There are many theories about where and when chess originated, including some that suggest it is thousands of years old. Perhaps some form of it does date back to ancient times.
The best evidence indicates that chess originated in India around 600 A.D. It spread rapidly through Asia, and was cultivated by the Arabs who in turn introduced it to the territories they had conquered. In time it spread to Spain, Italy, France and other European countries.
Since the late eighteenth century the popularity chess has increased dramatically, especially with the introduction of matches and tournaments. It has been said that there is more literature devoted to chess than for all other games combined.
For a sumarised history of development of the KChess program read the KChess versions page, and for a detailed list of all changes see the changes file.
Published by ARK ANGLES