The Mongolian chess

2013-7-3 14:22:00 From: http://kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com

The Mongolian chess is a popular sport game in Inner Mongolia. It's also one of the most attractive items on the Nadam Fair.

The Mongolian chess is quite similar to Xiangqi, or Chinese chess, but the form, rules and ways to move the chess pieces are more like international chess. Called "Shatar" in the Mongolian language, the Mongolian chess is said to have been introduced into the area way back in the period when Genghis Khan went on his western expedition. The chess was revolutionized according to Mongolian practice, and unique ways to move the chess pieces were formed. When the Mongolian people rose to power, they entered farming areas from grasslands. To break up city walls, they learnt to make stone-throwing machines from the Jin people. After that, they also mastered the techniques of making gunpowder cannons, which became the important weapons of Mongolian troops for attacking cities and forts. The cannon, along with other weapons and military tactics, was re-enacted on a chess board, bringing us an intelligent game.

Following Genghis Khan's western expedition, the board game was spread to grassland areas in the 1230s before it was introduced to Europe. It was brought to the Mongolian people via Persia, thanks to the extension of the "Silk Road" through the Mongolian grasslands. The board of the game is a square board with 64 small squares of two different color shades alternating with each other. It is pretty much the same as the board of international chess. The light-colored squares are called "white squares" and dark-colored ones "black squares". The chess pieces are also in black and white, with each color representing one of the two players. There are a total of 32 pieces, with 16 for each player, including one king, one commander-in-chief, two chariots, two elephants, two horses and eight soldiers. What's unique about the Mongolian chess is that the elephant pieces are made into camels and soldiers are made into hunting dogs, adding some flavor of nomad life on the grassland.

   

中文 English 日本語 한국어 Français Deutsch Русский язык Español Português عربي Melayu Indonesian Italiano Монгол Tiếng Việt Lao BIG5

·Study in Beijing ·Study in Shanghai ·Study in Chongqing ·Study in Guangdong ·Study in Heilongjiang
·Study in Jiangsu ·Study in Shandong ·Study in Shanxi ·Study in Sichuan ·Study in Anhui ·Study in Tibet
·Study in Henan ·Study in Hunan ·Study in Hebei ·Study in Jiangxi ·Study in Shaanxi ·Study in Zhejiang
·Study in Liaoning ·Study in Hubei ·Study in Tianjin ·Study in Yunnan ·Study in Fujian ·Study in Qinghai
·Study in Guizhou ·Study in Ningxia ·Study in Hainan ·Study in Guangxi ·Study in Gansu ·Study in Jilin
 
   
map Need Assistance? Have Questions?  Skype: www.admissions.cn  E-mail: Help@admissions.cn
 
Copyright © 2004-2014 Admissions.cn Inc. All Rights Reserved. 京ICP备10029054-1号