Chess Set

One of the most popular abstract strategy games is the chess. This board game has alternate black and white blocks arranged in 8 rows called ranks and 8 columns called files. The two player game has 8 pawns, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 2 rooks, 1 queen, and 1 king in each team. These 16 pieces have defined directions in which they can move. The ultimate goal of the game is to capture opponent's king. When the king can be captured in the next move by the opponent it is said to be check. After the opponent gives a check the player has one chance to save his king. If there is no escap found, then it is said to be 'checkmate'.

The origins of this game is highly debatable. Many countries claim the origin of chess; however it is commonly thought that chess is originally from India. This is because the Arabic, Greek, Spanish, and Portuguese word for chess has been derived from the Sanskrit word Chaturanga. The original chess from India is known to have only three animals - camel, horse, and elephant, which represent knight, bishop, and brook in modern chess. The Persians have known tohave created more recognizable version of chess, known as the Shatranj.

Today, there are various versions of chess set that are available in the market. There are different materials such as wood, glass, metal, plastic, etc that are used to make the pieces and board. Some chess sets are even considered as collectible items. There are championship tournaments for chess conducted around the globe. The game is so popular that there are organizations, clubs, and institutes built for chess lovers. The game is also available in different electronic formats such as messenger games, online games, computer game, etc.