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bombur · 12-11-2002, 09:55 AM

There are many inconcistencies in tech and inventions in ME that in my opinion clearly prove that it is NOT our world (a parallel world perhaps and logical one in my opinion). Theese include for example mechanical clocks coexisting with scalemail armor and matches preceeding gunpowder weapons. So the precense of chess is rather meaningless nuance.

But chess. Ah. As a stratgegy game enthusiast, I must point out certain things to you.

There are many more or less ancient strategic games played in diferent types of boards. The Irish game also therefore needs not be chess. There is one ancient African game I never learned, but which seems to be related to checkers. There is old European game called snakes and ladders which I have never seen. There is the Roman "tabula" game, which is the modern backgammon. There is the chineese-korean-japaneese game of Go, which is encirclement strategy game of white and black stones in the intersections of lines in a 19*19 board. It is my personal favorite. The Irish game may just be one of theese many inventions.

Modern chess is said to be invented in persia about thousand years ago or so. However this use of the word modern is decieving. We might as well say that the european chess is invented there and then. For chess is not. If I remember this right, the chineese chess XIANGI has 8*8 board like our chess, with river crossing it between the 4th and 5th row between the black and white army. However the game is played in the intersections of the lines, so that the game practically has 9*8 playable intersections excluding the river. I think it has as units 2 cannons, 2 cavalry(knights), 2 elephants, 2 bodyguards 5 pawns and a king. Cannons move like rooks, but only take a piece or check if they can jump over another piece. Bodyguards move like a king. Neither them nor king may leave 9 intersection "stronghold" on their own side. Elephants can move two intersections diagonally, but may not cross the river. Pawns move one forward and take a piece IN FRONT OF THEM. I remember xiangi a bit uncertainly, but I think this was how it went. Japaneese chess SHOGI on the other hand has 9*9 board, game is played in the squares and there is no river. The pieces are in classical shogi 9 pawns (that move like in XIANGI), two lances (rook that can only move forward), two cavalries (a knight that can only move forward), Two silver generals (that can move one step to every direction diagonally and forward), two golden generals (that can move one step to every difrection in straight line and to both forward diagonal directions) and a king. Any piece reaching the last three lines of squares in the opponent side becomes a gold general. A piece taken is never removed from the game but instead becomes a "drop piece" that the one taking it may drop to any vacant square on the board and use as ones own. It may even be dropped in front of the opponents king to check. The pieces are flat chips of identical color, and the side of them is determined by the alignment of their narrow end.

So as you see we really do not know where chess originated from. Games of strategy and intellect are likely as old consept as the mankind and games strongly resembling chess propably arose immediately following the first battles between armies organised in two opposing lines.

[ December 11, 2002: Message edited by: bombur ]

12-11-2002, 09:55 AM	#15
bombur Wight Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: finland Posts: 126	There are many inconcistencies in tech and inventions in ME that in my opinion clearly prove that it is NOT our world (a parallel world perhaps and logical one in my opinion). Theese include for example mechanical clocks coexisting with scalemail armor and matches preceeding gunpowder weapons. So the precense of chess is rather meaningless nuance. But chess. Ah. As a stratgegy game enthusiast, I must point out certain things to you. There are many more or less ancient strategic games played in diferent types of boards. The Irish game also therefore needs not be chess. There is one ancient African game I never learned, but which seems to be related to checkers. There is old European game called snakes and ladders which I have never seen. There is the Roman "tabula" game, which is the modern backgammon. There is the chineese-korean-japaneese game of Go, which is encirclement strategy game of white and black stones in the intersections of lines in a 1919 board. It is my personal favorite. The Irish game may just be one of theese many inventions. Modern chess is said to be invented in persia about thousand years ago or so. However this use of the word modern is decieving. We might as well say that the european chess is invented there and then. For chess is not. If I remember this right, the chineese chess XIANGI has 88 board like our chess, with river crossing it between the 4th and 5th row between the black and white army. However the game is played in the intersections of the lines, so that the game practically has 98 playable intersections excluding the river. I think it has as units 2 cannons, 2 cavalry(knights), 2 elephants, 2 bodyguards 5 pawns and a king. Cannons move like rooks, but only take a piece or check if they can jump over another piece. Bodyguards move like a king. Neither them nor king may leave 9 intersection "stronghold" on their own side. Elephants can move two intersections diagonally, but may not cross the river. Pawns move one forward and take a piece IN FRONT OF THEM. I remember xiangi a bit uncertainly, but I think this was how it went. Japaneese chess SHOGI on the other hand has 99 board, game is played in the squares and there is no river. The pieces are in classical shogi 9 pawns (that move like in XIANGI), two lances (rook that can only move forward), two cavalries (a knight that can only move forward), Two silver generals (that can move one step to every direction diagonally and forward), two golden generals (that can move one step to every difrection in straight line and to both forward diagonal directions) and a king. Any piece reaching the last three lines of squares in the opponent side becomes a gold general. A piece taken is never removed from the game but instead becomes a "drop piece" that the one taking it may drop to any vacant square on the board and use as ones own. It may even be dropped in front of the opponents king to check. The pieces are flat chips of identical color, and the side of them is determined by the alignment of their narrow end. So as you see we really do not know where chess originated from. Games of strategy and intellect are likely as old consept as the mankind and games strongly resembling chess propably arose immediately following the first battles between armies organised in two opposing lines. [ December 11, 2002: Message edited by: bombur ]