An international
game now, it is widely believed that this game of minds originated in India. Known as an
intellectual game, chess is actually a game of war strategy.Played with thirty-two
pieces over a board of sixty-four squares, it is a game between two - each player
represented by 16 pieces. One set of 16 pieces makes one warring team. As in war, there
are soldiers or pawns at the forefront, followed by the King and the Queen with their
trustees.
The metaphor of war with warring soldiers, kings, queens and their trustees
depicted in three dimensions, led to artistic creation of the pieces in numerous ways and
styles. Each piece in itself became a subject for the carvers. The two warring teams were
often represented as two different ideologies, religious or political. These pieces were
also used to depict all sorts of historical events, uprising, rebellions, etc.
Chess sets were, and are, created using all kinds of materials, including wood,
sandalwood, ivory, metals, semi-precious stones, etc. A huge collection the world-over,
chess sets have almost become pieces of arts. One such creation, the largest chess set in
the world, carved out of sandalwood, is displayed in the IHE Museum.
An international
game now, it is widely believed that this game of minds originated in India. Known as an
intellectual game, chess is actually a game of war strategy.
