Why is chess called chess? - Chess Forums (2024)

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Why is chess called chess? ›

chess (n.) 13c., from Old French esches "chessmen," plural of eschec "game of chess, chessboard; checkmate" (see check (n.)), from the key move of the game. Modern French still distinguishes échec "check, blow, rebuff, defeat," from plural échecs "chess."

Chess is a boy's name of Latin origin. Though it may make you think of the game, Chess is a shortened form of Chester, a place name in England. Chester derives from the Latin word castrum, meaning “camp of soldiers,” and is today one of England's prettiest and most historic towns.

CHESS stands for Clearing House Electronic Subregister System and is the computer system used by the ASX to manage the settlement of share transactions and to record shareholdings.

Chess is a strategic board game for two players. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to distinguish it from related games such as xiangqi (Chinese chess) and shogi (Japanese chess). Chess is an abstract strategy game that involves no hidden information and no elements of chance.

King: Symbolizes leadership, power, and protection. Queen: Represents femininity, strategy, and versatility. Rooks: Depict fortresses or castles, symbolizing stability and defense. Knights: Symbolize chivalry, bravery, and unexpected maneuvers. Bishops: Reflect religion, spirituality, and guidance.

Chess is a board game for two players. It is played on a square board, made up of 64 smaller squares, with eight squares in each row and column. Each player starts with sixteen pieces: eight pawns, two knights, two bishops, two rooks, one queen and one king.

The history of chess can be traced back nearly 1,500 years to its earliest known predecessor, called chaturanga, in India; its prehistory is the subject of speculation. From India it spread to Persia, where it was modified in terms of shapes and rules and developed into Shatranj.

Wilhelm Steinitz, the first World Champion, widely considered the "father of modern chess," extensively analyzed various double king-pawn openings (beginning 1. e4 e5) in his book The Modern Chess Instructor, published in 1889 and 1895.

Chaturanga was flourishing in northwestern India by the 7th century and is regarded as the earliest precursor of modern chess because it had two key features found in all later chess variants—different pieces had different powers (unlike checkers and go), and victory was based on one piece, the king of modern chess.

The opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established theory. The other phases are the middlegame and the endgame. Many opening sequences, known as openings, have standard names such as "Sicilian Defense".

What do you say when you win chess? ›

In a game of chess, a winner is declared when one player is able to corner and capture the rival king. The moment this occurs, one player calls out “checkmate”, and the game ends.

Legend has it that chess was invented around 200 B. C. by a commander, Hán Xin, who invented the game as a battle simulator. Soon after winning the battle, the game was forgotten, but it resurfaced in the 7th century.

In Latin, the game was not named after the killing of the king, but after the attacks themselves—the checks. It was called ludis scaccorum (game of checks) or, when shortened, scacchi. The Latin word for check later gave us the Middle French eschec, which became échecs in the plural and chess in English.

The international chess governing body FIDE grants several titles, the most prestigious of which is Grandmaster; many national chess federations also grant titles such as "National Master". More broadly, the term "master" can refer to any highly skilled chess player.

They're called Rooks! According to TheChessWorld.com, rookies or, players in their first year, are named after the Rook in Chess.

The piece's deep groove symbolizes a bishop's (or abbot's) mitre. Some have written that the groove originated from the original form of the piece, an elephant with the groove representing the elephant's tusks. The English apparently chose to call the piece a bishop because the projections at the top resembled a mitre.

The chess board is set up to be symmetrical, so if the white king is on one square then the other king will have to be facing opposite.

Commonly, it derives from the country, region, or city where an opening system became known. It can also be because of the first important player who put it into practice or because some game theorists recommended it in published analysis.