Chess is a board game with a very long history. It can be traced back to the 6th-century Indian game caturanga (Sanskrit for "four military divisions"), which spread first to Persia and then via the Arab world to Europe.
By the 10th century it was widespread in Europe, but the rules of the game as played today weren't settled until the 15th century.
The name "chess" comes from the Persian word for king, shah, and the phrase "check mate", which is what you say when you've trapped the opponent's king, comes from the Persian for the "king is dead".
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