This chess board excavated from Lothal, Gujarat is the earliest ever chessboard known to the history of mankind.

It belongs to Indus Valley Civilization and dates back to c.2300 BCE. The board was used to play an early form of Chess.

It belongs to period I of Lothal. Chess was known in Sanskrit literature as “Chaturanga” (literally meaning “four divisions” of Cavalry (knight), Infantry (pawns), Elephantry (bishop) and Chariotry (rook). It was borrowed into Persian as “Shatranj” and thence known to the West and in English as “Chess”. This board was discovered by an independent Italian team.

Credits: True Indology – Facebook