The game of chess is thought to have originated in what is now northern India or Afganistan sometime before 6OO AD: the oldest written references to chess date from then, but there are unverified claims that chess existed as early as 100 AD. Interest in chess followed early trade routes out of India. One variation of chess (called Shogi) is now popular in Japan; another variation is played in China. Many local variations in chess rules persist even today in isolated rural areas, for example in India.The first international chess tournament was the London Tourney of 1851, won by Adolf Anderssen of Germany, who then became known UNOFFICIALLY as the world's best chess player, though he did not receive any award or title.
The first great American-born chess player was Paul Morphy, of Irish ancestry, who lived in the civil war er
a. He travelled to Europe in the 185O's, beating all challengers, including Adolf Anderssen. However, the English champion of the time (Staunton) refused to play, so Morphy never became a world chess champ.The first OFFICIAL championship chess tournament was played in 1866, also in London, with sandclocks to restrict the length of a game. This tournament was won by Steinitz, a Bohemian (Czechoslovakian) Jew, who then became the world's first OFFICIAL chess champion, holding this title until 1894.
Emanuel Lasker, an American born in Germany, also Jewish, became champion by defeating Steinitz
, remaining champion until 1921, at which time Jose Capablanca, a Cuban, took the title until 1927. Many people today consider Capablanca as one of the top 3 chess players who ever lived, the others being Morphy and Bobby Fischer. Fischer is still alive and recently played another former world champion (Boris Spassky) in Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Fischer, shown to the right at about age 14, when he became US champion, is the first native-born U.S. citizen to have held the title of World Chess Champ.
, remaining champion until 1921, at which time Jose Capablanca, a Cuban, took the title until 1927. Many people today consider Capablanca as one of the top 3 chess players who ever lived, the others being Morphy and Bobby Fischer. Fischer is still alive and recently played another former world champion (Boris Spassky) in Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Fischer, shown to the right at about age 14, when he became US champion, is the first native-born U.S. citizen to have held the title of World Chess Champ.Since 1927, 
most good chess players have been citizens of the former USSR, and include: Anatoli Karpov, and Gary Kasparov.A dispute over tournament procedures between Kasparov and the international chess organization F.I.D.E. had resulted effectively in TWO world co-champions: Karpov and Kasparov. Recently, however, Vishy Anand (bottom right) has won the F.I.D.E. championship and is seen by most as the world's chess champ
most good chess players have been citizens of the former USSR, and include: Anatoli Karpov, and Gary Kasparov.A dispute over tournament procedures between Kasparov and the international chess organization F.I.D.E. had resulted effectively in TWO world co-champions: Karpov and Kasparov. Recently, however, Vishy Anand (bottom right) has won the F.I.D.E. championship and is seen by most as the world's chess champ