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Apparently, the answer to your question is as complicated as the game itself. First, we went to the Yahoo! category for Chess History. As we browsed through the sites, we discovered that, among chess historians, the origin of the game is open to debate. Most scholars agree that chess originated in India in the sixth century as chaturanga, a military-style strategy game. Web chess historians refer to the authoritative, out-of-print A History of Chess, written by noted board-game expert H.J.R. Murray in 1913. Murray credits India with giving birth to the game, citing etymology
and folklore. However, an alternate theory claims that China is the true birthplace of chess. A widely circulated essay by Sam Sloan makes compelling historical, archaeological, and linguistic arguments for this viewpoint. Sloan questions Murray's sources and states: ...we can reasonably conclude that chess appeared in India no earlier than the sixth century A.D., and perhaps considerably later. However, we also know that Chinese chess was written about at a much earlier date. The essay argues that, contrary to the belief of many chess historians, xiangqi, or Chinese chess, is related to western chess, and its rules, board configuration,
piece movements, and strategies prove that it is the logical precursor to the modern game. Despite its obscure origins, we do know that the game of chess thrived in Asia for centuries and has spread in popularity throughout the world. And if you are still mystified by this puzzle, you may want to consult Christianity's patron saint of chess, St. Teresa of Avila.
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