Over the past 1500 years, chess has gone through many modifications before finally becoming the game we recognize today. To some, chess is a boring past time. However, the individuals who play it every single day, join chess clubs, play online, and enter chess tournaments will say that chess is actually quite interesting. You just have to understand the way the game runs.

Historical Background

Persia is theorized to be the original location of chess tournaments. The historians likewise believed that chess wasn’t meant to be a game at all, but rather to help the army generals learn and develop battle strategy. During the medieval era, chess made its way into Europe where it swiftly became very popular. Everybody was taken by chess. Both the nobles and the poor learned to play the game. According to some accounts, Europe was where chess evolved into a game.

Board Placement

Before anyone can play chess, the board needs to be properly set up. The smallest details are actually a great deal. Based on a document known as "Laws of Chess," the correct positioning is such that the square located at the bottommost-right corner of each contender is white.

Inspiration Behind Every Chess Piece

Each of the chess pieces arranged on the board portrays the typical rank and file of Europe during the medieval era. The pawns represent the commoners, and are believed to be the least important pieces. In your game however, treat pawns as if they’re your foot soldiers. Next are the rooks. They’re supposed to stand for your castle. The knights are next. During the medieval era, the knights were valuable soldiers, treasured by the royal family. Above all is the most controlling piece, the queen. Remember to protect the king as much as you can though. If the king is seized, the game is over.

Proper arrangement is highly essential to chess. When the pieces are arranged properly, the placement of the white King and Queen should be reversed from the black King and Queen. Arrange the pawns in the row, in front of your key chess pieces. The white team, for example, will have the following line-up: first rook, first knight, first bishop, the queen, the king, second bishop, second knight, second rook.

Though no written rules can be found, players know that the pieces must be set up correctly on the board for the game to begin. Making sure that everything is in the proper order is a symbol of respect towards the game and your opponent.

Today, thanks to the internet making it a lot quicker to find opponents, chess is starting to enjoy a slow rise in popularity.