Origins Of Chess

Thanks for putting together a compilation of some interesting and insightful articles in your November edition. However, after reading the quiz article ‘Checkmate’, I was left wondering why there was no mention of India, the place where this board game originated and its original name chaturanga (meaning four sides). SAGAR SREENATH Editor’s Note: Thank you for raising this interesting point. Dating back to the sixth century, chaturanga was played on an 8x8 grid and featured pieces similar to modern chess although the exact rules are unknown. It is believed the rules for moving queens (then called counsellors) and bishops (then called elephants) were more limited.