A brief history of chess – Alex Gendler

Trace the storied history of the game of chess, from its origins in 7th century India to the computer software we use today.

The attacking infantry advances, their elephants already having broken the defensive line. The king tries to retreat, but the enemy flanks him from the rear. Escape is impossible. This isn’t a real war— nor is it just a game. Over the 1,500 years of its existence, chess has been known as a military strategy tool, a metaphor for human affairs and a measure of genius. Alex Gendler shares its history.

Lesson by Alex Gendler, directed by Remus & Kiki.

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%1$ Comments860

    I just watched queen's gambit. I wanna play hhahhaha

    The game of chess is before the time you mention, there are many references about this game in the old books of Tamil Nadu, India, dating back to 2000 years, more than that, many chess pieces have been found at the recently discovered Keezhadi excavation site , which has been confirmed to be a place that is 2600 years old.

    It's a beautiful video, but it has some mistakes, like the dark square on the bottom right corner of the board 3:19
    Another mistake is the mention that Kasparov lost to Deep Blue, period. When in fact, he won the first match (4-2), and lost to the improved version dubbed 'Deeper Blue' one year later.

    I always go back to this video from time to time.
    The animation, the story and how the pieces have their own little personality.
    I wish there was an actual set with the design of the pieces.

    Nebeprisivaizdotinklaraštininkaujantis says:

    In my language chess is called šachmatai like in sanskrit

    name favouraite chess GOAT one by one. mine is mikhail tal

    TED Ed and Kurzgesagt, the two channels that still maintains my interest even after 10 years.

    4:41 I disagree a player from another country, Russians fiercest rival an American citizen upset the Russians his name is Bobby Fischer.!

    Indian civilization is a Tamil civilization. Chess originated from the Tamil Kings ! Inscriptions on the game of chess were found on temples in Tamil Nadu.

    In Czech, we call bishop an "archer" (střelec) and knight a "rider" (jezdec)

    Anything: gets invented
    Europe: allow us to introduce ourselves

    That prince was meant to die by a rook, for the greater good.

    3:12

    Wow.

    Considering satanic panic and how many conservatives felt about video games, guess things don't change that much.

    Everything that the West has owns it to Eastern civilizations.

    Constructive criticism 😔
    "I do not want to pay for something we got we once
    Who's tube is this now really with ads which I would compare to how we spoke of aids back when internet of was only wired now it's both I you think ones better than the other"~OLB

    I am making a mobile chess game with cool animations and arenas and global banners ; hope it will turn out to be good and i'll be able to share it with the people.

    You know a game is popular when it has at some point upset a religious organization

    chess is much older
    in mahbharat there is reference of chess whihc is estimated to be 1000BCE years old by modern historiasn .
    and there is also reference of chess in life of gautam buddha 600BCE

    कौटिल्य षडयंत्र (Channel Shadyantra) says:

    Very true Lord Shiva is Dhyut Papeshwar means owner of the game. This game was known as sKhandyantra or shadyantra. It waa played on dashpaad ro vrihadpaad boards.

    Game was invented by Sage Agasthya. Kartikey played this game. But Ravan was much better and expert in this game

    In arabic pawn=soldier queen=minister rook=citadel bishop=elephant knight=horse

    The game was really made by a pioneer scholar ' Shes' . He was a student of Vedic Mathematics and a scholar of Mahabharat. He read Mahabharat, and formulated this game. He presented the game to King Bhalit Rai of Sindh. In return , he demanded some wheat or rice pieces. But….
    It should be in a special series.
    Put two granules in 1st block, four in 2nd, eight in 3rd and so on till 64th block.
    And eventually, the ministers found that it is not possible as the wheat demanded cannot be grown in the whole earth , if we take the oceans as lands too……
    'Shesh' in some of it scriptures says that there is a very secret , and of course tough, Mathematics working in the Chess. If one knows that,, no one can defeat him ( not even computers..😎😎)

    In Arabic, the queen is called “wazir” means the minister, bishop is called elephant, rook is called castle .

    I love games and sports that require individual's using strategy. Much more than I do team sports and games.

    Other sports are games of luck and skills but chess is a game of intelligence and skills

    In my city..dimapur nagaland.. there is a huge ancient chess made of stone…..

    To the author of this Video… Are you are ashamed of saying the word India? This shows the colonial attitude.

    Chess predates Islam and was well know and played in Makkah. Arabs were part of the Persian empire and the Roman empire. They lived in their own Arabian homeland ruled by either empires and also in the main cities of those empires. They had a trading season established, going to Africa kingdom, Yemen, Roman empire, parts of central Asia.

    Your info is wrong, and makes me doubt the narrative in this video.

    Interestingly, in my country, Russia, the bishop and the queen are still called "the elephant" (Слон) and "the advisor" (Ферзь (comes from the persian word فرزین‎ (ferzin) – advisor) ).

    Thats why India is great and never defy trust of love ones

    Terms used In Indian Chess represent=
    King.. Ruler
    Queen …Rani/wife/women of King
    Bishop…Vazir/PM/Advisor – Generals of King
    Knight… Cavalry
    Rook… War Elephant forces
    Pawn … Foot soldiers

    That's way…Knight can jump on fortification, Rook play Diagonally…just to demolish fortification of Opponent.
    Bishop… Play straight..to deal with opponent for treaty/battle with small specialized force

    Queen …having all authority on behalf of King… knowing things from inside out…can run Inner & outer politics/Strategy of war
    Pawn…foot soldiers have very slow speed …one step at a time..having ordinary weapons..they just confront the enemy but when they attact…they attack from side to surprise the enemy

    & This is used to teach Princes & worries to teach planing & strategy of war, help them taking quick decision in war situation.

    Later European molded it accordingly.. changing the name of Pieces but they could mold the rules & game

    So I’m Indian that means chess champion is in my genetics 😋

    A smothered mate with the knight is the equivalent of catapulting the knight into a castle, then hitting the king right in the face

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