Not quite ready for the ultimate challenge of Beyond Chess?

We understand. Beyond Chess is not for the weak of heart and the faint of spirit. Standard chess is much more forgiving and also has that nostalgic aspect that some players will cling to 'til their king is pried from their cold dead hand.

Here's a brief history of traditional chess with a look Beyond Chess into the future of the game, and some links to some traditional chess web sites. Maybe, once you've honed your skills a bit more and built up the nerve, you'll be ready for a real challenge and go Beyond Chess.

A brief History of Chess...

Although, historians cannot agree, it is believed that chess originated in India around 600 A.D., perhaps even earlier. The game spread from Persia to neighboring countries after Arab invaders conquered Persia in the 640's. Chess was brought to Spain by Muslim invaders in the early 700's. By 1000, the game had likely spread through Europe. Around the 1500's, chess began to take on it's modern look as the moves of the game took on their present form.

Fast forward to the present - modern warfare has evolved. Armies no longer form columns and lines to march toward each other on small battlefields for combat, as traditional chess emulates.

Today's battles are fought over vast expanses with ever-changing terrain. Strategy must now take into account, not only how the armies move, but also the effects the battlefield has on them.

So, too, chess has taken a leap forward. Beyond Chess adds a whole new level of strategy to the game, where not only must you worry about the armies, but also the board on which they fight. Players move a piece, then a square. As the game presses on, the terrain on which it's played reshapes itself over and over. Paths to victory one moment become traps of defeat the next.

Once you've played Beyond Chess, you'll wonder why it hasn't been played this way all along.

A few Chess links - come visit us again when you think you're ready to go Beyond Chess!

www.uschess.org - Official site of the U.S. Chess Federation, the officially sanctioned body over the board tournament play in the U.S.

www.chesscenter.com - The Week in Chess online weekly digest.

www.chessclub.com - Internet chess club with thousands of members.
 

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