How to play shatranj, the ancient form of chess, played by Persians, Arabs and Europeans, before the advent of modern international chess.
How to Play Ancient Chess – Shatranj
How to play shatranj, the ancient form of chess, played by Persians, Arabs and Europeans, before the advent of modern international chess.
Thanks for your question. The particular set in the video is made of plastic and in my own collection since I've never seen another like it. Got it on eBay a few years ago, listed as 'very weird chess set'. BUT I do sell some very similar sets made of wood (but I don't have them listed yet – sorry, working on that). I also have a smaller set (now listed) which is a replica of a 9th c. set dug up in Nishapur, Pursia (Iran). AncientChess com
@5tonyww I believe that Latrunculi was around before this chess version. The question of if Latrunculi is really an older style of chess, or if it should be classified as something different could be debated. Latrunculi was around since ancient rome, and has been mentioned in texts as early as 100 BC. There were only two types of pieces: pawns, and one king per player. Captures were made by surrounding opponents pieces, and the object was to immobilize the opponent's king.
Still like the popular European variant? Of course, one game does not substitute for the other. Those who delve into the ancient world will discover a wealth of games and puzzles by grandmasters of this ancient form of chess. It existed in this form for almost a millennium. Our modern game has a few centuries yet to catch up…
Reply to Kersey475: There have been many variations of pawn promotion in the long history of this game. Most basic is that the pawn becomes a queen upon reaching the 18 rank (thus is enabled to move one space diagonally – not a powerful move). In some circles, the pawn became the piece of whichever file it was in (i.e., pawn on the knight square became a knight – but with exception for the king square)…these are only 2 possibilities. I have never seen Raumschach but would love to learn more…
@Kersey475 Thanks, I Wiki'd it. Looks like a great game. I wonder how we could make a good playing set for that.
Love the videos and I hope to get the Jungle board as a gift soon. Anyway, it seems there is another difference between European Chess and Shatranj–it looks as though the king and advisor (or queen) do not face each other in Shatranj as they do in Chess. Is that correct? It looks like white's king is on the white player's left side and not his right as it would be in Chess. Also, any chance on making/selling boards for Tafl (Tablut, Tawlbrwdd, etc.)?
@HnefataflModern Thanks for the good comments! Yes, well observed: the kings do not start out facing each other as they do in our modern game. This is one of the things that was quick to change, as the game went from one place to another, but the arrangement you see here is the one most generally used. It is still the norm in modern Thai chess. I would like to have a version of Hnefatafl one of these days … it's on the project list — stay tuned!
Hello Rick,
I love your brilliant web site. Shatranj is my all time favourite chess variant. It has a less abstract feel than chess and has a realistic taste of a battle simulation in my opinion. But I believe this set up in this video is for "chaturanga", the Indian predecessor of shatranj. In shatranj kings face each other. The two are essentially the same game, except for some promotion rules (and that knight's move option for the king). The rules in your rule book are correct though.
Thanks for your message. Upon review of my source books, I see that you are correct: all my books have this game, under the name Shatranj, with kings and queens facing each other as they do in modern chess. Sorry for my confusion! It may be a while before I can update my many publications to reflect this difference.
even though i don't play any of the chess, sure do like to hear you explaining them (Y)
Thanks for the comment. It is often said that this old form of chess moved too slowly for many players, which was the reason so many cultures created quicker ways of opening the game and getting things moving. Including of course our familiar 'European' form which has the powerful queen and bishop.
I heard the king can make a knight's move only once in the entire game at any time, not necessarily just from the starting point.
Yes, there are many variations, including the one you are describing. I do not remember where and when that king's special knight move was reported, but it gives him very interesting power. In particular, if he has never used his knight move, and the other player has, he could use his king to check or even checkmate the opposing king. There has been a more widespread rule which allows the king to move once like a knight, but only from his starting square.
I've played shatranj a few times. The differences between it and modern chess are quite interesting. The game does take longer but is nonetheless engaging. Hans Bodelander, I think, once suggested a "modern shatranj" variant which ended up restoring most of orthodox chess to shatranj, but the only variable I'd go with is modifying the Elephant's move to give it an optional one-square diagonal move to improve its tactical value on the board and otherwise leave existing shatranj rules intact.
The Chinese argue Chinese Chess 😉
There are a few conflicting views. No one knows for certain — chess existed before anyone was objectively writing about it. I'm doing some research on the subject … stay tuned to Ancient Chess for new revelations!
However chess may have first come about, it is widely accepted that Go preceded chess by several centuries. It's the oldest board game still popularly played today. … but chess is kind of special in it's own way. Don't you think?
nice piece of art. The elephant reminds me of the one from chinese chess also 3 pace diagonally.
That is only in Chaturanga.
How do you mean?
Yes, the two must be from the same origin. Exactly how this game arose in Persia and India, and xiangqi arose in China is a bit of a mystery.
The kin can move like a knight once per game in Chaturanga, not Shatranj.
The king's knight leap is a very interesting phenomenon which has appeared in many places, for centuries. It was often used in the shatranj of medieval Europe, and is still used in the Ouk of Cambodia. The queen leaping two spaces forward has a similar widespread popularity. While chess authors strive to give general-use accurate accounts, the details of regional conventions have always been variable. They only become unified when an official organization sets them down (like FIDE).
So in this version of chess: the knight is more valuable than the bishop and the rooks are the most powerful pieces.
That's absolutely right. Throughout most of chess history, the rook has always been the strongest piece, and the knight here is the second most powerful. It is only in Europe, around the turn of the 16th century (1500) that the queen was given such devastating power. "Chess of the Mad (or Rabid) Queen" they called it. Because of Europe's power in the world, that form of chess spread along with other European conventions.
If a pawn gets to the end of the board, can you exchange it for a rook?
No, it only promotes to a 'queen', which is a very weak piece in this game
I guess chess is essentially blitz Shatranj.
When the modern chess came out, it was called 'chess of the mad (or rabid) queen'. It really was a wild change and, surprisingly, it moved through Europe very quickly, replacing the rules that had been in place for centuries, within about 2 generations.
So it was believed that ancient chess originated in either India or Persia. The Europeans modified it because it was too slow and took a while to finish the game. By allowing Castling, pawns moving 2 spaces on its initial move, en passant capturing, and by giving the Bishop more range and the Queen a lot more power…Chess, the way it is played now became more interesting and popular.
Yeah, that's basically it … although, it was pretty popular in the old style also. Chess had already spread all over Europe; then when the 'new chess' came along, it replaced the old chess throughout Europe, within about 2 generations. Same name, same piece and board, with new rules.
it's funny cuz shatranj means chess ( international chess to be specific) in arabic
I think the rook used to be 180 to this so that points were behind/infront. When the pieces were first abstracted the peaks were of uneven height with I believe the highest at the back. the back peak was for the rider and the lower front one for the horses. Later I believe the shape was reinterpeted by some as being two horses side by side and so logically repositioned by half a turn and the peaks made of equal height and shape.
Let me take a moment and thank you a lotttt…. Seriously thank you so much for this video. I was thinking if i would ever will be able to know how satrang used to look or was played…..and…..then I see this video. I am in all the awe and amazed. I never ever thought i would see an actual satrang and explained in such good video of such such good quality. Thank you so much sir. I cant thank you enough seriously. I dont know what to say. Still having said that please excuse me..i will become ashamed and take the opportunity to ask you…..WERE DID YOU GET THIS SIR????? Can i have a similar one please please please. Pls let me know. I ll wait for you reply eagerly. And before i leave thank thank thank you so much….I dont know wht to say
the white elephant looks like butt cheeks
I reckon the 3D printer will have an interesting effect on folks accessing some very nice chess sets..
Strikingly similar to modern western chess.
Great video !
Where can you buy this set ?
YouTuber Tony J mentions that the word Shatranj is still the word for chess in Arabic, now referring to modern chess. In the West, we generally use the word to refer to the old chess, known from when the word 'shatranj' first came into use. In a more general sense, this is simply the 'ancient' chess, as chess was played throughout the West and Middle East before the new rules that we still use today came into effect. Every language has its own word for it.
I finally got HJR Murray's book on ebook. That book and your website a pretty much the only sources I have on the game. I am highly considering doing a paper on chess history for one of my classes.
sha tranj + 2cannon is xiangqi in8×8sq.
hi dear ,i watched ur video,thx for uploading,
i like to play chess in different variation,this SHATRANJ is our ancient game of INDIANS,,i wanna buy ur this pieces n board ,how i can?
hv u made any video on CHATURANGA game ,,
Chopat game ,,pachisi game ,,these are indian game,,ALL D BEST ,,
I play this game a lot at school with a friend of mine. Its very fun.
anciantchess new variasion of chess fjkk cbm ชุดหมากรุกสงครามโลก
so what is the variance of the castling?
i am arab egyption
yes as you said we still play it but we now using the modern pieces instead of that old one but there is crown instead of cross or we remove it because it is a game not a religious war
all alright as you said but
1 the elephant like the modern
2the prime minister is like the modern i dont know if they were as you said in the past or you are wrong
the moving of solders is still not pushed but if you want you can move two pieces in the first move only
you are wrong about the name of queen it the prime minister surely
the name of castle is tabia means the moving tower of war
the king is called the leader or ruler not king
there is no castling
notice that the chess game is transfered to europe through the muslims and arab traders so it is the direct source of the modern one after european changed its name and put the cross and named it be religious names hhhhhhhhhhhhh in the middle centeries you know
There isn't that much difference between Shatranj and the original ancient game, Chaturanga, from where Shatranj and everything else was derived.
Cool video. I really like some of these old chess variants. Traditional chess is so regimented, and I dont have the patients to study all the damn moves and gambits.
Very clear and succinct video. Heading over to your website now!
is there anywhere online I can play ancient chess ?