‘Sathurangam’: A Glimpse into Classical Tamil Through the Modern Game of Chess
The chess we know today, largely unchanged over the past couple of centuries, has had a long and fascinating journey as it spread from India to the rest of the world.
As the old Tamil saying goes — “Kal thondri, man thondra kaalathe, mun thondriya mutha Tamizh” — Tamil existed long before even the formation of rocks and soil. Likewise, the origins of chess go deep into history before evolving into its current form.
While modern chess rules have remained mostly stable for centuries — possibly since the introduction of en passant around the 13th century — the game itself is a product of several iterations across different cultures.
From India to the World
The earliest known form, Chaturanga, originated in ancient India and represented the four military divisions: infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots — along with the king and his advisor.
The Persians adopted the game as Chatrang, keeping the Indian structure but changing the names:
- King – Shah
- Advisor – Wazir
- Elephant – Pil
- Cavalry – Asp
- Chariot – Rokh
- Infantry – Piadeh
When the Rashidun Caliphate conquered Persia, the game spread to the wider Islamic world as Shatranj. Here, the Wazir became Firzan and the Pil became Fil.
Transformation in Europe
On reaching Europe, the game underwent major changes. The elephant piece evolved into the Bishop with long-range diagonal movement, and the Vizir transformed into the modern Queen — the most powerful piece on the board.
Nathaniel Cook’s 19th-century design, popularised by Howard Staunton, is the standard chess set still in use worldwide today.
Tamil Nadu’s Chess Heritage
In Tamil, chess is traditionally called Sathurangam, though some older references use Vallu Palagai (battle board) and call the pieces Vallu Kaigal (battle hands).
- Raja (King): The central figure whose capture decides the game. It can move one square in any direction.
- Rani (Queen) / Mandhiri (Bishop): The Queen was originally the advisor (Manthiri), moving only diagonally. Over centuries, she became the most powerful piece. The elephant piece evolved into the modern Bishop (Mandhiri), moving diagonally but unable to jump over others.
- Kudhirai (Knight): Represents cavalry, moving in its famous L-shape — a unique and unpredictable attack style.
- Ratham (Chariot) / Yaanai (Elephant): The modern rook, originally the chariot, now represented as an elephant in some traditions, moves any distance vertically or horizontally.
- Sipai or Paadhai (Pawn): Represents infantry. Originally, pawns could only move one square, but in modern chess, they can move two squares on their first turn. A pawn can promote to any piece — earlier only to the Queen — symbolising a rise from soldier to royalty.
And there you have it — a journey from ancient Tamil culture to the modern chessboard. In the process, you’ve also picked up a few Tamil words!
