The second book published in English was about chess. The Game and Playe of Chesse was published in the 1470s by the first English printer, William Caxton.

There are more possible games of chess than total atoms in the observable universe. In 1950, mathematician Claude Shannon calculated “Shannon’s number,” which sums up to 10^120 possible 40-move chess games. In comparison, there are 10^80 atoms observable in the universe.

Chess players start and finish their tournament games with a handshake. Much like the bowing in martial arts, it's a ritual that signifies mutual respect, regardless of the game's outcome.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is one of the oldest sports governing bodies, established in Paris in 1924 and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024.

Chess computers are older than you might think. Electronica IM-01, the first Soviet mass-market chess computer, was produced in 1977.

July 20th is celebrated as World Chess Day, officially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019.

The Elo rating system is a method for calculating players relative skill levels. Created by Hungarian-American physics professor Arpad Elo for chess, it is also used in soccer, American football, basketball, and many other sports.

Initially, the queen was the weakest piece on the board, moving only one square at a time. The modern queen gained its power in Spain in the 15th century.

Chess experienced a period with two parallel world championships. In 1993, Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short refused to play under FIDE and created their own championship cycle, leading to two simultaneous world titles until the reunification match in 2006.