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Sathurangam': A Window Into Classical Tamizh Through Contemporary Chess
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The modern game, largely unchanged in the past couple of centuries, has been through its fair share of iterations as it spread from India to the rest of the world.
'Kal thondri, man thondra kaalathe, mun thondriya mutha tamizh.'
Man arrived at the modern iteration of the game consumed worldwide today in its contemporary form came to be through a long trial in the annals of time.
While the existing rules of traditional classical chess haven't undergone major changes in recent centuries, possibly since the addition of 'El Passant' circa the 13th century, modern chess is a resultant of multiple iterations birthed in various parts of the globe.
Stemming from the peninsular nation, the Arabs took a shine to the game of strategy, bringing it to home territory before it spread to Europe and further on out.
In its ancient Indian form, chess or 'Chathuranga' represented the four units of military at a side's disposal, namely infantry, cavalry, elephants, chariots, in addition to a general or a counsellor, and of course, the king.
The Persians, who adopted the game in the name of 'Chatrang', went along with the Indian design, opting to call it using the local tongue.
The King was 'Shah', the advisor became Wazir, elephantry was termed 'Pil', the cavalry came to be known as 'Asp', the chariot became 'Rokh', and the infantry went by the call 'Piadeh'.
As the game spread to the wider Islamic world following the conquest of Persia by the Rashidun Caliphate, the game was endorsed by the name 'Shatranj', labelling the game after the Emperor. There were minor linguistic changes in the nomenclature of the pieces as the Wazir became 'Firzan' and the Pil was sounded 'Fil'.
Remodelling of the counsellor to the queen and elephant evolution
With the influx of the game into Europe, it underwent a seismic change as the Elephant evolved to the 'Bishop' with an extended reach to the ends of its diagonal range, and the Vizir was upgraded to the modern 'Queen', bestowed with the near-free-flowing motion of the 'Nine-Point Piece'.
Nathaniel Cook's introduction of chess as we know it has endured the test of time with the famous Howard Stauton's design striking a chord with the world.
Getting Local, Madras Edition
While chess is known by the name Sathurangam, more traditional versions prefer the term 'Vallu Palagai', with the pieces taking the name 'Vallu Kaigal'.
'Raja': King
The almighty piece on the board, anointed to determine the outcome of the battle, has been the protagonist of the 64 squares since the inception of the game. While some point to the limited range of movement of the piece, it is perhaps what we have come to know as the royal treatment.
With the ability to move one space in any direction the ruler deems fit, the nucleus of the game around which the game is built has been the most notable insignia of the board.
'Rani': Queen And the modern 'Mandhiri' or 'Pillai': Bishop
Now, this is where it gets a bit tricky.
Essentially, the most powerful weapon in the armoury, the Queen, as we know the utilitarian piece today, was formerly described as the 'Manthiri' or the advisor with the prescription to move a piece diagonally.
The 'Manthiri's' linguistic journey to 'Wazir', then 'Firz' and the ultimate evolution into the queen, places it as one of the most altered, yet coveted, pieces on the board.
With the metamorphosis of the Queen complete, the Elephantry, which could move diagonally, even bypassing pieces in its path, became the Bishop, or the modern 'Mandhiri', with similar diagonal activity but devoid of the ability to go around standard pieces.
The elephantry, in its Indian iteration had the ability to move two squares, no more or less diagonally or in front and behind, while the Persians withheld the front and back motion. However, both versions permitted it to jump over pieces stalled in between.
The Southeast Asians preferred to go with their elephantry to move a single space diagonally or forward, modelling after the trunk of an elephant.
The bishop also goes by 'Pillai' in region home to multiple Chess Grandmasters
'Kudhirai': Knight
Modelled after the cavalry force, marked for its swift approach in battle, the iconic 'L-jump' has withstood the test of time. One of the most versatile pieces on the board, the embodiment of the army of horses, serves as an idiosyncratic feature of the game.
The differential, if you will.
From 'Ratham' (Chariot) To 'Yaanai' (Elephant)
The modern rook's origins can be traced back to the chariot unit that could operate in exactly the manner in which we understand as of the day. However, through time, the legion came to be represented as the 'Yaanai'.
The indefinite horizontal or vertical range of the Rook has been retained as such since inception, with the piece's impact on end games in particular etching a mark for itself in the sport's trope.
'Sipai', 'Paadhai': Pawn
The archetypal indicator of the infantry legion, the frontline warriors, which has the ability to move a couple of spaces on initiation of its ascent up the board, but only one thereafter, initially started out with the licence to move just the single square originally.
The ability of the pawn to capture an opposition piece diagonally forward has sustained since inception, but has been granted the authority to be promoted to any piece as the player seem befitting in the modern era in contrast to the original permission to be elevated to the status of the Queen alone.
And in a nod to reality, the development story of a Sipai to Rani, remains chess' styling of a rags to riches story.
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Would you look at that! You just learned some Tamizh!
And I, some chess!
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Chess India
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Chennai, India, India
First Published:
August 10, 2025, 08:02 IST
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