A Short History Of Chess

by Henry A. Davidson

""A Short History of Chess"" by Henry A. Davidson is a concise and informative book that traces the origins and evolution of the game of chess. The book begins by examining the earliest known versions of chess, which originated in India over a thousand years ago, and then follows the game as it spread to Persia, the Islamic world, and eventually Europe. Along the way, the book explores the various changes and innovations that have been made to the game over the centuries, such as the introduction of new pieces and the development of new strategies and tactics. The book also delves into the cultural and social significance of chess, examining its role in literature, art, and politics. Overall, ""A Short History of Chess"" provides a fascinating and comprehensive overview of one of the world's most enduring and beloved games.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Chess

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 1981

About the author

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Chess

Reviews

[Farid Medleg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rigorously researched, which isn't surprising coming from a physician writing about a hobby. It does, however, have that old-timey scientific flavor of "I'm not citing most of my sources so you won't be able to tell what's fact and what's opinion." Nonetheless, charming book, if a little tedious.

[Ayaan Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I picked it up at a secondhand book sale at the Allentown City Center Chess Club during the 14th annual David Elliott Memorial Cup Tournament.

My favorite part of this book was how it effectively and accurately traced back the etymology of chess from ancient Sanskrit to Persian and Arabic and so on.

My only real complaint is that it uses antiquated terms for Muslims, like “Mohammedans.” That being said, I recognize that this book was published during the 1950s and that was the commonly accepted term at the time.