Chess: The Game and the History

The earliest history and origins of chess is surrounded by legends, myths and fairy tales that speak of the magical powers hidden in the game but as far as we know today, records indicate the game was initially invented and played by the royal families (Raj) of India. We do not have clear cut archeological evidence of the earliest games but what we know comes from a respected Arabic author during the 10th century named Al-Mas'udi, who describes Indian chess sets carved in ivory. Although none of the original Indian chess boards or pieces can be found, an Arabic style chess board based on the Indian chess style still exists to this day and is the earliest known chess piece in this game.