Chatrang, or Shatranj, was the name given to the early game of chess when it travelled to Persia and then to the Arab world.
In Sassanid Persia around 600 the name became Chatrang and the rules were developed further, and players started calling Shāh! (Persian for 'King') when threatening the opponent's king, and Shāh māt! (Persian for 'the king is finished') when the king could not escape from attack. These exclamations persisted in chess as it traveled to other lands.
The game was taken up by the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of Persia, with the pieces largely retaining their Persian names; in Arabic "māt" or "māta" مَاتَ means "died", "is dead". In Arabic, the game became Shatranj. In all other languages, the name of the game is derived either from shatranj or from shah.
One interesting fact is that the Arabs divided their game into the same three stages which we do today: opening, middlegame and endgame.p234
Questions and Answers
Q: What was the early name of chess in Persia?
A: The early name of chess in Persia was Chatrang.
Q: What did the players start calling out when threatening the opponent's king in Chatrang?
A: The players started calling out "Shāh!" (Persian for 'King') when threatening the opponent's king in Chatrang.
Q: What did the players start calling out when the king could not escape from attack in Chatrang?
A: The players started calling out "Shāh māt!" (Persian for 'the king is finished') when the king could not escape from attack in Chatrang.
Q: What does "māt" or "māta" mean in Arabic?
A: "Māt" or "māta" means "died", "is dead" in Arabic.
Q: When did the Muslim world start taking up the game of chess?
A: The Muslim world started taking up the game of chess after the Islamic conquest of Persia.
Q: What is the name of the game in Arabic?
A: The name of the game in Arabic is Shatranj.
Q: How did the Arabs divide their game of Shatranj?
A: The Arabs divided their game of Shatranj into the same three stages which we do today: opening, middlegame and endgame.
