“Chess is the touchstone of intellect” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
“Chess is the gymnasium of the mind” (Blaise Pascal)
The history of chess spans some 1500 years. Chess is one of the world’s oldest war games. It was invented in northern India some time before A.D. 600, and the original pieces were based on the infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots of the ancient Indian army. These troops were led onto the chessboard by the king and his chief minister, the vizier.
The precursors of chess originated in India during the Gupta Empire. There, its early form in the 6th century was known as chaturaṅga, which translates as "four divisions (of the military)": infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and chariotry. These forms are represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively.
Chess was introduced to Persia from India and became a part of the princely or courtly education of Persian nobility.
Players started calling "Shāh!" (Persian for "King!") when attacking the opponent's king, and "Shāh Māt!" (Persian for "the king is helpless" – see checkmate) when the king was attacked and could not escape from attack. These exclamations persisted in chess as it traveled to other lands.
From India, the game spread to central Asia, China, Persia and Europe, reaching Spain by middle of the 11th centure. In the West the design of the chess pieces changed to reflect the society of medieval Europe. The king remained, and the pawns were still the foot soldiers, but the elephant was replaced by the bishop, the horse became knight, and the chariot was changed into the rook, or castle. Finally, the vizier became the queen, and at the end of the 15th century a change in the rules og the game made the queen the most powerful piece on the chessboard. This is the version of chess that is played worldwide today, and which is officially recognized by the international ruling body of chess, FIDE( Federation Internationale des Echecs).
Among all board games, chess seems to possess the perfect blend of strategy and tactics. Compare it with, say, checkers ( nearly all tactics), or with the Japanese game Go ( nearly all strategy) and both these games are lacking in balance. Chess also has the advantage of its finely differentiated playing pieces. They are not merely rounded lumps of wood or stone but individuals, each with its own power and attributes. It is easy to identify with one’s chess pieces – losing a game of checkers never results in the same sense of deep personal loss that one has when a king is checkmated. Chess is a game that involves the ego completely.
Chess combines elements of both art and science.
Analyzing a chess game is primarily an exercise in logic, yet arriving at a beautiful mating attack or a profound strategical position can bring a genuine sense of creative satisfaction. There is also the competitive aspect of game. Chess is not a solitary exercise, like solving a crossword puzzle, but a battle between two individuals, a struggle of mind and will.

From ” The Simon&Schuster pocket book of CHESS” by Raymond Keene.
From wikipedia