Together with the first military campaigns of the country with a great history, Mongolian chess also appears. The name of the pieces and the board is Shatar. The appearance is also very different from that to which the inhabitants of Russia are accustomed.
There are many features that Mongolian chess possess. Figures from ancient times were created in accordance with the nomadic mentality. However, each distinguishing feature should be considered in more detail in order to get acquainted with a seemingly well-known game, but from a different perspective.
Theory of the Origin of Chess
It is known that the birthplace of the game of chess is India. It was here that a prototype of the board, pieces and rules of modern hobby was created. However, not so long ago a new theory was put forward. It lies in the fact that Mongolian chess is considered the ancestor of this popular game.
The figures that laid the foundation for the current pawns, queens or, for example, rooks appeared during the reign of Genghis Khan. They spread during his military campaigns. First east, and then west.
However, there is no evidence to confirm or refute this theory. It is only known that Genghis Khan taught his tactics and strategists precisely the game of chess. Looking at the board, he constantly argued that animals line up better than wars (Mongolian figures are always executed in the form of animals, except for the king or the shah).
Popular game of the Mongols
One of the most popular Mongolian games is chess. They are on a par with shooting, wrestling and horse racing. It is noteworthy that the last fun applies only to the youngest riders, aged 5-12 years. As for chess itself, they played in it from ancient times. Moreover, the nomadic way of life allowed to create its own original game. That is why it is quite different from similar ones, common in Europe or neighboring Asian countries, because the rules were dictated by the peculiarities of national color.
According to folk traditions, a person will live very long and in good health if he plays Mongolian chess. The names of the figures and boards (tents), as well as the appearance of these elements, differ from European ones. But the game does not become less attractive from this, because it allows you to train your brain, develop tactical skills, strategy and so on.
It should be noted that the game gave development and craft. Carvers with great pleasure created Mongolian chess, animal figures were executed with amazing accuracy. They felt the real talent of artisans.
Features in the rules of Mongolian chess
There are infinitely many distinctive features possessed by Mongolian chess. The name of the figures and the board as a whole (tents), the dimensions of each element separately, images, moves and much more are not at all what people in the classic version are used to seeing. Each set is created separately. Moreover, artisans who are engaged in the implementation of collections will never repeat after their predecessors.
There are also many differences in the rules. For example, all the Mongols detail their moves, give them separate names. If we assume that the player walks on a pawn, then he first informs his opponent about this with the word “data center”. If he plans to move the elephant, he says “arc”. A notable feature is that the “check” does not at all mean that the king is at risk. In the game of the Mongols, this concept is used for rook or queen moves.
In contrast to the classical game, a pawn can take a step through the cell only on condition that it is a queen. Other similar figures do not have the same advantage.
It should be noted that regardless of the diversity of the tribes, the large size of the country, all people use the same rules when they play Mongolian chess.
The name of the pieces and the board is Shatar. Variety of Mongolian Chess
It has been repeatedly reported that there are a large number of features that Mongolian chess possess. The names of the figures of animals located on the board are one of them.
The elephant of the Mongols is called "tebe", which means "camel". It should be noted that each artisan receives complete freedom of action in the way he wants to depict him, since there is no unambiguous definition.
The boat is called "terag", but earlier it was different - "ger". Today it is a bit of a cart, but before that, its translation sounded like a “people's home”.
According to the old tradition, pawn is called “hu”, which means “child”. Some artisans just portray it - in the form of a boy who trains, or simply holds a weapon in his hands.
The remaining figures are called the same as in the classic version. Is that instead of the king, the Mongols often say either "commander" or "shah", "khan".
What does Mongolian chess look like?
The name of the pieces and boards in the chess of Mongolia has nothing to do with those that are known in Russia. But the way they are portrayed differs.
When creating figures, Mongolian artisans pay much attention to hierarchical canons. For example, if the king acts as a king, then there may be more majestic people in his environment. If this is an ordinary commander, then the remaining figures also change. The check, as a rule, was performed by sitting on the throne. The people's commanders were archery or equestrian riders.
Instead of the queen, artisans depict a dog or a tiger. This is due to the fact that next to the leader of the state was always a friend of a person. Moreover, the king could always trust fully only to his tamed animal.
A camel is made instead of an elephant. It could be a cub with a mother. Often a boy is accompanied by a camel or two fighting males. In a word, the choice of this particular figure directly is made by the artisan on his own, he is given complete freedom in the realization of his ideas.
Craftsmen pay special attention to horses. Throughout the history of Mongolia, these animals walked in line with such majestic personalities as Genghis Khan. Therefore, they are performed with love. Masters never make them in a standing position, they are always in motion. In addition, attention is paid to facial expressions. Some figures may be evil, others may be smiling, kind.
The rook is peculiarly portrayed. Previously, these were horse carts, but these days they can be exchanged for cars or tractors.
In general, there are many ways to portray Mongolian chess. Photos of various collections can be viewed on the websites of private collectors or museums.
Features of the game of Mongolian chess
Speaking about what Mongolian chess is, what kind of animals they depict, how artisans perform them and the players call them, one cannot fail to mention that there are several game features.
The main one is that before making a move, the player must voice it. There are many terms, each of which corresponds to the movements of individual figures. Moreover, depending on how chess is made, these words may change. For example, if in front of the players there is a composition where popular figures are encountered, then you can move away from standard terminology in favor of the one used in the legend or legend.
Regardless of what kind of game features the rivals use, it can be clearly said only that chess in Mongolia is not only unique fun, but also a real work of art.
Differences between Mongolian and Indian Chess
A popular world game was born in India, but there are many unique moments focused on Mongolian chess: the name (figures of the photo can be seen below) of the whole set is completely different. However, this is far from the only difference between them.
Firstly, the Mongols did not usually depict human figures; they were animals. The exception is the king, check or commander. In India, until the beginning of the 19th century, there were several amorphous characters.
Secondly, later versions of Indian figures are also represented as animals. But they use hares, deer or fallow deer - those who were hunted. The Mongols preferred to see only personal assistants on the board: dogs, camels or horses.
And last, Indian kings have always been armed. As for the Mongolian figures, here the shah occupied a completely different position. He was a strategist, and the wars that surrounded him were defenders.
Thus, one cannot say that India is the birthplace of Mongolian chess, as well as state the opposite. But many differences both in the principles of the game and in the boards indicate that in Mongolia this fun was created separately.
Legends of Mongolian chess
What distinguishes Mongolian chess. The name of the figures with the board (tents), their image, the principles of the game - all this has its own characteristics. But in Mongolia, many legends are associated with chess.
The most common is the one that tells about the boy Tohan, who learned to masterfully master the pieces and the board. He had a brother who, in pursuit of his own happiness, went to the country with a tyrannical ruler. The shah of that state loved to play chess, and to all those who defeated him, he granted untold wealth. The losers were killed. So the brother of the master of the game was sentenced to death. Tohan himself hastened to recoup the shah. His condition after the victory was the pardon of all those who were sentenced to death that day. So he managed to save his brother.
Another popular legend is the legend of the lord, whose favorite game was chess. Death on the appointed day sent a messenger after him, but he found the shah directly during the game. He was so carried away by watching the party that he forgot about the order of his mistress. And that khan lived for many more years, constantly enjoying his favorite game.
The legend of the emergence of Mongolian chess
Speaking about the theory that the fun in question originated in Mongolia, people who adhere to it pay attention to one legend. It tells about Genghis Khan, who began his campaigns in Europe and India. Having reached one city located behind a high wall, the commander’s wars began a siege. However, a month passed, and they did not achieve the proper result.
An amazing feature is that all animals - mules, oxen, donkeys and horses, already in the second week of the siege remembered what and how they needed to do. It seemed as if they were specially trained. And then Genghis Khan said that during the fighting, even animals learned to line up and take up their positions, and people didn’t!
The generals drew a board, which was a war zone. Then they placed their cavalry, infantry, riders, catapults and so on on it. In the most protected place was their king, like the enemy. Thanks to this approach, the troops quickly managed to capture the city.
Thus, during real hostilities, Mongolian chess appeared. The name of the figures and the board still has not changed, despite the big changes directly in the language. However, this legend cannot be taken as a basis, because there are no facts indicating that in reality everything happened just like that.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that Mongolia is not the birthplace of chess at all, its contribution to the distribution and development of this game cannot be reduced. In addition, no other country approached them with the same interest. It is impossible to find more diverse collections or beautiful figures. And the masters who are engaged in their implementation, can not be called otherwise than as talented artisans.