Chess is everything art, science and sport” – Anatoly Karpov

Chess is a mind blowing game that catches your attention and makes you thrilled from the moment you make the first move. It sharpens our brain, make us think forward and improves our concentration. Chess has a deep history. It is likely that chess originated from India by the 7^th century. The  name chess was derived from the ancient Indian game of chaturanga which translates into four divisions (of the military) ‘infantry, cavalry, elephantry and chariotry’. These forms are represented by the pieces eventually evolved into the modern pawn, knight, bishop and rook respectively. Over a period of time, chess game became popular and today its one of the popular sports which is played in almost all countries.

My favourite indoor game is chess. I like it because it is very exciting to play this game which requires lot of planning and strategy to eventually trap the opposition. My school teacher Mrs. Shabana ma’am introduced me to the world of chess. When I started playing chess, I felt that it was related to life, as  every movement in chess, like life, is valuable and needs careful planning. In real life we can’t go back after making a decision. Similarly in chess if you are not focused you might lose your chance to win. Sometimes I feel that, chess is  like an army, where the queen has the most power, but the king is the most important piece. There are knights, bishops’ rooks and eight pawns all aimed at protecting the king. The main aim of chess is to eliminate the pieces of the opponent using different strategies. It is a game in which you get to move your pieces logically or using a strategy.

In chess we must think 5 steps forward before making a move. Chess is a useful game for children as it helps in building up our mental abilities. It is played on a chessboard having 64 squares. We have to arrange our pieces in a certain order and then start playing. While playing we must kill the pieces of the opponent and try to block or surround the king to make a checkmate. Each player will get 16 pieces, either of white or of black. There will be 8 pawns, 2 rooks, 2 knights, 2 bishops’, 1 queen, and a king. If the king is white it would be placed on a black square and vice versa. The pawn is the least powerful piece while the queen is the most powerful piece.

In chess, I feel like each piece indicates a person who tries think and act in a certain way. Pawn is like a soldier trying to defend itself and move wisely, when it reaches the edge it becomes a powerful person. Some people live like a pawn, as they sacrifice and dedicate their life for others. Pawns could only move forward and kill sideways, it could only take 1 step each time, except while starting.  However, a pawn is  also a weak piece and could easily be targeted because of its limitations in moves.

The knight is the 4^th most powerful piece. In real life it is like a person who tries to overcome different obstacles by jumping over it. It is the only piece that can jump over another piece, it moves in the pattern of the letter ‘L’.

The bishop is the 3^rd most powerful piece . It is like a person who chooses to take a shortcut and reach its goal easily. It can only move diagonally. Two bishops would never meet each other as a bishop could only move diagonally on the same colour.

The rook is the 2^nd most powerful piece and resembles a castle. It can move vertically and horizontally. Some times I feel it is like a person who always thinks straight forward.

The queen is the most powerful piece of a chessboard, as it could move in any direction freely, without taking single steps.  It could kill any piece of the chessboard, but we must use it carefully and wisely. In our society we can see that some people would take the best way to reach their goal. Sometimes it may be straight forward like a rook or by taking a shortcut like a bishop. Such people could become the most powerful person.

And finally the king. It doesn’t have much power but  is the most important piece of the chessboard, which needs protection. The king is important because, if the king got eliminated, then the opponent gains victory. King can move in any direction but only one step each time. In real life also a king is powerful when he has his full army with him, but when his army falls, he looses his power and throne.

My Favourite chess player is Viswanathan Anand. He was a former Indian chess grandmaster and former world champion.  He was the person who brought India to the world of chess. He became the first grandmaster from India in 1988 and was also the first winner of the Rajiv Gandhi khel ratna award (India’s highest sporting honour).

International chess day is celebrated on July 20, the day the international chess federation was founded (FIDE). It was first celebrated on 1966. The idea was first proposed by UNESCO.  The objective is to further  popularise the game. Chess is the only game were silence speaks louder. It teaches you to be be patient and and how to take decisions independently and wisely.

“The highest art of the chess player lies in not allowing your opponent to show you what he can do” – Garry Kasparov.