Y896 Viva CD-sol

Brief notes on the history of Chess

By Bill Wall

Year	Event
0531	India; chess was introduced into Persia from India during reign of Khusrau Nushirwan. (531-578).
0550	Chaturanga, the earliest chess precursor is created in the Punjab.
0570	China; form of chess being played in China using dice.
0570	Fables of Pilpay written for Khusraw-I Nushirawan (531-578).
0570	Muhammad born in Mecca.
0575	Affan; Uthman ibn Affan born. Muhammad’s son-in-law.
0581	Umar-I (Omar ibn al-Khattab) born. 2^nd caliph. (ibn means ‘son of’).
0590	Chatrang became an accepted noble accomplishment.
0590	Khusraw II Parwiz, Sasanian King of Persia, comes to power.

Year	Event
0600	Chaturanga reached Persia.
0600	Karnamak; the first reference to chess in literature, the Persian romantic Karnamak.
0600	Vasav; Chessmen mentioned in the Sanskrit fantasy romance, ‘Vasavadatta’ by Subandhu.
0602	Muawiyah-I born. Governor of Syria.
0606	Sanskrit; chess mentioned in a Sanskrit romance.
0610	Earliest chess pieces identified.
0610	Muhammad starts to preach.
0619	Talib; Abu Talib, Muhammad’s uncle, died.
0620	Egypt; chess introduced in Egypt.
0624	Hasan, Ali’s son, born.
0625	Chaturanga mentioned in the Sanskrit, Harshacharita, by Bana.
0626	Husayn, Ali’s second son, born.
0628	Parwiz; Khusraw II Parwiz dies; ‘Karnamak’ written under his reign.
0630	Chatrang (old Persian word for chess) developed from Chaturanga.
0632	Allah; Rasul Allah (successor to the Messenger of God) was new name for Abu Bakr.
0632	Bakr; Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law, elected in Medina to lead. 1^st caliph.
0632	Muhammad died. .06.08
0634	Bakr; Abu Bakr died.
0634	Umar I becomes 2^nd caliph.
0638	Islamic conquest of Persia changes Chatrang to Shatranj.
0638	Omar; the Caliph Omar sanctions chess among the Islamic people.
0638	Persia; start of the conquest of Persia.
0640	Buddhists spread Chatrang eastward.
0643	Omar born al-Khattab, father-in-law of Muhammad, asked if chess was legal?
0644	Affan; Uthman ibn Affan becomes 3^rd caliph.
0644	Umar-I died.
0650	Chatrang-Namak; short romance written in Persian, ‘Chatrang-namak’, describing chess.
0651	Arabic conquest of Persia completed; Shatranj popular.
0655	Talib; Caliph Ali Ben Abu Talib, son-in-law of Muhammad, disapproved of chess for Muslims.
0656	Affan; Uthman ibn Affan assassinated in Medina by troops from Iraq and Egypt.
0656	Muawiyah does not recognize Ali. First Umayyad caliph.
0656	Talib; Ali ibn Abu Talib, cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad becomes 4^th caliph. Shiite.
0657	Rival parties meet to arbitrate dispute of successor.
0661	Hasan claimed caliph, but abdicated later.
0661	Muawiyah, first Umayyad (caravan merchants) Caliph, comes to power.  Moves from Medina to Damascas.
0661	Talib; Ali ibn Abu Talib assassinated.
0665	Al-Asi; Amr ibn al-Asi, Muslim general and conqueror of Egypt died.  Chess player.
0665	Jubair; Sa’id Bin Jubair born. First to play blindfold.