Welcome to Chess: The Day the Chess Board Came Alive

Make into a storybook: Welcome to Chess: Volume 1 The Day the Chess Board Came Alive One quiet morning as the sun’s rays began to peep out from behind the clouds, a sparkle zipped across the black-and-white squares. Chessie, the Chessboard wiggled, stretched all sixty-four squares, and — POP! — something magical began to happen. The pieces began to stir! The pawns blinked their tiny eyes. The rooks stood tall like castle towers. The knights shook their manes and gave a playful neigh, ready to leap into the unknown adventure. The bishops glided diagonally, like beams of sunlight, across the board. The sun rays hit the queen’s exterior as it sparkled with quiet strength, her crown catching the morning glow. And beside her, the king rose slowly, calm and steady, watching over his royal team. Chessie the Chessboard giggled softly as all 64 squares hummed with life. “Welcome,” he whispered, “to the beginning of every great game.” Each piece looked curiously at each other, excited but nervous about today. They didn’t yet know where they would go or how they would move… but they knew something important was about to begin. And so, on that magical morning, the chess pieces took their very first breath — ready to explore the Kingdom of 64 together.... A Walk Down History.... More than 1500 years ago, long before the rooks looked like castles and before the queen became the strongest piece, a clever game was born in a faraway land called India. At the time people called the game chaturanga. The chess board was filled with brave soldiers, wise elephants, and speedy horses. While the pieces didn’t look exactly like they do today, they loved working together. The game then journeyed to Persia, where the pieces learnt new stories and changed shape. The king was called the Shah, and when he was trapped, players would say “Shah mat,” which meant, “The king is helpless.” Many years later, this became the word we know today as checkmate. The game continued its travels, crossing deserts, sailed over seas and eventually arrived in Europe. It was there, something magical happened...the pieces began to change even more. The quiet advisor beside the king grew stronger and became the Queen, while the elephants turned into Bishops who glided along shining diagonals. The sturdy towers became Rooks, standing tall like castles guarding a kingdom. Every place the game travelled added a little bit of its own imagination, until the chess pieces became what we know today - a team of pieces, each different, each important. As the years went by, the pieces learnt that they were stronger together, working as a cohesive team. Let’s meet the team: The Pawns • Curious explorers. • “We may be small, but we walk forward bravely, sometimes one step or two.” The Rooks • Castle guardians. • “We move in straight lines vertically and horizontally, watching over everyone.” The Knights • Silly jumpers. • “We are the jumping horses, jumping in an L-motion.” The Bishops • Quiet diagonal gliders. • “We slide across diagonals quietly” The Queen • Powerful but kind. • “I help my friends, with the power of a rook, a bishop all in one.” The King • Gentle leader who needs protection. • “I need my team to protect me.” The chess family stood together, ready for whatever came next. Chessie the Chessboard whispered “Every great journey begins with one move… and yours is just starting. Are you ready to meet the team one by one?” The pawns stepped forward. The adventure begins…