Unearthed in the ruins of Lothal, an ancient city of the Harappan Civilization in Gujarat, India,

Unearthed in the ruins of Lothal, an ancient city of the Harappan Civilization in Gujarat, India,

Unearthed in the ruins of Lothal, an ancient city of the Harappan Civilization in Gujarat, India, a modest clay board dating back to around 2400 BC is now believed to be the oldest known chessboard in history. Scholars suspect this board may have been used to play an early version of Chaturanga, a strategic war game that later evolved into modern chess, traveling westward through Persia and Europe over centuries.

What’s truly astonishing is how closely the layout and conceptual design of the pieces resemble those used in today’s game, despite the 4,000-year gap. This discovery not only rewrites the timeline of chess’s origin but also highlights the advanced intellectual and cultural sophistication of the Harappan people, who saw in games a reflection of strategy, war, and order.

Gaming held a revered place in ancient Indian life. Dice are mentioned in the Rigveda, and epic tales like the Mahabharata centered pivotal moments around games of chance and strategy. These weren’t mere amusements they were deeply tied to destiny, honor, and cosmic order. The clay board from Lothal proves that long before digital tournaments or club championships, India was already shaping the world of competitive strategy.