Chess is one of the oldest games in the world. That makes the task of trying to figure out exactly where chess came from and who invented it rather difficult.

Based upon what we know so far, it seems that chess had its beginnings in the northwest region of India around 600 AD -- 1,400 years ago. The work of historians and archaeologists help us reach this judgment. Historians have found references to chess in ancient writings from that period, and archaeologists have discovered chess-related artifacts along ancient trade routes between India and China in that region.

To be fair, it should be said that some scholars hold different views about the origins of chess. Some scholars believe chess had its beginnings in Persia, since the oldest chess writings we have come from there. Others believe chess came from China, based upon evidence that suggests they were first (like with so many other things), not the Indians. There are even some scholars who believe chess might have come from Russia or Italy, since in both places mysterious chess-like figures dating back to the 2nd century have been found --100 years before is known to have existed elsewhere!

No wonder some people believe chess is probably much older than we realize. Even former world chess champion Garry Kasparov once wrote that he thought chess might be 5,000 years old!

What seems certain is that chess was derived from several other older games, and that it was carried into the Far East and the Middle East by traders, warriors, and wanderers. Apparently, wherever chess was carried it was remodeled in a manner that reflected the temperament and sensibilities of the various peoples involved.

In the earliest form, it also seems that chess might have been used as a way of predicting the outcome of battles, and as a way of learning the will of the gods. In those days, dice helped one to determine the movements of the chess pierces.

Only later, when people changed their views about how wars were best fought and won, did chess become a game. Since chess games were to be decided by skill, not fate, the usage of dice in chess was dropped.

By the year 1000 AD chess was widely known throughout Europe. The Moors had brought it to Spain and Italy. The Vikings had brought it into the Balkans and Russia on the eastern fringes.

Many of the first Europeans to write extensively about chess were Spanish. Their names are familiar-sounding to most modern chess players: Lucena, Damiano, Ruy Lupez. Italy's most famous chess writer was Greco. Some writers kept secret notebooks about their discoveries about openings, endgames, and problems. Some writers and chess masters were sponsored by patrons. Others in France supplemented their incomes by playing matches in cafes, which were new, popular places for people with time and money on their hands to gather.

In the late 1400's the rules of chess were changed dramatically in order to make the game less slow and more interesting. The most significant change concerned the queen, who's movement had been restricted to one diagonal square.

The rules of chess were formalized by the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE), the international chess federation, that first met in Paris in 1924. the English rules for the game were considered quite good, and largely served as pattern. The motto for FIDE is Gens Una Sumus (We all of one clan).