Chess history for kids can be a little too overwhelming. But only if it isn’t taught appropriately!
You must be a chess player who wants to know about chess history or someone who is just interested in knowing about the history of chess.
Either way, you’ve hit the perfect place to know more about the chess history for kids.
Keep reading this article to know the complete chess history.
The chess facts have been explained in easy-to-understand points so that you remember them once and for all!
Chess History for Kids in 10 Simple Points
1. The Beginning of Chess
The origins of chess history can be traced back to ancient India in the 6th century.
A group of scholars in the subcontinent invented this interesting game as a way to teach military strategies to soldiers.
The earliest version of chess in ancient India was called “chaturanga.”
Just like chess, chaturanga was also played on a board full of squares.
The pieces in chaturanga represented the different units of an army like elephants, chariots, foot soldiers, etc.
2. Chess in the Persian Empire
In the 7th century, chess was introduced to the Persian Empire for the first time.
Here, it got a different name “shatranj.”
What does that mean?
Shatranj is a Persian word, meaning the game of kings. And hence the word “shah mat” which means “the king is trapped.”
In Persia, chess was called the game of kings also because it was popular amongst the nobility.
3. Introduction to the Islamic World
As we move forward to the 9th century in chess history, the game has now reached the Islamic World.
Here, the game was further developed and refined.
For the first time, chess was now played on a board of 64 squares just like it is played today!
4. Chess Reaches Europe
It took a while for chess to travel to the European continent but it finally did in the 15th century.
This was the era when people finally realized chess was the symbol of intellect and education.
Within a couple of centuries, chess quickly became popular in Europe and was often played by scholars and intellectuals.
5. The First Chess Tournament
The next big thing that happened in chess history was only in the 19th century.
The first chess tournament was held in London!
This was a remarkable time in chess history as it started the trend of chess competitions and popularized the game around the world!
6. The First World Chess Champion
The first official world chess championship was held in the year 1886. And this too was held in London.
The winner of this first-ever world championship was Wilhelm Steinitz.
The man became the first world chess champion in chess history!
7. Establishment of FIDE
After the first world championship, chess saw rapid growth in the number of big chess tournaments.
The world needed an official organization to regulate these chess events.
Hence, the Federation International des Echecs (FIDE), or the International Chess Federation was formed on 20 July 1924 in France.
FIDE is the same organization that offers FIDE chess ratings to all professional chess players around the world.
8. Chess Engine defeats the World Champion
One of the most notable dates in chess history is 11 May 1997.
On this day, a chess engine named “Deep Blue” defeated the world chess champion of the time – Garry Kasparov.
This was the prime example of how technology could have an effective role in the chess world!
9. The Rise of Magnus Carlsen
There have been many legendary players in chess history including Bobby Fischer, Mikhail Tal, Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Viswanathan Anand, and so on.
However, the 5-time world champion Magnus Carlsen is widely considered to be the greatest chess player of all time.
Carlsen defeated another legend Viswanathan Anand in 2013 and since then he has dominated the chess world.
The Norwegian gem has maintained his #1 position for 10 long years!
10. The Youngest Grandmaster in History
30 June 2021 is perhaps the most important latest date in chess history.
On this day, Abhimanyu Mishra from the US became the youngest chess Grandmaster in the entire history of chess.
Abhimanyu was just 12 years 4 months and 25 days old when he became a Grandmaster.
This outstanding achievement reveals the great potential in young children.
The sooner they start learning chess, the higher they can achieve!
Conclusion
Chess history is a fascinating topic. In fact, chess in itself is a fascinating game!
The more you learn it, the more you want to practice it!
In this article, we summarized the vast history of chess and learned it in the most effective way.
All you have to do is remember these 10 simple timelines to memorize everything –
6th century – beginning of chess
7th century – chess in Persia
9th century – chess in the Islamic world
15th century – chess reaches Europe
19th century – first chess tournament
1886 – first world chess champion
1924 – establishment of FIDE
1997 – chess engines defeat the world champion
2013 – the rise of Magnus Carlsen
2021 – the youngest Grandmaster in history
That’s it…
You now know the complete chess history!