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Chess spreads from India

c. 600 CE

Chaturanga is the ancestor of chess

Estimated Games · Verified 2026-11-01 · WWV-HS-CU-003

An Indian game called chaturanga, with pieces for infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots, is the ancestor of modern chess. It spread west through Persia.

Dates for the earliest forms are approximate.

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