Chess History And Reminiscences
The European origin of chess, or rather the supposed time of
its first introduction through the Arabs into Spain 713, 715,
though resting on a general consensus of agreement may yet prove
to be ill matured, for though it is clear that Spain did get
knowledge of it at the conquest and occupancy during Al Walid's
reign by the armies under Musa Ibn Nosseyr and Tarik Ibn Yeyzad
it is not so certain, if the Romans were acquainted with it at
the time of the edict, 830 years earlier, that it may not have
been known in some parts of Europe before the time supposed,
besides which we have the Asiatic Society's statement, through
its Persian M.S., and from the Shahnama applicable to Alexander
the Great's time, and the Indian Kings in treaty with him.
The commonly accepted theory, that England first got chess
through William of Normandy at the Conquest or on the return
of the first Crusaders (in the latter case about 1100 A.D.),
though concurred in with tolerable unanimity by all writers until
Sir Frederic Madden raised his doubts in 1828 also appears scarcely
consistent with previous incidents found on record. Canute's
partiality for chess (he reigned 1017 to 1035) events mentioned
in the reigns of Athelstan and Edgar and the chess pieces and
boards we read of including those dug up at the Isle of Lewis,
and of Pepin, Charlemagne, Harfagia, King of Norway, and in
Iceland seem to be unnoticed or too slightly regarded by those
who wrote on assumed Saxon or English chess, first knowledge.
The period assigned for chess in England is 500 years later than its
arrival in Persia, and subsequent receipt in Arabia, and probably
in Greece, and nearly 400 years after its practice among the
Spaniards, the Aquitaines and the Franks. The Saxon monarchs
who first became most given to the search after knowledge of all
kinds and who were acquainted with and contemporary with
Pepin and Charlemagne and Harun and the great Al Mamun may
well have heard of and acquired some knowledge of a game so
popular as chess had become at the Carlovingian and Greek
Courts, and in the Eastern dominions and Mohammedan Spain.
The reigns of Offa and Egbert seem not improbable ones in
which chess might have become known among us, the scholar
Alcuin from his long sojourn and domestication with Charlemagne
and his family, by all of whom he was revered and beloved, was
familiar with that monarch's tastes and amusements. He was in fact
his preceptor in the sciences. By arrangement with Charlemagne he
paid a visit to his native country, England, during the years 790
to 793 A.D., he probably knew chess and was familiar with the
celebrated chess men which the Emperor valued so much, and
have been reported on in our own times, and he seems the least
unlikely person to have noticed and assisted in encouraging a
judicious practice of it in England. Offa also corresponded with
Charlemagne. Egbert took refuge at his Court before he began to
reign and was well received, and for a time served in the
Emperor's army, and that those kings may have known of
the royal game, through Alcuin, or even direct is not impossible
or even improbable.
H. T. Buckle, the author and historian, (born 1822, died at
Damascus in 1862) foremost in skill among chess amateurs,
satisfied with the evidence of Canute's partiality for the game
thought it very probable that it might have been known before
the commencement of that monarch's reign (1016), and suggested
perhaps a century earlier. Sir Frederick Madden (1828 to 1832)
at the outset of some highly interesting communications to the
"Asiatic Researches," at first inclined to the Crusaders' theory,
but upon later consideration in his articles he arrived at the
conclusion that chess must have been known among us as early as
the reign of Athelstan (925 to 940), and Professor Duncan Forbes
(1854 to 1860) concurred in that view, both writers regard the
incident related of the Earl of Devonshire and his beautiful
daughter being found playing chess together, when Earl
Athelwold, King Edgar's messenger arrived to test the report of
her great beauty as not unworthy of credit. Edgar reigned from
958 to 975. English history referring to this incident among the
amours of Edgar makes no mention of the Earl of Devonshire and
his daughter being found playing chess together. Hume says
Elfrida was daughter and heir of Olgar (Orgar), Earl of
Devonshire, and though she had been educated in the country and had
never appeared in Court she had filled all England with the
reputation of her beauty. The mission of Earl Athelwold, his
deception of the King and his own marriage with Elfrida follows,
next the King's discovery, the murder of Athelwold by the King,
and his espousal of Elfrida.
This incident in Edgar's reign with some in Athelstan's,
including the present to Harold Harfagra, King of Norway, of a
very fine and rich chess table, and the account and description of
seventy chessmen of different sizes, belonging to various sets, dug
up in the parish of Uig, Isle of Lewis, are mentioned among the
matters which cause the impression and assumption that a
knowledge of chess had existed in the north of Europe, and in
England earlier than the Conquest days assigned to it by all
writers before Madden's views of 1832 appeared.
So early as the Eighth century some courtesies began to be
extended and enquiries made between contemporary monarchs on
theological, scientific, and social matters. The presents received
by the Carlovingian rulers from Constantinople and the East
included the chess equipages deposited and preserved as sacred
relics in France, which had belonged to Pepin and to Charlemagne.
The latter was contemporary with the famous Harun Ar Rashid
of Bagdad and Princess Irene and her successor Emperor
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