Spotty historical records have made the origins of Chess a matter of theory and speculation rather than absolute proof. The most commonly held belief is that Chess originated in India, where it was called Chaturanga, which is believed to have been invented in the 6th century AD. Chess quickly found its way to Persia, where its name changed to Shatran.

One of the first references to chess in literature is in the middle-Persian epic Karnamak-i-Artakhshatr-i-Papakan, which has a mention of the protagonist being skilled at chess. This work was probably composed around 600 AD, but some historians place the date as late as 1000 AD.

Games, as they have often been seen as distractions from work and religious duty, have been the subject of suspect and even bans. King Louis the IX banned chess from France in 1254. This ban, like most bans on games, proved ineffective and chess gradually became associated with wealth, knowledge, power and class. As a result it was adopted as a favorite pastime of the aristocracy and high ranking members of government.

Chess spread quickly and its rules evolved slowly. The very first chess master is considered to be Ruy Lopez de Segura, a sixteenth century Spanish priest. His book Libro de la invencion liberal y arte del juego del Axedrez was one of the first fundamental chess books in Europe.

Italy ruled the chess world in the seventeenth century, sending its top players all over Europe to show off the country's prowess in the game. During this time Chess was seen as the supreme intellectual game, and royalty often rewarded chess masters for performing well in exhibition matches.

In the early 1700's the game achieved great popularity in France, England and Germany. Andre Philidor, a Frenchman, was unquestionably the most famous chess master of the time. He achieved notoriety through his playing feats, such as playing three "blindfold" games simultaneously. He even wrote the definitive chess book of the era, the Analyse du jeu des chec, which was so popular it went through one hundred editions.

The Nineteenth century saw the rise of world renowned chess masters. In 1851, English champion Staunton helped form the very first European championship in London, the largest chess tournament ever held at the time. German master Adolf Anderssen won it, and maintained his place as world champion for a decade and a half until he was beaten by a young American player named Paul Morphy. Morphy later established himself as the very first American master, beating all of the European masters he encountered during his career.