Sat, 18 Apr 2026 05:10:29 +0000

You Won’t Believe How This Ancient Game Changed the Way We Play Chaturanga If you’ve ever played chess, you’ve indirectly stepped onto the legacy of one of history’s oldest board games—Chaturanga. Long before modern chess became a global obsession, this ancient Indian game laid the foundational rules and strategic principles that shaped the chess we know today. From its origins over 1,500 years ago to its transformation into global variants like chess, shatranj, and beyond, Chaturanga isn’t just a relic of the past—it’s the soul of strategic gameplay that still captivates millions. ### The Origins of Chaturanga: Where It All Began Chaturanga emerged in India during the Gupta Empire, around the 6th century CE. Unlike modern chess, it was played with an eight-stone setup on an 8x8 grid, resembling today’s chessboard. Each piece—infantry, cavalry, elephantry, chariots, horses,plied, and kings—mirrored real ancient warfare roles, embodying military strategy in a compact, competitive format. The name “Chaturanga” itself means “four divisions” in Sanskrit, reflecting its four core unit types.