Antiquity of Chess.
An interesting disoovery has been made in Egypt which ought to make chess players feel more proud of their favourite pastime than ever. On the pyramid field of Sakkara a wallpainting has been brought to light which represents a high official as playing chess with a partner at the time when King Teta, of the sixth dynasty.,- WP. P* 3 the throne of Egypt. Professoivßrugsch makes this about 8,800 b.c, so that here we have documentary evidence, so to speak, that- chess was played in the land of Mizraim something like 5,200 years ago ! This quite knocks on the head all the generally received theories on the antiquity of the game, which is usually stated to have been invented by the ancient inhabitants of India, i introduced into Persia in the sixth century, and thence into Europe through the instrumentality of the Crusades. The discovery at Sakkara throws back its origin to a remoter past^and makes it almost certain that its inception is for ever lost in thelftffces of prehistoric times.
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Manawatu Herald, 27 April 1895, Page 3
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174Antiquity of Chess. Manawatu Herald, 27 April 1895, Page 3
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