Chess is perhaps one of the oldest games in town (or village). Everyone should remember it in some way or other - even if it’s just as a few confusing moments trying to understand how to play it before you gave up.
It’s a game that has two players, played on a checkered 64 square chess board, and of course has 16 characters named after courtly roles - one queen, one king, two bishops, two knights, two rooks and eight pawns. The objective of the game is to take control or “checkmate” your opponents king.
My first memory of this game is being continuously and roundly beaten by my uncle who seemed to enjoy robbing me of my optimism or faith in my own abilities, piece by humiliating piece.
The game is in some ways like checkers or backgammon in it’s origins, and shares the same board as checkers. but it first appeared in it’s present form around the 15th century by all accounts.
Famously, the use of computers to play chess was one of the first uses of the machines, but it took until 1997 for deep blue to famously beat Gary Kasparov the reigning world chess champion. I remember that being a big news item on “Newsround” with John Craven.
Do You Remember Chess?
Do You Remember Chess?