The Origins of Chess

Among the titiles listed to the right, you will find items of interest gathered from both on and off the Web.

Our goal is to present insight into the world of chess, its history and the people whose work helps define it.

While this is only a fraction of vast amounts of documentation available to researchers, our cross section shows how diverse theories on the "origins of chess" have become.

Related Reference Materials
DOWNLOAD as Adobe PDFand MSWord

Stanway: An Elite Burial Site at Camulodunum
by Phillip Crummy, Steven Benfield, Nina Crummy, Valery Rigby, Donald Shimmin, et al

Excavations betweeen 1987 and 2003 on the fringes of the site of Camulodunum revealed an extraordinary funerary site with a Middle Iron Age antecedent.

Title Page - Britannia Monograph Series 24 (PDF16kb)
Purchase Order Information (PDF 524kb)

The following pdf files feature Dr. Ulrich Schadler's specialist report on "The Doctor's Game - A New Light on the History of Ancient Board Games" provides us with a high quality analysis from an esteemed authority on Roman era board games.

Dr. Ulrich Schadler's Specialist Report on the Doctor's Game (PDF 260kb)
Bibliography (PDF 660kb)

Dr. Ricardo Calvo, M.C Romeo et al
(MSWord doc - 1.7 Mb)
°° Instant Download :: This partially edited draft includes a collection of translated essays extracted mostly from Dr. Ricardo Calvo's Spanish publication - "Lucena: an Escape into Chess". Our MSword entry incorporates and improves upon the previously appearing segment of goddesschess' projected two part series - bugun earlier in html as - Love, Chess and Literature in Lucena - an Unnoticed Precedent of "La Celestina"- Part I.

M.C. Romeo
(PDF - 716 kb.)
Three Games - Three Epochs M.C. Romeo's recent 2007 IGK presentation investigates a succession of events and a common theme running through medieval literature.

M.C Romeo
(PDF - 2.07 Mb)
Alfonso X and Gambling in Chess
A PDF integration of the html version with updated bibliographical content.

M.C. Romeo
(PDF - 41 pages - 1.2 Mb)
The Introduction of Chess into Europe

Peter Piccione
(MSWord RTF doc)
Abstract for 2003 publication on the Egyptian game of Senet

Joseph Needham - Excerpts from:
Science and Civilisation in China:
Physics and Physical Technology, Part I: Physics, Cambridge University Press, 1962, ISBN 0521058023

Joseph Needham
PDF (900 Kb) Ch.11
The pseudo sciences and the sceptical tradition

Joseph Needham
PDF (1.88 Mb)
Ch. 26 Physics - the Chinese orientation to chess - Ch. 26 Physics, (8) The Magnet, Divination, and Chess, pp. 314-334.

Apply WIthin
Become a courier for the court of Goddesschess! Help us bell the Chess Shire Cat and put a name to chess. If you have a Chessay you would like to see posted here, please refer to our Contact & Submissions for some basic guidelines.

---

Copyrights and Wrongs

Goddesschess respects and abides by all copyright laws. As such, we present articles under the "Fair Usage" exemption, offering proper accreditation. Unless otherwise stated, article content has not been modified. All rights reserved by the original authors.

The Symbolism of Chess by Titus Burckhardt
" In this essay, Titus Burckhardt ties the game of chess (which originated in India and subsequently underwent minor modifications during its stay in the West) back to a larger, sacred reality. He covers an almost incredible amount of information (the caste system, astrology, and World Cycles) in a short period of time."

"The Doctor's Game - A New Light on the History of Ancient Board Games" (see also PDF section in left column) Excavations betweeen 1987 and 2003 on the fringes of the site of Camulodunum revealed an extraordinary funerary site with a Middle Iron Age antecedent. Dr. Ulrich Schadler's specialist report provides us with a high quality analysis from an esteemed authority on Roman era board games.

Three Games - Three Epochs M.C. Romeo's recent 2007 IGK presentation investigates a succession of events and a common theme running through medieval literature. In pdf format.

A new paradigm for an "Origins of Chess" theory
by John Ayer - This essay argues that the generally accepted scheme for the derivation of the current and disused forms of chess from the original Indian proto-chess is mistaken:

Love, Chess and Literature in Lucena - an Unnoticed Precedent of "La Celestina"- Part I - by Dr. Ricardo Calvo (Special thanks to Carmen Romeo, who kindly forwarded Goddesschess this remarkable essay.)

Chessmen and Chess By Charles K. Wilkinson
We present here (with our notes) the text of Charles K. Wilkinson's article about the chess pieces excavated at Nishapur in 1939.

Chess, Oedipus, and the Mater Dolorosa by Norman Reider (August 15. 2006) "The psycho-analytic study of play and games has been particularly rewarding, but no game is so full of possibilities for such study as that of chess."

Alfonso X and Gambling in Chess November 27, 2005 - (updated as PDF August 7. 2006) A PDF integration of the html version with updated bibliographical content.

The Introduction of Chess into Europe by M.C. Romeo May 21, 2006 (41 pages) As translated into English from an address given to the Merida Conference of March, 2006. It would be criminal to merely place this file in the PDF section of our site without lavishing praise upon the sheer beauty of its contents, both graphic and informational. It would also be an unforgivable oversight to abstain from calling the reader's attention to what great distinction it brings to author and researcher M.C. Romeo. Carmen, you are a treasure!

Supposition on Results of Man vs. Machine on Chess by Hong Fei Teng, Yan Zhang, Yi Shou Wang & Hong Xia Zhao. We wish too thank an able and cooperative team of Chinese researchers for their mathematical journey into "probability" aspects related to chess and other games.

Alfonso X and Gambling in Chess November 27, 2005 - (updated Dec 7. 2005) We welcome M.C. Romeo's masterful treatment of the Alfonso literature. One could lose more one's shirt in the Spanish chess of medieval times. (English translation with original Spanish included)

Dr. Grovert Westerveld: The Queen's Man By Jan Newton October 31, 2004. Dr. Westerveld's celebration of the famous Isabella la Catholica, Queen of Spain rubs shoulders with chess, checkers and the evolving history of female influence in the development of both games.

Lucena - A mystery after 500 years By M.C.Romeo Carmen's research on the man, his legend and the intrigue involving publication of his work on chess - with special appreciation of the late Dr. Ricardo Calvo's writings on the subject.

Anna Contadini: Islamic Ivory Chess Pieces, Draughtsmen and Dice An exhaustive 5 page index of Islamic chessmen and other board game curiosities. Includes many examples of chessmen and dice.and an extensive bibliography.

The Men of Staunton - or are they? By Barry Martin - Chess Magazine Oct, 1994. A critical look at the background story behind the development of the Staunton pieces and the alleged designer(s).

For Love of the Game by Jan Newton (December 25, 2003) "The Idea of Chess" is almost more compelling than its actual history and seems to extend further back in time than the game itself...

Shamat! Is the King really Dead? Jan Newton (Sept. 2003) There are games within games and in the history of chess, there are also word games - full of traps and snares.

Goddess Iconography in Ancient Board Games Janet L.Newton A Written Presentation submitted to the 2001 Conference of the Initiative Group Koenigstein Amsterdam November 30 - December 2, 2001

Goddesschess Renaissance Thread Further details regarding the Renaissance era. An excerpt of a chess discussion at Delphi with frequent appearances by Dr. Calvo.

Dr. Ricardo Calvo's Presentation to the CCI, May, 1998, Vienna, Austria,Dr. Calvo's presentation delivers evidence supportive of pivotal Spanish involvement in late fifteenth century changes that resulted in today's modern game. Many trace the introduction of the increased powers of the Queen and the Bishop to Renaissance Italy. Dr. Calvo presents a compelling case for his native homeland. [10/15/99]

Gnosis and Chess Evolution Dr. Ricardo Calvo offers an inspired review of esoteric gnostic elements in the early deveolpment of chess.

Continued Extracts on Gnostic Elements in Chess HINTS AMONG ISLAMIC GNOSTICS Further clues about the creators of chess Dr. Ricardo Calvo IM

Mystical Numerology in Egypt and Mesopotamia Dr Ricardo Calvo examines the mathematical mysteries of chess

The Oldest Chess Pieces in Europe Dr. Ricardo Calvo Presentation to the IGK - Amsterdam, December 2001. The trail of the Urgel pieces leads to other discoveries in the north of Spain.

Some Facts to Remember Culled from the I.G.K. website, Dr. Calvo offers erudite observations on critical matters in chess history.

Chess - a Mathematical Model of the Cosmos Pavle Bidev - From an article published in British Chess Magazine, 1979

Is Chess a Hybrid Game? Jean-Louis Cazaux from the presentation delivered by Janet Newton at the 2001 Amsterdam I.G.K. Symposium

Digital Dialogue with Gerhard Josten and JanXena - "Two truths are told..." A quirky, informative piece on board games and history reveals "Two Solitudes".

Explanation of Chess and the Arrangement of Vin-Artakhshir
A translation by J. C. Tarapore, Vijarishn I Chatrang, Bombay, 1932 FROM: Avesta -- Zoroastrian Archives Contents

Protochess, 400 B.C. to 400 A.D., by G. Ferlito and A. Sanvito, published in Pergamon Chess Monthly, Volume 55 No. 5, September 1990. [07/14/01] This article questions H.J.R. Murray's theory that chess originated in India sometime during the 7th century A.D.. An excellent overview of accepted historical theory, as well as a review of current archaeological evidence not available to Murray when he wrote his monumental, "A History of Chess". Ferlito and Sanvito shed new light on the development of The Game while throwing Murray's interpretation into serious doubt.

Was Chess Invented In India? by Sam Sloan, 1985. (The monograph can also be found at Sloan's website) [03/26/01] Sam Sloan is a well known figure on the New York chess scene. In this article, critical comparisons between Chinese and Indian chess take center stage.

When There Is No End To A Good Game by Ian Riddler, from British Archaeology, Vol. 31, February, 1998 Ian Riddler explores the history of ancient board games that many scholars believe contributed to development of Chess [11/18/00]

Ashtapada and Indian Cosmolgy Prof. (Mrs.) Rangachar Vasantha (Extract from The IGK's 2001 "Yellow Book")

Oriental Chess David Li's letter to IGK Chair (Extract from the IGK's 2001 "Yellow Book")

C.J. Gadd on Babylonian Chess ? Ties to Babylonian divination and mythology offer an interesting view of board games evolution

Horst Remus The Origin of Chess and the Silk Road A thougtful overview of the invention and diffusion of chess

Joseph Needham Thoughts on the origin of chess Needham's research into China opened up new doors to chess historians around the world.