorgmitro before him. (18) He said to Vazorgmitro, "O my Vazorgmitro! what is that thing you said you would devise and send to Divsaram?" (19) Vazorgmitro said, "Among the monarchs of this millennium Ardashir was the most industrious and wisest and by the name of King Ardashir I shall call the game Vin-Artakhshir¹⁵. (20) 1 shall make the board of the Vin-Artakhshir like the earth Spandarmad. (21) And 30 pieces I shall make like the 30 days and nights, I shall make 15 white to resemble the day and 15 black to resemble the night. (22) The turning of the board I shall make like the revolution of the stars and the rotation of the sky. (23) I shall make one of these revolutions like Ohrmazd who is one and from whom is granted all goodness. (24) Two I shall make to resemble the spirit and earthly matter. (25) Three I shall make to resemble good thoughts and good words and good deeds, and thought and word and action. (26) Four I shall make to resemble the four elements of which man is made, and the four points of the earth: east; and west, south and north. (27) Five I shall make to resemble the live lights of the sun and the moon and the stars and fire and the lights which come from the heavens. (28) Six I shall make to resemble the 6 periods of the Gahambars¹⁶. (29) I shall make the arrangement of Vin-Artakhshir on the board to resemble the creation of the creatures by Ohrmazd on this earth. (30) I shall make the movements and the progress in a circle of the pieces to resemble the movements of men in this world whose intelligence is connected to spiritual (powers), and who turn and pass on¹⁷ under the influence of the seven (planets) and the twelve (signs of the Zodiac), and when possible they smite and overcome one another just as men in this world smite one another. (31) And when during the progress of this revolution all the pieces are overcome, they shall be like the men who pass away from this earth, and when they are rearranged they resemble men who become revived at the time of the resurrection [Frashegird].

(32) The King of Kings when he heard these words became pleased and ordered 12,000 Arab horses of the same hair, head to foot decked with gold and pearl, and 12,000 young selected men from the country of Iran, 12,000 seven plated armors¹⁸, and 12,000 well-shapen steel swords Indian forged, 12,000 girdles seven-eyed ¹⁹, and besides all the 12,000 men and horses were adorned like children adorned. (33) Vazorgmitro of Bokhte was made the leader over them and on an auspicious day with the good gift and help of God he went to India.

(34) Divsaram, the great King of the Indians, when he saw that game asked for 40 days' time from Vazorgmitro, the son of Bokhte. (35) There was nobody from among the sages of India who could understand the explanation of that Vin-Artakhshir. (36) Vazorgmitro next got subsidy and tribute from Divsaram and with good presents and great honor he returned to the country of Iran.

(37) The explanation of chess is this that even as the wise with power have said that victory is attained through wisdom so the essentials of this game must be known through wisdom.

(38) The play of chess is this that by watching and striving to keep watch over one's own pieces one should be more industrious so that the power of the other player may be taken away, and not to play a bad game in the hope of taking away the pieces of the other player, and while using a piece and preserving the others and observing with perfect mind and in other respects one should observe the rules as given in the treatise.

Completed with satisfaction and joy.

I think Chess is an ancient Persian invention.It was invented by Aryans ruling old Iron IIRC.