Chess

Hello. I have a special floor with black and white squares, like a big checkerboard. On my floor stand little wooden kings and queens with shiny crowns. There are brave knights on little horses and tall, strong castles. Two friends sit on either side of me, looking very closely at all my little people. They take turns moving my wooden army across the squares. It is a quiet game, but inside their heads, it is a big adventure. I am a game of thinking and fun, and I help friends play together. My name is Chess.

I wasn't always called Chess. A very, very long time ago, around the 6th century, I was born in a faraway land called India. My first name was Chaturanga. That's a big word for a little game. From India, I went on a big adventure to a place called Persia. There, people would shout “Shah Mat!” when they won, which means “the king is defeated.”. I traveled across bumpy roads and big blue oceans, and by the 10th century, I had arrived in a place called Europe. As I traveled, I changed a little bit. My queen became the most powerful and important piece of all around the 15th century. She can zoom all over the board.

Today, anyone can play with me. You don’t have to be a real king or a real queen. You just need to be curious and ready to think. I help you learn to plan your moves and look ahead to see what might happen next. Playing with me is like doing exercises for your brain to help it grow big and strong. It also teaches you to be patient and wait for your turn. So, next time you see my black and white checkered board, come say hello. Let’s play a thinking game together.