On July 20 we celebrate the International Chess Day. On this date in 1924, the World Chess Federation FIDE was founded in Paris, recalls pronewsdobrich.bg.
FIDE is an international structure that is made up of national chess organizations. Responsible for organizing international tournaments, Chess Olympiads and World Chess Championships. In addition, it calculates the personal rating of ELO chess players, determines the new chess rules, gives the titles of master, international master and grandmaster, as well as appoints the judges.
The word shah comes from Persian and means emperor, and the word mat means dead. Whoever kills the opposing emperor (king) wins the game.
There are many legends, theories and notions about the origin of the game, with India, Persia and even China being most often mentioned as its homeland. An exact date cannot be determined, but assumptions are for the period from the 3rd to the 6th century. The most likely Indian origin, as a derivative of the game of chess. With the different properties (movements of the figures and their placement), the game reflected the composition and properties of the then Indian army, formed by four parts: elephants, battle towers, horses and infantry. From India it also spread to Persia. After conquering the last of the Arabs, they brought it to Europe – first in the southern regions of Spain, which was then part of the Arab Caliphate.
Around 1200, the rules of chess began to be modified in southern Europe, and around 1475 several major changes shaped the game as it is known today. These modern rules for basic moves have been adopted in Italy and Spain. Pawns gain the right to advance two squares on their first move, while officers and ladies gain their modern abilities. The queen replaces the earlier chess piece “vizier“ towards the end of the 10th century, and by the 15th century it became the strongest figure.
These new rules quickly spread throughout Western Europe, with the exception of the putt rules, which were finalized in the early 19th century. To distinguish it from its ancestors, this version of the rules is sometimes referred to as “Western Chess” or “international chess“.
With the onset of the 19th century, the chess organization developed rapidly. Many chess clubs, chess books and chess magazines appeared. Correspondence matches are held between cities; for example, the London Chess Club played against the Edinburgh Chess Club in 1824.
The first modern chess tournament was held in London in 1851