Chess History:

Chess finds its origins in the continent of Asia. It first began in India even before the 5th century. Later in the 6th century it spread to Persia and then to the Arab culture after Persia was conquered by Omar I in the mid 7th century. By the 10th century, chess had spread to Burma, Ceylon, China, Japan, Siam and Tibet.  Though the exact age and origin of chess are not certain, it is known that chess, as we know it today, descends from a game called chaturanga. The name chaturanga is a Sanskrit word, which refers to the four divisions of an Indian army. These four divisions were elephants, cavalry, chariots, and infantry, and are believed to be the origin of the four types of pieces used in chaturanga.

Chaturanga then made its way to Europe by way of the spread of Islam to Sicily and the Moorish invasion of Spain. Trade routes throughout Europe helped to spread the game across the continent and through Russia. By the 10th century, chaturanga had become very well known and was a favorite of the upper class including kings, poets, and philosophers.

Chess, as we know it today, evolved from chaturanga and first emerged in Europe some time toward the end of the 15th century. Some of the old chaturanga rules were modified, and some new rules were added to allow for a faster game. New rules such as the two square pawn advance and castling helped to change the pace of the game, but the most significant changes came from the power added to certain pieces on the game board. The fers, also known as the counselor in shatranj, which was a relatively weak piece in the original game, was turned into the most powerful piece in modern chess, the queen. Also of great significance was the change of the alfil, which moved in two square steps, into the bishop. The game achieved great popularity throughout Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries and would make its move to America soon thereafter.

Chess Masters

Gary Kasparov:

Kasparov became the youngest ever undisputed World Chess Champion in 1985^. He held the official FIDE world title until 1993, when a dispute with FIDE led him to set up a rival organization, the Professional Chess Association. He continued to hold the "Classical" World Chess Championship until his defeat by Vladimir Kramnik in 2000. He is also widely known for being the first world chess champion to lose a match to a computer, when he lost to Deep Blue in 1997.

Chess ratings achievements

• Kasparov holds the record for the longest time as the #1 rated player.
• Kasparov had the highest Elo rating in the world continuously from 1986 to 2005. However, Vladimir Kramnik did equal him in the January 1996 FIDE ratings list. He was also briefly ejected from the list following his split from FIDE in 1993, but during that time he headed the rating list of the rival PCA. At the time of his retirement, he was still ranked #1 in the world, with a rating of 2812. His rating has fallen inactive since the January 2006 rating list.
• In January 1990 Kasparov achieved the (then) highest FIDE rating ever, passing 2800 and breaking Bobby Fischer's old record of 2785. He has held the record for the highest rating ever achieved, ever since (as of 2008). On the July 1999 and January 2000 FIDE rating lists Kasparov reached a 2851 Elo rating, the highest rating ever achieved.
• According to the unofficial Chessmetrics calculations, Kasparov was the highest rated player in the world continuously from February 1985 until October 2004. He also holds the highest all-time average rating over a 2 (2877) to 20 (2856) year period and is second to only Bobby Fischer's (2881 vs 2879) over a one-year period.

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov

Anatoly Yevenyevich Karpov is a Russian Chess Grand Master. He is one the most successful player of all time and a former World Champion. In his chess career Karpove played more than 3000 games individually and also in team. He was awarded the Chess Oscar for 11times. He has benn listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for winning the highest number if internationally rated Chess tournaments.

Vishwanathan Anand:

Vishwanathan Anand is an Indian Chess GrandMaster and the current World Chess Champion. Anand held the FIDE World Chess Championship from 2000 to 2002, at a time when the world title was split. He became the undisputed World Champion in 2007 and defended his title against Vladimir Kramnik in 2008. With this win, he became the first player in chess history to have won the World Championship in three different formats: Knockout, Tournament, and Match. He will next defend his title in the World Chess Championship 2009 against Veselin Topalov, the winner of a challenger match against Gata Kamsky in February 2009.