World Chess Day

World Chess Day

Every year, 20th July is celebrated as World Chess Day to commemorate the founding of the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) or World Chess Federation in 1924. Also known as International Chess Day, there are more than 600 million regular chess players who celebrate World Chess Day all over the world. Believed to be 1,500 years old, the game of chess originated in India and it was known as ‘Chaturanga’.

The advantages of playing chess

  • Improves cognitive skills: Chess can help greatly in improving our memory, problem solving skills and concentration.
  • Promotes strategic thinking: Chess requires players to plan their several moves in advance which help them develop better strategic thinking skills.
  • Teaches focus as well as discipline: Chess requires focus and discipline in game even when the game isn’t going in our favour.
  • Encourages creativity: There are lots of ways to play chess and we have to be creative enough to find the best solution.

Background

  • Today more than 2,000 varieties of the game are played across the world. One theory is that chaturanga, the first chess-like game, originated in the northern Indian subcontinent during the Gupta period (~ 319 – 543 CE) and spread westwards to Persia along the Silk Roads.
  • Regarded as derived from modern chess chaturanga, it refers to the ‘four strategies’ referring to the division of game pieces into infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots. Chatrang, later shatranj, was the name of the game when it reached Sassanid Persia in the 600 CE. The earliest mention of the game dates back to 600 CE. A Persian manuscript mentions that an ambassador from the Indian subcontinent visited King Khosrov I (531 – 579 CE) and gifted him this game.
  • On 12th December 2019, the UN General Assembly declared 20th July as World Chess Day, the day when the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was founded in Paris in 1924.
What’s your Reaction?
Thumbs Up
0
Love
0
Clap
0
Smile
0
Haha
0
Awesome
0
Sad
0
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Select the fields to be shown. Others will be hidden. Drag and drop to rearrange the order.
  • Image
  • SKU
  • Rating
  • Price
  • Stock
  • Availability
  • Add to cart
  • Description
  • Content
  • Weight
  • Dimensions
  • Additional information
Click outside to hide the comparison bar
Compare