The Old Texts - Part 3

11^th and 12^th centuries

Another early description of Chess material in Europe. This noble Catalan offered his Chess set to the monastery of Saint-Gilles (probably the one close to Nimes in South of France) on the 12th year of the reign of the King Robert II of France (to whom he was the vassal), on July, 28th, 1008.

This inventory made after the death of Abbot Seniofredo of the Monastery of Ripoll (Province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain) is dated July, 4th, 1008. It mentions "scacos cristallinos XXVIII", which means 28 chess pieces in rock crystal. This inventory was destroyed in a fire in 1835, but a monk named Roc d'Olzinelles had made a copy in 1808 which is kept in the library of the cathedral of Vic (Province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain).

Persian national epic begun by Daqiqi (died in into 975) then finished by Firdawsi in 1011. It is the same story than the "Wizârishn i chatrang", i.e. the arrival of Chatrang to the court of Xusraw
Noshirwân (Nurshirwan) of Persia with an embassy of the king of Kannauj (this town is there explicitly cited by Firdawsi). The wise man which broke the secret of the game is here named Buzurjmihr. The game that Persians sent in return was Nard (although the description of this Nard is rather obscure).
The same book also tells the story of Gau and Talkhand. These two half-brothers disputed the crown of a kingdom including the Cashmere and having Sandali for capital. Gau sought the appeasing but Talkhand was quarrelsome. However it is him which died at the battle he had caused. Their mother, May, was then plunged in a very great sorrow and accused Gau of slaying his brother. In order to explain the war to his mother, Gau invented Chess which she studied night and day without eating until death relieved her sorrow. Surprisingly the rules here described by Firdoussi were a variant of Shatranj with a 10x10 board and the addition of a Camel (Shutur) jumping orthogonally to the 2nd square, between Elephant and Horse.

Arabic prose from ath-Tha'âlibi (961-1038), written between 1017 and 1021, which gives in brief the story of the arrival of Chess at the Persian court and the invention of Nard sent back in India.

This text is a seven volume work attributed to Fujiwara no Yukinari (972-1027). Its title evokes the kirin, a mythical animal which was a kind of monstrous winged unicorn. Fujiwara no Yukinari, also known as Gonseki from his court title, was an important civil servant and a remarkable calligrapher. He was part of the sanseki ("the three traces"), a group of three very famous calligraphers during the period of Heian. On the seven volumes that compose this work, only this chapter is dedicated to the shogi. The text is written in Kanbun (classical Chinese annotated with Japanese arrangements) and says: "As far as shogi pieces are concerned, it is necessary to paint them waving the brush, without skimming the piece, in regular style or a style close to the semi-cursive style. The top character must be distinctly written and precisely inscribed within a square and the strokes must be ample. The characters of the narikin are written in a very pronounced cursive style. They are almost similar to kana. Since the pieces are small and difficult to hold, it is necessary to insert them in a support to hold them in hand when writing."

It is then learned that promotion to Gold General (narikin) was already in use then. It is also understood that there are more than one character written on the piece and that the top one is the most difficult to write. This could be understood if the pieces had already the pentagonal shape that they have today where space is narrower for the top character.

It could be the earliest apparition of Shogi in the history. However, some modern historians think now that this section was added by a writer from a later generation.

Account of the Persian al-Beruni's travel to India, written in Arabic about 1030. It is the oldest known document attesting of 4 Handed Indian Chess. Al-Beruni was born in Khiva into 973, lived in Hyrcania on the edges of the Caspian Sea and died in 1048. In his book, he described Chaturanga for 4 players where the dice decide which piece to move. There the Elephant is placed close to the King and sliding in straight line like a Rook. Elsewhere, probably speaking about the regular Chaturanga per 2 players, the Elephant is said to move 1 square diagonally or straight ahead like the trunk and the four feet of the animal.

Siegfredus Levita was Jewish, one of four Ermengaud's testamentary executor. His parent, Ramon Levita from Badalona let a Chess set to his brother on this will dated from October 22^th, 1045.

This priest gave another Chess set to the church of San Julian de Bar in north Catalonia (Spain).

This work written by Yin Zhu (1001-1047) may well be the earliest work dealing with Xiangqi, unfortunately, it is completely lost. Not even a citation has survived. It is known because it was mentioned in the "Wenxian tongkao" (Consecutive examinations of literature), an encyclopedia compiled by Ma Duanlin (1254-1322) in 1317. Chao Gongwu, a scholar from the 13th century, wrote that Yin Zhu's work contained 5 diagrams and that the game was then different from that played in his day.

German poem written in Latin by a monk from Tegernsee (Upper Bavaria) which tells how an ambassador sent to negotiate with a king, was obliged to play with him at Chess. (This text was once dated 1030 but 1050 appears now a better estimation, source Eales)

Al-Mâwardi (died 1058) wrote that Shatranj was disapproved by ash-Shafi'i (died 820), the founder of a great Muslim school, not because it leads into error but as a sin of recreation. But if it was not played against the rule of life, ash-Shafi'i saw no problem. He was player himself actually.

Will of Countess Ermessind of Carcassonne countess of Barcelona, widow of Raymond Borrell, the elder brother of the Count Ermengaud, making the leg of a crystal set of Chess also to the monastery of Saint-Gilles (South of France).

This poem contains a line referring to the use of ferocious animals, including Elephants, in battle as in the game.

Letter from Cardinal Petrus Damiani (1007-1072) to the Pope Alexander II, complaining about the success of Chess within the people and the indulgence from the bishop of Florence, Italy.

The Shinsarugakuki is a comic work of the theater sarugaku (later known as noh theater). Written during the era Kohei (1058-1065) by Fujiwara no Akihira (989?-1066), literate civil servant and important scholar of the Heian period. The history takes place during a night carnival in Kyoto where the different entertainments in vogue at the time take place. The author places the action in the family of a captain from the doors' guards, with his three wifes, his sixteen daughters and their partners, and his nine sons. This large family represents the different profile of Kyoto inhabitants, each one with his own character and manners. It is when one of these persons is presented that Shogi is mentioned. “The lover of the eleventh daughter, as Master Ichinomiya dn Kakinomoto Tsuneyuki, is very skilled at waka and musical instrument, either at wind or percussions. His large knowledge of koto, kin, biwa, wagon, hokyo, shakuhachi, go, sugoruku, shogi, dangi, kemari, archery, knife cutting, cooking, waka and ancient poems make him an impressive person.” Waka is related to different forms of poems. Koto, kin, biwa and wagon are stringed instruments. Hokyo is a percussion instrument. Shakuhachi is a wind instrument. dangi is a sort of billiard and kemari is a cooperative ball game. Then this text is also mentioning two other board games, go and sugoruku, the Japanese form of backgammon, which had appeared in Japan in the 7^th century.

The river was first evoked in Xiangqi in a short poem from Cheng Hao (1032 - 1085). Wagon (Che), Horse (Ma), Deputy General (Pian), Assistant General (Bai) are mentioned. Also, a General-in-chief (Jiang) radiating to all directions from his post. And Soldiers which move diagonally to a pointed corner beyond the river. The moves of the main General and the Soldiers look similar to Western Chess. (Another reference indicates that the author of this poem would be Cheng Jing. Actually, this name could be Cheng Yi, who was the brother of Cheng Hao. Both brothers were famous Buddhist philosophers.)

Poem of Chen Jing from the Beisong dynasty (960-1126) which affirms that one can learn the military strategy thanks to Xiangxi (xi meant game). It specifies that the General remains confined in his palace and that the Pawns take on the sides after crossing the river. Chariots and Horses are also mentioned.

Third will from Catalonia (North-East of Spain) which mentions Chess, as an early testimony in Europe.

Arnau was the Count of Urgel who gave the famous Ager pieces.

Sima Guang (1019-1086), imperial Minister for the dynasty of Song of North and author of the "Zizhi tongjian" (Full mirror for the use of the rulers), wrote the rules of Qiguo Xiangxi, a huge variant for 7 players on a chess-board with 19x19 intersections (like the game of Weiqi/Go) between 1071 and 1085. Among the 120 pieces in total, there are the Cannons (Pao) which are also found on modern Xiangqi and which appear here for the first time. They are also pieces which moves exactly like the modern Queen and Bishop (to be adopted in European Chess 400 years later). The preface and the colophon of this text have been written by Wang Yimin in 1206. This game evokes the disturbed time of the seven Warring States period (475-221 BC) in China. It is oldest Xiangqi of any sorts of which we have a complete description.

This work has been written by Zhao Buzhi (1053-1110) of the Beisong (Northern Song, 960-1126). Only the preface has been preserved. It contains this text: "Xiangxi is a game of strategy; Huangdi in his wars used fierce animals in his battle array; as Elephants (xiang) are the strongest of wild animals, the game is called Xiangxi after this strategy". Huangdi is a legendary emperor, traditionally dated back to 2697 to 2597 BC. That text mentions that the game played when Zhao was young (about 1060-70) used a table of 11x11 with 34 pieces placed on the intersections. Caution should be used here. Some authors have explained that this game was actually played with 32 pieces, not 34, on the squares of a 10x11 lines board which then corresponds a board of 9x10 squares (a modern Xiangqi board has also 9x10 positions, but placed on the lines). Whatever, Zhao also reported that he tried to invent a game on 19x19 with 98 pieces to increase complexity. It could be the Ko Shogi or Yan Xiangqi.

Long poem on the Shatranj.

This author and player was probably from Sistan, today at the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He travelled to India, Iraq and East Iran (Khorasan). His work were discovered in 1951 only (Murray did not know him) under three copies of a manuscript, the earliest extant dating from 1665. His text contained legends about chess's origin, poems, puzzles, ten ta'biyat (openings) and 287 mansubat (problems).

Origin is unknown, now found in 10 manuscripts in Germany, Italy, France and England, with one of them dated of this early date (according to R.Eales). 7 manuscripts were known of Murray who gave a later date (<1200). Gives the rules and names of the piece.

Poem written by Emperor Huizong (or Zhao Ji, 1082-1135, reigning 1101-1126) last from the Northern Song Dynasty, included in the collection "Xuanhe yuzhi gongci". It says that there were ivory pieces to play Xiangqi. The game seemed to use 32 pieces.

Cao Xun (ca. 1098-1174) records the story, dated 1127, of the empress mother of Prince Kang who used a Xiangqi piece (a General) for predicting the future of his son. He became Emperor Gaozong. This scene has been painted by Xiao Zhao in 1162. A surviving painting is thought to be authentic and clearly shows the correct board (9x10) 16 black and 16 red pieces.

The Mânasollâsa, or "Joy of the mind", from Someshvara III is the oldest complete description of the game (both for 2 and 4 players) in South India. Someshvara III was a King of South India in the beginning of the 12th century.This encyclopedia also contains a first description of "house" cells (cross-cut ?) on an Ashtapada board. Here the Chariot (Ratha) and the Elephant have exchanged their move. The Chariots (going aslant to next but one square) are at the corners of the board. The same text briefly mentions the 4-Handed Chaturanga as a variant.

The choshuki was a collection of daily notes written by Minamoto Morotoki no (1077-1136). Minamoto no Morotoki was a talentuous poet and was vice-director of the empress's palace. The empress and her palaces were called choshugu, from which the title of the work. He was counsel intermediate supernumerary (gonchunagon) to the apogee of his career. His load imposed him to participate in numerous ceremonies of court and religion. His testimony is precious because of his strong knowledge of the court's life. A passage dated of May 20^th of the 4th year of the era Daiji (1129) indicates that pieces of shogi were used like instruments of divination (while drawing them by lot) by the emperor.

The Nichureki is a 13 volumes encyclopedia composed at the beginning of the Kamakura period (1185-1333) but which compiles two previous works, the Shochureki, and the Kaichureki, both written by Miyoshi no Tameyasu (1049-1139), a noble mathematician of the Heian Court of Heian. Only a part of the original Shochureki is extant today, the rest is only known by the Nichureki. The Nichureki's author is not known but it is estimated that this work was compiled under the reign of the emperor Juntoku Tenno (1210-1221).

It describes two games, known as Heian Shogi ("Small Shogi of the Heian period [794-1185]") with six different kinds of pieces (King, Gold General, Silver General, Knight, Lance, and Pawn), and Heian Dai Shogi ("Large Shogi of the Heian period") with 13 different pieces. The move of the pieces of the first game are already those of the current Shogi except than the Rook and the Bishop are missing. The pieces are promoted to Gold General by reaching the opposing promotion zone like today. Nothing is said about the total number of pieces nor the dimensions of the board nor the initial set-up. Reconstruction has been proposed on 8x8, 9x8 and 9x9 (with an extra Gold) squares.
The second game, dai shogi, is presented like an innovation. It is played on a 13x13 board with, according to reconstruction, 68 pieces. They are: Jewel Generals (Gyokusho = King), Gold Generals (Kinsho), Silver Generals (Ginsho), Katsura Horse (Keima = Knight), Copper Generals (Dosho), Iron Generals (Tetsusho), Lances (Kyosha), Side Mover (Ouko), Ferocious Tiger (Mouko), Flying Dragon (Hiryu) "which bounds in the four diagonals", Running Chariot (Honsha) which "moves forward and backward without limit", an Armed Coolie (Chunin = Go Between of Chu Shogi). The Running Chariot and the Flying Dragon could be the ancestor of modern Rook and Bishop at shogi.

First Byzantine reference dated and identified. It is the biography of the Emperor Alexis Comnena (died in 1118) by his daughter, Anna Comnena (died in 1148). She wrote: "he had certain familiar friends with whom he played Zatrikion, a game that was discovered in the luxury of Assyrians, and was brought to us".

The Rajatarangini from Kalhana was a chronic of Kahsmiri kings written in 1148/9. It alludes briefly but clearly to the 4-Handed Chaturanga: "The king, though he had taken two kings (Lothana and Vigraharâja), was helpless and perplexed about the attack on the remaining one, just as a player of chess (who had taken two kings and is perplexed about taking the third). He had no hidden plan (of game) to give up for its sake (his figures). Yet he did not pay any regard to his antagonists who were taking his horsemen, peons and the rest" (Translated M.A.Stein, Westminster 1900, cited by H.J.R. Murray, HoC, 1913, p68).

In this early 12th text there is a mention of foreigners (most likely Persian or Arabian merchants) playing chess with pieces "unlike Horse and Chariot, made from ivory, rhinoceros horn and aloes wood", possibly meaning carved pieces.

36 lines poem conserved in Oxford describing the game. The Queen is named "regina" but when the Pawn promotes, it becomes a "ferzia". Also noticeable is the "calvus", Bald-Head, possibly an allusion to the tonsured clergy and then a forerunner of the Bishop.

Another source from the Northern Song period is the Dama tujing from Li Qingzhao (1083-1155?), a poetess who inserted a drawing of a Xiangqi board in her work. This board, depicted for the second time, is similar to the present Xiangqi one.

Diary of Fujiwara no Yorinaga (1120-1156), written between 1135 and 1156. He affirmed having played at Dai Shogi.

Poem by Cai Shen (1088-1156) evoking the pieces of Xiangqi. It belongs to the cycle "Linjiangxian", which is part of the collection "You gujushi ci" ("Poems of two Scholars of Old"), that has been included into the collection "Song liushi mingjia" ("Six famous Song poets").

Short reference to Chess by Metellus, a monk from Tegernsee (Upper Bavaria). It relates the death of a young Bavarian noble at the court of Pepin The Short (Charlemagne's father), struck by a Chess Rook (rocho) in a dispute while playing at Tabula (Backgammon or Chess with dice?).

The monk Yuxian, writing between 1131 and 1162 described the Po Luo Sai game, thus named from a Sanskrit term meaning troops, i.e. the game of troops. He said that this game has lines drawn on a board, separated in the middle by a river, and each side having 16 pieces: soldier, catapult, chariot, horse, elephant, etc. He added: "it is commonly known as Xiangji (Xiangqi).

First reported by Hyde, this poem is found in several manuscripts, the elder being dated from 1450. It has been argued - and this is possible - that its author was the Spanish rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra (c.1092-1167). It refers to obsolete moves such as the Queen's leap at first time of play. The colors are symbolized by black being the Ethiopians versus white being the Edomites.

A chapter of De Naturis Rerum from the English scholar Alexander Neckam (1157-1217). Attributes the invention of Chess to Ulysses and gives the (old) moves of the pieces, including Queen (regina) and "Old Man" (senex) for the Bishop (also: alphicus).

The author is a woman. She is born in 1157. Her date of death is ignored but the Tamakiharu ends in 1219 and one supposes that her death arrived shortly after. Takegozen is descended of one widely-known family for their literary talent. The mention of the shogi intervenes at the time of the narration of the year in 1183. This quote is written in Kobun (not Kanbun this time), that means the old Japanese. “Quickly, as servants, when we were going to the her palace, early in the morning, we were bringing her meal, her clothes then, when she returned from jibutsudo, we set up tatami mats and, in front of her, we played kaioi, shogi, etc.” Kaioi is also known as Kaiawase, a memory game where painted shells should be paired. The person of which he is question is Hachijoin, one of the daughter of Emperor Toba. In the Tamakiharu, Takegozen describes Hachijoin like someone of very casual, that lets her maids make what they want. Her palace was filled regularly of garbage. It is nevertheless the first apparition of a woman player in the history of shogi.

It is writen that Shogi is forbidden for the monks of the Jingo-ji temple.

Diary of Teika Fujiwara mentioning Shogi. Other diaries also mentioned Shogi in 1205 and 1213.

Only 4 lines and the text is corrupted. This south German poem names the pieces of the game.