Added: 12/21/2007 |
Play Chess to Practice mental agilityA competitive and recreational game, chess proves the mental agility of the players. Chess is played by millions of people around the world. Chess is also played between computers and machine. The online version of the game provides hours of unlimited mental exercise and develops concentration.
The Composition and theory of the game is an example of the integration of artistic and scientific aspects.
The players who play chess spearhead a royal assortment of pieces, either white or black to check mate the ‘King’ of the opposite army. Each player is in control of sixteen pieces that include a King, a Queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops and eight pawns. When the King of the opposite army is under checkmate, there is no way for the King to counter the attack. People play chess since it is a game replete with strategies and mind game to outwit the opponent.
The competitive chess began in the 16th century. In the year 1886, Wilhelm Steinitz was declared the first official World Chess Champion. Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand is the reigning World Champion. Chess Olympiads are the events that occur biennially. The World Chess Federation and the International Correspondence Chess Federation function as the entities that organize international Chess competitions around the World.
The Origin of Chess is traced to Persia and India. ‘Shatranj’, the Persian word for chess is derived from ‘Chaturanga’, the Sanskrit word that stands for the four divisions of the military- cavalry, infantry, chariots and elephants. Each piece in the game, ‘Shatranj’ had limited movement. A modification of the rules began from 1200 and around 1475, several rules were modified to form the modern game that is played even today. The modern game of chess endowed ‘the Queen’ with a lot of powers making the game, “Queen’s Chess”.
The first Modern Chess tournament was held in London, in the year 1851. The number of master tournaments and matches increased steadily from the end of the 19th century. Earlier, a World Champion was given the authority to decide over the challenger, with whom he wanted to compete. Later, World Chess Federation or FIDE structured a novel system of ‘qualfiers’. FIDE organized qualifying ‘Zonal’ and ‘Inter Zonal’ tournaments and the players were ranked in it. Then, the ‘qualified’ candidates play chess in knock-out matches. The winners of these games entered the run for the ‘World Chess Champion’ title.
The Composition and theory of the game is an example of the integration of artistic and scientific aspects. Tactics and strategies of the game are promoted extensively by Theoreticians, since the existence of the game. Modern Chess has variants in the form of Hexagonal Chess and Chess played with time control. The players have to play within the stipulated time in the latter. The time duration can range from 3 minutes to one hour in the shorter versions or rapid chess and can be 7 hours for the longer versions of the game.
Playing chess with the computer has revolutionized the game. The entry of Artificial Intelligence into this sport has pushed man beyond the limits of his imagination and mental ability. There are various instances of the computers being defeated by Grandmasters that testify the human mind’s power and its immense potential. Technology has rendered Chess lovers an opportunity to play chess online. This has resulted in the growth in the number of people who play chess all over the world.
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