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Chess

Also Known As The Royal Game
Chess-Family War Games

Chess is a two player strategy board game played on an eight by eight grid, in which each player commands sixteen pieces with distinct powers of movement and aims to checkmate the opposing king. The game descends from chaturanga, documented in northern India by around the sixth or seventh century AD, from which it spread west into Persia as shatranj and then into the Islamic world and medieval Europe. The modern rules, including the powerful queen and long range bishop moves that replaced weaker earlier pieces, emerged in southern Europe, most likely Spain, in the late fifteenth century. H.J.R. Murray 1913 A History of Chess remains the foundational academic study of this lineage, though it has been refined by later scholarship on the game earliest Indian sources.

Facts
Disputed
Origin Year
600 1
Chaturanga, chess earliest documented ancestor, is attested in northern Indian sources by around the sixth or seventh century AD, but the game likely existed in some form before the surviving textual evidence, and the exact date and place of its invention are not settled by historians.
Originating Region
Northern India 1
Game Type
Board game, abstract strategy 2
Governing Body
Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE), the international governing body for chess, founded in Paris in 1924. 2
Classification
Player Count
Two-Player 1
Sport
Game Type (category)
Board Game 2
Game Type (category)
Strategy Game 2
Connections

Ancestor Of

Alice chess, Games
Source Alice chess (Wikipedia)
Source Ludii Portal (Digital Ludeme Project): Apocalypse
Baroque chess, Games
Source Baroque chess (Wikipedia)
Bughouse chess, Games
Source Bughouse chess (Wikipedia)
Source Capablanca chess (Wikipedia)
Cheskers, Games
Source Cheskers (Board Game Matcher page)
Source Chess with Different Armies (Wikipedia)
Chess960, Games
Source Chess960 (Wikipedia)
Chessence, Games
Source Chessence game record at the Ludii Portal
Circe chess, Games
Source Circe chess (Wikipedia)
Circular chess, Games
Source Circular chess (source article)
Source Congo (chess variant) (Wikipedia)
Cylinder chess, Games
Source Cylinder chess (Wikipedia)
Dark chess, Games
Source Dark chess (source article)
Djambi, Games
Source Djambi (Wikipedia)
Double chess, Games
Source Double chess (source article)
Enochian chess, Games
Source Enochian chess (Wikipedia)
Fortress chess, Games
Source Fortress Chess (Wikipedia)
Grand Chess, Games
Source Grand Chess (Wikipedia)
Grid chess, Games
Source Grid chess (Wikipedia)
Helpmate, Games
Source Helpmate (Wikipedia)
Source Knightmare Chess (Wikipedia)
Source Kriegspiel (chess) (Wikipedia)
La-Trel, Games
Source La-Trel (Board Game Matcher)
Source Ludii Portal record for Los Alamos Chess
Monster chess, Games
Source Monster Chess (Wikipedia)
Source Progressive chess (Gambiter)
Shatar, Games
Source Shatar (source article)
Three-man chess, Games
Source Three-man chess (Wikipedia)
Unachess, Games
Source Unachess (Ludii Portal)

Associated With

Tafl Games, Games

Tafl games were played across Scandinavia, the British Isles and other Norse-influenced regions from at least the early medieval period until being displaced in popularity by chess, per the tafl-games entity's own record.

Derived From

Chaturanga, Games

Chess descends from chaturanga by way of Persian shatranj; the mainstream academic view, though exact dates and some transmission details across the Persian and early European period remain debated.

Source A History of ChessH.J.R. Murray

Featured In

Source The Oxford Companion to ChessDavid Hooper and Kenneth Whyld

Long-Form Articles

Played By

Source Wikipedia, Yoshiharu Habu

Showing 51 to 51 of 51 in Played By, page 2 of 2.

In the Other Atlases

Same As

Also in Home, Crafts and Hobbies Atlas: the same subject.

Discusses

Also in Mathematics Atlas: which this subject discusses.

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. A History of Chess
H.J.R. Murray, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1913
  • Preface
    The aim of this work is threefold: to present as complete a record as is possible of the varieties of chess which exist or have existed in different parts of the world; to investigate the ultimate origin of these games and the circumstances of the invention of chess.
  • entity record, description lead (player-count)
    Chess is a two player strategy board game played on an eight by eight grid, in which each player commands sixteen pieces with distinct powers of movement and aims to checkmate the opposing king. The game descends from chaturanga, documented in northern India by around the sixth or seventh century AD, from which it spread west into Persia as shatranj and then into the Islamic world and me
  • Derived From: Chaturanga
2. The Oxford Companion to Chess
David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld, Oxford University Press, 1992
Wikipedia: World Chess Championship
WikipediaHistory section (FIDE era)
Quote, History section (FIDE era)
On 20 July 1924 the participants at the Paris tournament founded FIDE as a kind of players' union.
View the Source
Capablanca chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Capablanca chess, Lead, first sentence
Quote, Ancestor Of: Capablanca chess, Lead, first sentence
is a family of over twenty Western chess variants which incorporate two new pieces
View the Source
Grand Chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Grand Chess, Lead sentence
Quote, Ancestor Of: Grand Chess, Lead sentence
Grand Chess is a large-board chess variant invented by Dutch games designer Christian Freeling in 1984
View the Source
Cylinder chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Cylinder chess, Introduction
Quote, Ancestor Of: Cylinder chess, Introduction
Cylinder chess (or cylindrical chess) is a chess variant.
View the Source
Circe chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Circe chess, Introduction
Quote, Ancestor Of: Circe chess, Introduction
Circe chess (or just Circe) is a chess variant in which captured pieces return to their starting positions as soon as they are captured.
View the Source
Chess with Different Armies (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Chess with different armies, Lead section
Quote, Ancestor Of: Chess with different armies, Lead section
two sides use different sets of fairy pieces
View the Source
Fortress Chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Fortress chess, Rules section
Quote, Ancestor Of: Fortress chess, Rules section
Fortress chess is a 4-player variant that is played in teams of 2 with teammates sitting opposite one another and moving clockwise. Within the 192 squares; there are 128 squares in the center and four 4×4 squares on each corner of the board.
View the Source
Monster Chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Monster chess, Lead section
Quote, Ancestor Of: Monster chess, Lead section
White side has only a king and four pawns to fight against all the pieces of the Black side
View the Source
Alice chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Alice chess, Lead paragraph
Quote, Ancestor Of: Alice chess, Lead paragraph
Alice chess is a chess variant invented in 1953 by V. R. Parton
View the Source
Dark chess (source article)
Ancestor Of: Dark chess, Lead [derived-from]
Quote, Ancestor Of: Dark chess, Lead [derived-from]
is a chess variant with incomplete information
View the Source
Enochian chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Enochian chess, Lead sentence
Quote, Ancestor Of: Enochian chess, Lead sentence
Enochian chess is a four-player chess variant
View the Source
Bughouse chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Bughouse chess, Lead paragraph
Quote, Ancestor Of: Bughouse chess, Lead paragraph
Bughouse chess is a popular chess variant played on two chessboards by four players in teams of two.
View the Source
Three-man chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Three-man chess, Lead [derived-from]
Quote, Ancestor Of: Three-man chess, Lead [derived-from]
Three-man chess is a chess variant
View the Source
Shatar (source article)
Ancestor Of: Shatar, Lead
Quote, Ancestor Of: Shatar, Lead
are two chess variants played in Mongolia
View the Source
Djambi (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Djambi, Lead [player-count]
Quote, Ancestor Of: Djambi, Lead [player-count]
a board game and a chess variant for four players
View the Source
Grid chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Grid chess, Lead sentence
Quote, Ancestor Of: Grid chess, Lead sentence
Grid chess is a chess variant invented by Walter Stead in 1953.
View the Source
Ludii Portal record for Los Alamos Chess
Ancestor Of: Los Alamos chess, Description
Quote, Ancestor Of: Los Alamos chess, Description
Los Alamos Chess is a Chess variant played on a 6x6 board without bishops.
View the Source
Ludii Portal (Digital Ludeme Project): Apocalypse
Ancestor Of: Apocalypse (chess variant), Rules
Quote, Ancestor Of: Apocalypse (chess variant), Rules
Soldiers move and capture like chess pawns, while kings move and capture like chess knights.
View the Source
Chessence game record at the Ludii Portal
Ancestor Of: Chessence, Description, lead sentence
Quote, Ancestor Of: Chessence, Description, lead sentence
Chessence is a chess variant invented by Jim Winslow in 1989.
View the Source
Helpmate (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Helpmate, Lead [derived-from]
Quote, Ancestor Of: Helpmate, Lead [derived-from]
Although the two sides cooperate, all moves must be legal according to the rules of chess.
View the Source
Baroque chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Baroque chess, Lead paragraph [derived-from]
Quote, Ancestor Of: Baroque chess, Lead paragraph [derived-from]
Baroque chess is a chess variant
View the Source
Knightmare Chess (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Knightmare Chess, Lead
Quote, Ancestor Of: Knightmare Chess, Lead
Knightmare Chess is a fantasy chess variant
View the Source
Progressive chess (Gambiter)
Ancestor Of: Progressive chess, Gambiter page opening sentence
Quote, Ancestor Of: Progressive chess, Gambiter page opening sentence
Progressive chess is a chess variant in which players, rather than just making one move per turn,
View the Source
Cheskers (Board Game Matcher page)
Ancestor Of: Cheskers, About
Quote, Ancestor Of: Cheskers, About
This game is a combination of chess and checkers.
View the Source
Congo (chess variant) (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Congo (chess variant), Lead [derived-from]
Quote, Ancestor Of: Congo (chess variant), Lead [derived-from]
Demian was already familiar with chess and xiangqi, and the result blends some features from both.
View the Source
La-Trel (Board Game Matcher)
Ancestor Of: La-Trel, About
Quote, Ancestor Of: La-Trel, About
A unique blend of elements from Chess and Checkers
View the Source
Circular chess (source article)
Ancestor Of: Circular chess, About section
Quote, Ancestor Of: Circular chess, About section
This chess variant follows the basic rules of chess
View the Source
Unachess (Ludii Portal)
Ancestor Of: Unachess, Description
Quote, Ancestor Of: Unachess, Description
A version of Chess where all pieces start in reserve.
View the Source
Double chess (source article)
Ancestor Of: Double chess, Description [derived-from]
Quote, Ancestor Of: Double chess, Description [derived-from]
Double Chess is a Chess variant played on a 12x16 board.
View the Source
Wikipedia, Bill Robertie
WikipediaPlayed By: Bill Robertie, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Bill Robertie, Lead sentence
is a backgammon, chess, and poker player, author and teacher.
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Wikipedia, Anatoly Karpov
WikipediaPlayed By: Anatoly Karpov, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Anatoly Karpov, Lead sentence
is a Russian and former Soviet chess grandmaster, former World Chess Champion, ⁣and politician.
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Wikipedia, Viswanathan Anand
WikipediaPlayed By: Viswanathan Anand, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Viswanathan Anand, Lead sentence
is an Indian chess grandmaster.
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Wikipedia, Hou Yifan
WikipediaPlayed By: Hou Yifan, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Hou Yifan, Lead sentence
is a Chinese chess grandmaster, four-time Women's World Chess Champion and professor at Peking University.
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Wikipedia, Vladimir Kramnik
WikipediaPlayed By: Vladimir Kramnik, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Vladimir Kramnik, Lead sentence
is a Russian chess grandmaster.
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Wikipedia, Mikhail Tal
WikipediaPlayed By: Mikhail Tal, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Mikhail Tal, Lead sentence
was a Soviet Latvian chess grandmaster and the eighth World Chess Champion.
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Wikipedia, Emanuel Lasker
WikipediaPlayed By: Emanuel Lasker, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Emanuel Lasker, Lead sentence
was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher.
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Wikipedia, Jose Raul Capablanca
WikipediaPlayed By: Jose Raul Capablanca, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Jose Raul Capablanca, Lead sentence
was a Cuban chess player who was the third world chess champion from 1921 to 1927.
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Wikipedia, Wilhelm Steinitz
WikipediaPlayed By: Wilhelm Steinitz, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Wilhelm Steinitz, Lead sentence
was a Bohemian-Austrian, and later American, chess player.
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Wikipedia, Ding Liren
WikipediaPlayed By: Ding Liren, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Ding Liren, Lead sentence
is a Chinese chess grandmaster who was the 17th World Chess Champion from 2023-24.
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Wikipedia, Xie Jun
WikipediaPlayed By: Xie Jun, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Xie Jun, Lead sentence
is a Chinese chess grandmaster and is the first Asian woman to become a chess grandmaster.
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Wikipedia, Susan Polgar
WikipediaPlayed By: Susan Polgar, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Susan Polgar, Lead sentence
is a Hungarian-American chess grandmaster.
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Wikipedia, Fabiano Caruana
WikipediaPlayed By: Fabiano Caruana, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Fabiano Caruana, Lead sentence
is an Italian and American chess grandmaster who is the reigning and five-time United States Chess Champion.
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Wikipedia, Hikaru Nakamura
WikipediaPlayed By: Hikaru Nakamura, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Hikaru Nakamura, Lead sentence
is an American chess grandmaster, internet personality, five-time U.S. Chess Champion, and the 2022 World Fischer Random Chess Champion.
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Wikipedia, Gukesh Dommaraju
WikipediaPlayed By: Gukesh Dommaraju, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Gukesh Dommaraju, Lead sentence
is an Indian chess grandmaster and the reigning World Chess Champion.
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Wikipedia, Ju Wenjun
WikipediaPlayed By: Ju Wenjun, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Ju Wenjun, Lead sentence
is a Chinese chess grandmaster.
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Wikipedia, Yoshiharu Habu
WikipediaPlayed By: Yoshiharu Habu, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Yoshiharu Habu, Lead sentence
is a professional shogi player and a chess FIDE Master.
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Wikipedia, Alexander Alekhine
WikipediaPlayed By: Alexander Alekhine, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Alexander Alekhine, Lead sentence
was a Russian and French chess player and the fourth World Chess Champion, a title he held for two reigns.
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Wikipedia, Max Euwe
Wikimedia FoundationPlayed By: Max Euwe, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Max Euwe, Lead sentence
was a Dutch chess player, mathematician, author, and chess administrator.
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Wikipedia, Vasily Smyslov
WikipediaPlayed By: Vasily Smyslov, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Vasily Smyslov, Lead sentence
was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster who was the seventh World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958.
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Wikipedia, Tigran Petrosian
Wikimedia FoundationPlayed By: Tigran Petrosian, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Tigran Petrosian, Lead sentence
was a Soviet-Armenian chess grandmaster.
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Wikipedia, Boris Spassky
WikipediaPlayed By: Boris Spassky, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Boris Spassky, Lead sentence
was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster who was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 to 1972.
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Nona Gaprindashvili - Wikipedia
Played By: Nona Gaprindashvili, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Nona Gaprindashvili, Lead sentence
is a Georgian chess Grandmaster.
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Maia Chiburdanidze - Wikipedia
Played By: Maia Chiburdanidze, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Maia Chiburdanidze, Lead sentence
is a Georgian chess Grandmaster.
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Veselin Topalov - Wikipedia
Played By: Veselin Topalov, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Veselin Topalov, Lead sentence
is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster and former FIDE World Chess Champion.
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Ruslan Ponomariov - Wikipedia
Played By: Ruslan Ponomariov, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Ruslan Ponomariov, Lead sentence
is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster.
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Rustam Kasimdzhanov - Wikipedia
Played By: Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Lead sentence
is an Uzbek chess grandmaster and a former FIDE World Chess Champion (2004-2005).
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Anna Ushenina - Wikipedia
Played By: Anna Ushenina, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Anna Ushenina, Lead sentence
is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster who was Women's World Chess Champion from November 2012 to September 2013.
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Miguel Najdorf, Wikipedia
Played By: Miguel Najdorf, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Miguel Najdorf, Lead sentence
was a Polish-Argentine chess grandmaster.
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Wikipedia, Amon Simutowe
Played By: Amon Simutowe, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Amon Simutowe, Lead sentence
is a Zambian chess grandmaster.
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Wikipedia, Eugene Torre
Played By: Eugenio Torre, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Eugenio Torre, Lead sentence
is a Filipino chess grandmaster.
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Wikipedia, Levon Aronian
Played By: Levon Aronian, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Levon Aronian, Lead sentence
is an Armenian chess grandmaster who has represented the United States since 2021.
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Wikipedia, Teimour Radjabov
Played By: Teimour Radjabov, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Teimour Radjabov, Lead sentence
is an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster.
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Wikipedia, Hans Berliner
Played By: Hans Berliner, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Hans Berliner, Lead sentence
was an American chess player and computer scientist.
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Paul Keres (Wikipedia)
Played By: Paul Keres, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Paul Keres, Lead sentence
was an Estonian chess grandmaster and chess writer.
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Samuel Reshevsky (Wikipedia)
Played By: Samuel Reshevsky, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Samuel Reshevsky, Lead sentence
was a Polish chess prodigy and later a leading American chess grandmaster.
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Aron Nimzowitsch (Wikipedia)
Played By: Aron Nimzowitsch, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Aron Nimzowitsch, Lead sentence
was a Russian-born Danish chess player and writer.
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Walter Browne (Wikipedia)
Played By: Walter Browne, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Walter Browne, Lead sentence
was an Australian-born American chess and poker player.
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Robert Hübner (Wikipedia)
Played By: Robert Hübner, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Robert Hübner, Lead sentence
was a German chess grandmaster, chess writer, and papyrologist.
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Jan Gustafsson (Wikipedia)
Played By: Jan Gustafsson, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Jan Gustafsson, Lead sentence
is a German chess player, analyst and trainer.
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Jennifer Shahade (Wikipedia)
Played By: Jennifer Shahade, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Jennifer Shahade, Lead sentence
is an American chess player, poker player, commentator and writer.
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Rustem Dautov (Wikipedia)
Played By: Rustem Dautov, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Rustem Dautov, Lead sentence
is a German chess player of Tatar origin who holds the FIDE title of Grandmaster.
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Alexandra Botez (Wikipedia)
Played By: Alexandra Botez, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Alexandra Botez, Lead sentence
is an American-born Canadian chess player, poker player, online streamer and YouTuber.
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Isaac Haxton (Wikipedia)
Played By: Isaac Haxton, Lead sentence
Quote, Played By: Isaac Haxton, Lead sentence
is an American professional poker player, amateur chess player, and a youth chess champion.
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Alexander Morozevich (Wikipedia)
Played By: Alexander Morozevich, Lead, first sentence [plays]
Quote, Played By: Alexander Morozevich, Lead, first sentence [plays]
is a Russian chess player
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Chess960 (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Chess960, Lead
Quote, Ancestor Of: Chess960, Lead
Chess960, also known as Fischer Random Chess, is a chess variant
View the Source
Kriegspiel (chess) (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Kriegspiel (chess), Lead [derived-from]
Quote, Ancestor Of: Kriegspiel (chess), Lead [derived-from]
Kriegspiel is a chess variant
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David Baramidze (Wikipedia)
Played By: David Baramidze, Lead sentence [plays]
Quote, Played By: David Baramidze, Lead sentence [plays]
is a German chess Grandmaster
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