Chess: The Brain Workout

The fondest memories I have of my childhood with my little brother are our chess matches. I only knew the basics - how to move the pieces around. So, it’s no surprise that he won every single time. I would boast that next round would be mine but we both knew it was never going to happen.

The World of Chess

I had forgotten all about these precious memories until I came across this advertisement featuring Vishwanathan Anand and Gukesh. The ad is hilarious, reminding me how my little brother and I engaged in similar banter while playing chess.

The Chess Grandmasters

Vishwanathan Anand is a household name in India. At 19 years, he became the first chess grandmaster from India in 1988. His success encouraged more people in India to pick chess as a game. Vishy’s achievements are also the inspiration for D Gukesh, the chess prodigy who became the youngest World Chess Champion in 2024.

Gukesh started his chess journey at the mere age of 7 and became a grandmaster when he was 12. After facing his fair share of wins and losses, he bagged the title of the youngest undisputed world champion at the age of 18.

The Game of Kings

Chess is a board game of strategy where two players move their pieces to checkmate the opponent’s King. There is no room for luck or chance – you need pure skill and strategy to win this game.

History of Chess

Chess is an ancient game which originated in India in the 7^th century. Its earliest form was chaturanga which resembled a battle formation complete with ‘four divisions (of the military)’ – chariotry, elephantry, cavalry, and infantry.

Chaturanga travelled to Persia and was adopted as ‘Shatranj’ before quickly spreading across Asia and Europe. The official rules were developed by the 15^th century and were standardized by the 19^th century.

Chess and Ancient Indian Stories

Chess has a special place in the pages of Indian mythological stories and legends.

It seems the name ‘Chaturanga’ comes from a battle formation mentioned in the epic Mahabharata during the Kurukshetra War.

In Ramayana, it is believed that the demon King Ravana invented chess to entertain his wife, Mandodari.

The presiding god of Thirupoovanur temple is Sathuranga Vallabhanathar, the deity of chess!

According to the legend, Lord Shiva was called Sathuranga Vallabhanathar when he won the right to marry the local princess by defeating her in a game of chess.

Chess in the Modern World

As a globally recognized game, chess is played in almost every country. For professionals, we have national and international events to test their mental strength and cognitive skills.

Russia has been a major force in chess history with world champions like Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. The USA’s top players are Bobby Fischer, Paul Morphy, and Hikaru Nakamura. Norway is home to world champion Magnus Carlsen.

This does not indicate that chess is only meant for the professionals. It is quite interesting to note that chess is played at all levels. One can see people playing it as a casual game in parks and clubs.

It is an indoor board game, so what else to do on a rainy day but play chess with your family and siblings.

Chess: The Complete Cerebral Workout

Playing chess is not just about playing a game with your friends or opponents. It is also a brain stimulant. Every game brings with it a new set of challenges, new counter moves of our opponent. The players should be able to remember and retain opening sequences, strategic patterns, and mistakes made in previous games.

It is about concentrating not only on our moves but anticipating your opponent’s moves too. The game demands patience and focus to outmaneuver the opponent’s thinking.

Where do we start from?

Chess needs a lot of practice and even more patience. Here are a few resources to get you started.

1. You can watch The Basics of Chess for Kids by ChessKid for a little introduction to the game (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6LHH4Vpg9E).
2. Explore Chess.com is a versatile platform where you can play chess, watch how experts play, and keep up with the latest chess news and updates (https://www.chess.com/).
3. Check out documentaries like Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine by Vikram Jayanti (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379296/) and Algorithms by Ian McDonald (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2616594/?ref_=tt_mv_close).

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