If you had to guess the origin of chess you might think of Europe.

A game played among patriarchs within stone-cold castle walls.

However, the origin story presents quite a different tale.

Enter the warm sand covered planes of India in the 7th century.

Although the pieces of the game were significantly more ornate, think elephants, the black and whiteboard was still the same battleground for the calculated and methodical game we know and love today.

The purpose of the game was to practice military strategery, with each piece referring to four divisions of an army: elephantry (now the bishop), chariotry (now the rook), cavalry, and infantry.

Eleven hundred years later after the game spread from Persia to Arabia and then to Europe the game evolved roughly into its current form.

There’s a natural evolution of ideas, games, and customs.

Origin stories illuminate where that evolution began, and potential paths not taken.

Photo by Martin Grazer on Unsplash.