There are many theories about the origination of chess. The most popular idea is that it originated from the game Chaturanga, once thought to be Chinese Checkers, but now is believed to be of Indian Origin (from India, the country). According to Eastern Legend, Chaturanga was invented by a man named Sissa. Sissa was a Brahman at the Court of King Balhait of India. King Balhait was tired of dice games that depended primarily on luck and chance, so he ordered his wise men to come up with a game that depended on a player's judgement and skill. Sissa took an eight by eight grid of sixty-four squares, which back then in India was called an Ashtapada Board, and checkered it with with colors. The pieces he used were based on the four categories of the Indian army: The elephants, the cavalry, the cha

riots and the infantry. He also used the King and his chief counselor. Sissa made the rules so that you have to use strategy and skill in order to win. The King was very pleased with this new game. It reduced luck and chance to a small role. He ordered that it be played in every temple as training in the art of war.

Done, then The Black Queen can capture the White

The Fork is an attack on two pieces at the same time. In the illustration, if the Black Queen moves to where the arrow is, both the White

The movements of the pieces are quite easy to learn. According to Frank J. Marshall "You can learn the moves in 15 minutes, in another 15 minutes, you can get the idea of the game, and you can play within the hour. (1)" The King can only move one square at a time, but he can move in any direction. The Queen is the most powerful piece; she can move any direction, and any number of squares. The Rook (or castle) is the second most powerful piece. It can move in a straight line, and it can move any number of squares horizontally or vertically but not diagonally. The Bishop can move diagonally in a straight line across any number of squares. There are two Bishops, one on a white square and one on a black. The Knight moves in L-shaped jumps. It can take either two steps horizontally and one vertically, or two vertically and one horizontally. The Knight is the only piece that can jump over another piece. The pawn is the least powerful piece on the board. It can only move forward, never backwards. On the first move a pawn can move two squares, but after that it can only move one. The only time a pawn is allowed to move diagonally is to capture another piece.

Chaturanga spread Eastward to China, and on the way over there, it was transformed into Siang K'I, which is Chinese Chess. Chinese Chess is played on the points, rather than the squares. Chinese Chess traveled through Korea to Japan, where it transformed into Shogi, also known as The General's Game. Chess also traveled Westward to Persia; there it was known as Shatranj. The Moors brought the game into Spain in the eighth century, from their traders took it to Russia. It wasn't until the 15th century that Chess began to resemble the game we have now, with a Queen instead of the King's counselor and Rooks, Knights, Bishops, and Pawns instead of elephants, cavalry, chariots and infantry.

King and the White Rook are threatened. White

Strategy in Chess is where the battle takes place, there are many styles and they fluctuate from person to person. There are some moves, however, that, in general, everyone uses. The Skewer and The Fork are two of the most basic moves. The Skewer is a form of double attack, where a second piece is attacked indirectly through another. For example, on the illustration the White Queen can move out of the way, but when she does the Black Bishop will capture the White Rook.

The rules of chess are like an outline; they are divided i

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