Games For Girls & Boys

1. Chess is a two – player board game. It is played on a chessboard, which is an eight into eight grids of alternating colours, usually black and white. Each player controls 16 pieces, resembling an army ready to battle in formation: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Early forms of chess originated in ancient India, during the reign of the Guptas some 1600 years ago. It was called chathuranga, which literally translated means four divisions.
From there it spread to Persia, and gradually into Europe, where the current version of the game was developed. Chess rapidly gained popularity, and it became a craze. Tournaments started being held, and in 1886, Wilhelm Steinitz became the first World Champion. These tournaments are still held periodically, with people from many different countries participating. The current world champion is Viswanathan Anand, from India. Other notable exponents are Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov. The strategic nature of chess is of great interest to programmers and mathematicians the world over. In 1997, a computer named Deep Blue won a game against world champion Garry Kasparov. Chess is also quite popular as a recreation, with numerous clubs catering to people from all walks of life.