Chess

In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Chess! If you've been watching The Queen's Gambit, this episode is for you. We haven't been watching (too busy studying for finals *eyeroll*), but we still thought that this would be a great topic. And it was! As with many things, chess has a long history that really jumps all over the world. The true origins of chess are in India around the 7th century, but the chess-as-we-know-it today comes from England, all the way fast-forwarded to the 1850s! Thanks Howard Staunton for a ringing endorsement. Did they actually use an ancient Scottish chess set in a Harry Potter movie? Come on, definitely not, but also maybe yes. If you have insight, let us knowwww. This one had all kinds of twists and turns... chaturanga becoming chess, counselors becoming queens, and elephants becoming bishops. If that sounds wild to you, you BET it is!! That's chess for ya.

 

Highlights include: 

- The Queen used to be a Counselor!

- The Bishop used to be an Elephant!

- Why "Checkmate" = "The King is Dead"