Kitāb al- Shiṭranj

Abu Bakr bin Yahya al-Suli was a legendary player of shatranj, a game ancestral to chess, and is remembered today for his skill in the game. He wrote many books, the most famous of which are Kitab Al-Awraq and Kitab al-Shitranj. The word shiṭranj, often written shaṭranj, is a corrupted form of the Indian word chaturanga, which was originally a military term.

Why is Kitāb al
– Shiṭranj Popular?

Shatranj is significant because it is the ancestor of modern chess and was played during the Islamic Golden Age. It was a popular game among the elite and was played by caliphs and their court companions.

Game Components of Kitāb al
– Shiṭranj

Game boardChess pieces: king, vizier, elephant, horse, chariot, and foot soldier

Game Setup of Kitāb al
– Shiṭranj

The game is played on an 8×8 board with each player starting with 16 pieces. The pieces are arranged on the board in a specific way, with the chariots on the corners, followed by the horses, then the elephants, and finally the king and vizier in the center.

Gameplay Mechanics of Kitāb al
– Shiṭranj

Each piece moves in a specific way, with the king moving one square in any direction, the vizier moving one square diagonally, the elephant moving two squares diagonally, the horse moving three squares in an L-shape, the chariot moving any number of squares horizontally or vertically, and the foot soldier moving one square forward. The objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent’s king, which means putting it in a position where it is under attack and cannot escape capture.

Game Objective of Kitāb al
– Shiṭranj

The objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent’s king.

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