Iran Press/Europe: The day not only honors the game's rich history but also highlights its universal appeal and enduring significance. Currently, chess has over 600 million active players and is growing.
International Chess Day is acknowledged by players around the world, but this year will be extra significant.
The 20th of July will mark the centenary of the globally recognized day.
It has also been one hundred years since the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was established.
To celebrate, FIDE is on a mission to set the Guinness World Record for the most chess games played in 24 hours — hoping to crack at least one million games.
Dr David Smerdon is an Australian chess grandmaster based in Brisbane and is part of FIDE's Commission for Women's Chess.
He is playing in one of many tournaments held around the world to set the record.
"There are more chess federations than there are countries in the world according to the United Nations."
FIDE has more than 200 federations, and Dr Smerdon said almost every country will participate in the record attempt — either, in person or online.
"We also have chess federations for blind chess players, deaf chess players, and for the first time at this year's Chess Olympiad, we'll have a refugee team … we have a disabled chess federation as well," he said.
History of Chess
The earliest version of chess can be traced back to sixth century India, in a game called 'chaturanga'.
Chaturanga means four limbs, which reflects the legs of the Indian military as reflected by the pieces – infantry, elephants, chariots, and cavalry.
Played on the classic eight-by-eight chequerboard we see today, it was a game of strategy based on war.
Since then, the game has evolved and developed into an internationally recognized sport, and India is now home to 85 grandmasters.
The first World Chess Championships were held in 1886.
Chess continues to grow, especially with the use of technology in the 21st century, something Mr Smerdon says has improved training accessibility a lot.
Players can pick up and learn chess anywhere at any time with online gaming options, which has contributed to the influx of new players.
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