Mongolian chess: name of figures and photo

Together with the first military campaigns of the country with a great history there are also Mongolian chess. The name of the figures and the boards are shatars. Appearance is also very different from that to which Russians are accustomed.

There are many features that Mongolian chess possess. Figures from ancient times were created in accordance with the nomadic mentality. However, each distinctive feature should be considered in more detail in order to get acquainted with a seemingly famous game, but in a different perspective.

Theory of the origin of chess

It is known that India is the birthplace of the game of chess. It was here that the prototype of the board, figures and rules of modern hobby was created. However, not so long ago a new theory was put forward. It consists in the fact that the ancestor of this popular game is considered to be Mongolian chess.

The figures that started the current pawns, queens or, for example, the rooks appeared during the reign of Genghis Khan. They were spread during the time of his military campaigns. First to the east, and then to the west.

However, there is no data that can confirm or disprove this theory. It is only known that Genghis Khan taught his tacticians and strategists precisely a game of chess. Looking at the board, he constantly maintained that animals are built better than wars (Mongolian figures are always performed in the form of animals, except only the king or the shah).

Popular game of the Mongols

One of the popular Mongolian games is chess. They stand on a par with shooting, wrestling and horse racing. It is noteworthy that the last fun is only for the youngest riders, at the age of 5-12 years. As for chess itself, they were played from a remote antiquity. Moreover, the nomadic way of life allowed to create its own original game. That is why it is quite different from similar ones, common in Europe or neighboring Asian countries, because the rules were dictated by the peculiarities of the national color.

If you believe folk legends, then a person will live a very long time and in good health, if he plays in Mongolian chess. The name of the figures and the boards (shatars), as well as the appearance of these elements, differ from the European ones. But the game does not become less attractive because it allows you to train your brain, develop tactical skills, strategy, and so on.

It should be noted that the game gave development and craft. Carvers with great pleasure created Mongolian chess, animal figures were executed with surprising accuracy. They felt the real talent of artisans.

Features in the rules of Mongolian chess

There are infinitely many distinctive features that Mongolian chess possess. The name of the figures and the boards in general (shatars), the dimensions of each element individually, the images, the moves and much more are not at all what they are used to see people in the classical version. Each set is created separately. Moreover, artisans who are engaged in the implementation of collections, will never repeat for their predecessors.

There are also many differences in the rules. For example, all the Mongols detail their moves, give them individual names. If we assume that a player walks with a pawn, then he first informs his opponent about this word "tsod". If he plans to move the elephant, he says "arcs". A notable feature is that "shah" does not mean that the king is under threat. When playing the Mongols, this concept is used for moves of the rook or queen.

Unlike a classic game, a pawn can move through a cell only if it is a queenside. Similar advantages are not observed in other similar figures.

It should also be noted that regardless of the diversity of tribes, from the large size of the country, all people use the same rules when playing Mongolian chess.

The name of the figures and the boards are shatars. The variety of Mongolian chess

It has been repeatedly reported that there are a large number of features that Mongolian chess possess. The names of the animals on the board are one of them.

An elephant from the Mongols is called "tebe", which means "camel". It should be noted that each craftsman gets complete freedom of action in how he wants to portray him, since there is no unambiguous definition.

The boat is called "tareg", but earlier it was different - "ger". Today it is something like a cart, but before that, its translation sounded like a "people's home".

A pawn is called, according to the old tradition, "hu", which in translation means "child". Some craftsmen just picture it - in the form of a boy who trains, or just holding a gun.

The rest of the figures are called the same as the padding variant. Unless instead of the king Mongols quite often speak either "commander", or "shah", "khan".

What does Mongolian chess look like?

The name of chess pieces and boards in Mongolia has nothing to do with those that are known in Russia. But the difference is how they are portrayed.

When creating figures, Mongolian artisans pay much attention to hierarchical canons. For example, if the king acts as a king, then in his environment may be more majestic people. If this is an ordinary commander, then the remaining figures also change. Shah, as a rule, was carried out sitting on the throne. People's generals were archers or equestrian equestrians.

Instead of queen artisans depict a dog or a tiger. This is due to the fact that there was always a friend of man near the leader of the state. Moreover, the king could always fully trust the tamed animal.

Instead of an elephant, a camel is made. It can be a calf with a mother. Often a boy is accompanied by a camel or two fighting males. In a word, the choice of the figure itself becomes an artisan himself, he is given complete freedom in the realization of his ideas.

Folk craftsmen pay special attention to horses. These animals throughout the history of Mongolia went in the same order with such majestic personalities as Genghis Khan. Therefore, they are performed with love. Masters never make them in a standing position, they are always in motion. In addition, attention is paid to facial expressions. Some figures may be evil, others - smiling, kind.

The rook is represented in a peculiar way. Earlier these were horse carts, but these days they can be changed to cars or tractors.

In general, there are many ways to portray Mongolian chess. Photos of various collections can be viewed on the sites of private collectors or museums.

The distinctive features of the game in Mongolian chess

Talking about what Mongolian chess is, what kind of animals they portray, how they perform artisans and call the players, we can not fail to mention that there are several game features.

The main one is that before making a move, a player must necessarily voice it. There are many terms, each of which corresponds to the movements of individual figures. Moreover, depending on how chess is performed, these words can change. For example, if you have a composition in front of the players where popular figures are found, then you can move away from the standard terminology in favor of the one used in the legend or legend.

Regardless of what kind of game features opponents use, one can only say that chess in Mongolia is not only unique fun, but also a real work of art.

Differences between Mongolian chess and Indian

In India, a popular world game has arisen, but there are a lot of unique moments, oriented to Mongolian chess: the name (the figures of the photo can be seen below) of the whole set is completely different. However, this is by no means the only difference between them.

Firstly, the Mongols usually did not depict figures in the form of people, they were animals. The exception is the king, the shah or the commander. In India, until the beginning of the 19th century, there were several amorphous characters.

Secondly, later versions of Indian figures are also represented in the form of animals. But they use hares, deer or deer - those on whom hunting has been committed. The Mongols preferred to see on the board only personal assistants: dogs, camels or horses.

And last but not least, Indian kings have always been armed. As for the Mongolian figures, here the Shah occupied a completely different position. He was a strategist, and the wars that surrounded him were defenders.

Thus, we can not say that the birthplace of Mongolian chess is India, nor is it to say the opposite. But a lot of differences both in the principles of the game and in the boards indicate that in Mongolia this fun was created separately.

Legends of Mongolian Chess

Many things are different for Mongolian chess. The name of the figures with the board (shatars), their image, the principles of the game - all this has its own characteristics. But in Mongolia there are many legends connected with chess.

The most common is that in which it is told about the boy Tohana, who learned to masterfully master figures and boards. He had a brother who, in pursuit of his own happiness, went to the country with a despotic ruler. The Shah of that state loved to play chess, and all those who won it, he gave untold riches. The losers were killed. So the brother of the master of the game was sentenced to death. Tohan himself hurried to recoup from the Shah. His condition after the victory was the pardon of all those who were sentenced to death that day. So he managed to save his brother.

Another popular legend is the legend about the lord, whose favorite game was chess. Death on the appointed day sent him a messenger, but he found the shah directly during the game. He was so carried away by watching the party that he forgot about the order of his mistress. And that Khan lived many more years, constantly enjoying his favorite game.

The Legend of the Origin of Mongolian Chess

Speaking about the theory that the entertainment in question was born in Mongolia, people who adhere to it pay attention to one legend. It tells about Genghis Khan, who began his campaigns in Europe and India. Having reached one city, located behind a high wall, the war of the commander began to siege. However, a month has passed, and they have not achieved the proper result.

An amazing feature is that all animals - mules, oxen, donkeys and horses, already in the second week of the siege remembered what and how they should do. There was an impression that they had been specially trained. And then Genghis Khan said that even during the fighting, even the animals learned how to line up properly and deal with their positions, and people - all in any way!

The commanders have drawn a board, which was a zone of military operations. Then they placed on it their cavalry, infantry, riders, catapults and so on. In the most secure place was their king, as well as the enemy. Thanks to this approach, the army quickly managed to capture the city.

Thus, during real fighting, Mongolian chess appeared. The name of the figures and the board has not changed, despite the big changes in the language itself. However, this legend can not be used as a basis, because there are no facts that indicate that in reality everything happened in this way.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that the homeland of chess is not Mongolia at all, its contribution to the dissemination and development of this game can not be reduced. In addition, no other country approached them with the same interest. It is impossible to find more diverse collections or beautiful figures. And the masters who are engaged in their implementation, can not be called otherwise than as talented artisans.