National Chess Day

It is believed that President Gerald Ford declared October 9th as "National Chess Day" in 1976. Chess is a two-player strategy board game that originated in India during the Gupta Empire in the 6th century AD. The game is played on a checkered board with 64 squares, and each player begins with 16 pieces consisting of a king, a queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king, which means putting it into a position where it is under attack and cannot escape capture on the next move. Players take turns moving their pieces across the board according to specific rules and strategies, such as advancing pawns to control the center of the board, developing pieces to prepare for an attack, and coordinating attacks to threaten the opponent's pieces and control key squares on the board. Chess is a game that requires critical thinking, strategic planning, and analytical skills. It has been enjoyed by millions of people around the world for centuries and is played competitively at both amateur and professional levels.