Chess - Chess has a long and interesting history

Crossword

Chess is a popular strategic board game that has been played for centuries. It originated in northern India or ancient Persia, around the 6th century AD, and quickly spread to the rest of the world. The game has undergone several modifications over the years, but the basic rules and objective remain the same: to checkmate your opponent's king.

The game was introduced to the Western world through the Islamic Empire and quickly became popular among nobles and royalty. In the early days, the pieces had different names and moves, but slowly evolved over time until the 16th century in Europe when it began to resemble the game we know today.

During the 19th century, chess experienced a surge in popularity, thanks to the invention of the printing press and the production of the first commercially available books on the game. The first international chess tournament was held in London in 1851, and the first world championship was held in 1886. The tournament format and time controls used in modern chess were established during this period.

The United States and Russia’s longstanding rivalry peaked during the Cold War years. Chess matches provided a somewhat unlikely means for these two superpowers to fight proxy wars, using their chess champions in battles for intellectual and cultural superiority.

In the 1960s and 70s, chess was a major source of national pride for the Soviet Union. The country's top chess players were seen as ambassadors of Soviet superiority and Soviet chess players were considered the best in the world. In response, the United States began to invest heavily in its own chess program, seeking to prove that American chess players were just as good as their Soviet counterparts. This rivalry reached its peak in the 1970s, with several highprofile matches being played between top players from each country. The matches were widely covered by the media and became major events in the cultural landscape, with each victory being seen as a sign of superiority of one side or the other in the larger struggle between the two nations.

Probably the most famous of these matches was the 1972 World Chess Championship, where American Bobby Fischer defeated Soviet Boris Spassky in a legendary showdown that was seen as a major victory for the US and a significant blow to Soviet prestige. The match was dubbed the "Match of the Century" and its impact was felt far beyond the chess world, with many people viewing it as a symbol of American superiority over the Soviet Union.

In the late 20th century, the popularity of chess reached new heights, thanks to the rise of computers and the development of chess software. The first computer chess program was written in 1951, and the first computer vs. human chess match was held in 1997, in which the computer, Deep Blue, defeated the reigning world champion, Garry Kasparov.

Despite the growth of computer chess, the game continues to be played by millions of people all over the world, both online and offline. Chess clubs and tournaments are held regularly, and the game is taught in schools as a way to improve critical thinking and problemsolving skills.

If you have a chessboard tucked away in a cupboard somewhere, isn’t it time you learned to play?

By Tracey Anderson

Across

1 Nightclub entertainment (7)

4 Strange and frightening (5)

7 System for detecting aircraft (5)

9 Vertical, erect (7)

10 Passivity, paralysis (7)

11 Emperor, king, monarch (5)

12 Tyrannical dictator (6)

14 Priest or religious leader (6)

18 Plentiful (5)

20 Gaunt, exhausted (7)

22 Scottish pouch worn with a kilt (7)

23 Ceremonial headdress (5)

24 Item in a diary, or notebook (5)

25 Spiny Australian egg-laying mammal! (7)

Down

1 Nightclub entertainment (7)

4 Strange and frightening (5)

7 System for detecting aircraft (5)

9 Vertical, erect (7)

10 Passivity, paralysis (7)

11 Emperor, king, monarch (5)

12 Tyrannical dictator (6)

14 Priest or religious leader (6)

18 Plentiful (5)

20 Gaunt, exhausted (7)

22 Scottish pouch worn with a kilt (7)

23 Ceremonial headdress (5)

24 Item in a diary, or notebook (5)

25 Spiny Australian egg-laying mammal! (7)