WHO INVENTED

Chess is a sport, board game and a battle of brains. Although the C core concept is simple – capture the opponent’s king and declare ‘checkmate’ – the strategy and planning that take place as a game unfolds make for an intense, cognitive challenge. Nobody knows exactly who invented chess, but the earliest origins of the game can be traced back to India, China and Persia over the course of 15 centuries. Chess was eventually introduced to Europe some time before 1,000 CE, partly due to the travelling of merchants. As people voyaged over long distances for trade, many would take chess sets with them to occupy themselves. Some impressive carved chess pieces produced in different regions of the world were transported overseas, and thus interest in and knowledge of the game grew.

In Europe during the Middle Ages, chess became so