The Evolution of Chess

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Annotated Bibliography: The Evolution of Chess

Cazaux, Jean-Louis, and Rick Knowlton. A World of Chess: Its Development and Variations Through Centuries and Civilizations. Mc Farland & Company, Inc. Publishers., 2017, pp. 7-330. Print.

Summary

The book delves into the details of the development of chess through different civilizations and how the game varied through the centuries therein. The book has seven sections that discuss this for different civilizations such as in the Arabian world and the Muslim chess variant. In this first part, the book also mentions Shatranj which is considered the original game of Chess from where different variations sprouted. Chaturanga, Chaturaji, and the Giant Indian chess in the land of the Monsoons are detailed in the second part of the book. In different parts, the books also highlight the development of chess in Europe and the various variations that arose including round chess, hexagonal chess, four-player chess, three player chess and 3-D chess.

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Value

The information contained in this book is of value to the paper for various reasons.  First, the book sheds light on the different variations of chess that exist in the world and the different civilizations that played and contributed to the advancement of the game. The books also discuss the origins of chess from Shatranj and Chaturanga and follows its development up to the game that we currently know. The classification of the books into various parts focusing on different cultures such as the Arabian world, the land of the Monsoons and the European aids in shedding more light as to how they shaped the game to what it is today.

Gollon, John. Chess Variations: Ancient, Regional, And Modern. 2nd ed., Charles E. Tuttle, 1985, pp. 1-137. Print.

Summary

The book is divided into three sections. The first section, Ancient variations, speaks on the different original variations of chess. These include Chaturanga (Two-handed and four-handed), Shatranj, Oblong Chess, Round Chess, Shatranj Kamil both variation I and II, Shatranj Al-Husun and many more variations including the Turkish Great Chess and its four variations. In the second section of the book, it highlights the different variations of chess in various regions. These include the Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Malay, Burmese and the Intermediate Japanese chess. The last section of the book speaks of the modern variations of chess including the most commonly played currently.

Value

The contents of the books are of great importance of this paper for various reasons. First, not only does the book speak of the different ancient variations of chess but also highlights the different variations within those ancient variations from different regions. For example, in the book, Shatranj has five different variations that the books sheds light into, and the Turkish variation of the game has four different variations.

Murray, H. J. R. A History of Chess. Skyhorse Publishing, 2012, pp. 10-305. Print.

Summary

The book highlights the history and development of chess in different civilizations and periods up to the 19th century. I the first chapters, the book delves into the details, variations, and development of chess in India and the Malay Lands. The books then makes a connection of these variations to the European chess. In this section the book, it speaks of the four-handed game and various references of the books from the Arab world and the various theories of the origin of the game. In this section too it highlights the development of the rules of the game and the movement of the pieces. The books further highlights some individuals such as Philidor and their system of play. In the 19th century, the book also speaks on the advancement of tournaments in this century and the development of the chess magazine.

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Value

The contents of the book are of great value as they assist in connecting the current game of chess to its development in Asia.  Also highlighting the development of chess tournaments is a great milestone for the game including the printing of a magazine that specifically caters into this niche. How the rules of the game developed, the movement of the pieces in the chessboard and the system of play by various players including the Italian school of play are of importance as they enrich the timeline in important details that are crucial.

 

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