Sixth Century India & Persia
Chess originated in 6th century India, where it was called "Chaturanga." According to this article from Scientific Origin, "Chaturanga translates to "the four divisions of the military," referring to the infantry, cavalry, elephant, and chariots" (Scientific Origin) units. This early adaptation of what we now know as Chess, had the same basic goal—capture the opposing King. As this game became more popular, it eventually migrated through nearby Persia, where the name was changed to "Shatranj." This new name was derived from the words Shah, which means "King" and Sha Mat, which means "the King is helpless." These terms were later translated to mean to "check" and "checkmate." During this period in Persia, the game evolved and became more tactical as players started to play in a more calculated manner. It was also during this period that people began developing and writing early strategies, and the first written records of matches begin to appear. Lastly, Shatranj also led to the introduction of piece values where each unit had a different degree of importance on the board.
Spread to Islamic Countries and Europe
Islamic regimes invaded and captured Persia, which brought Shatranj into the hands of even more people. From here it quickly spread further through Africa and Europe throughout the 9th century. As it spread through each of these regions, it became increasingly popular amongst royalty and those in positions of power and influence. European cultures created the queen and bishop pieces, which increased the pace of the game and allowed for more aggressive styles of play. This led to a new type of strategy as well, where controlling the board through piece positioning became a more common approach to play.
Modernization of Chess
Fast-forward to modern Chess and it is more accessible than ever before. Between its time in Europe and today, new methods of play were established, clubs and tournaments were founded, and the advent of technology allows people to play from any corner of the world. Today's implementation of Chess with various free apps, websites, and published books means that anyone can play at any level. AI has even made it possible for people to play games solo to practice or learn new techniques. In fact, for the past several decades, companies such as IBM have used AI chess engines to continue to learn and better understand the game of chess. Due to the increased accessibility of chess, it is no longer only used solely as a tool for gauging intelligence, or only played by elite upper-class individuals. This has helped chess form a strong worldwide community of players.