Unit 6 Free Time Activities 閑暇活動 monologue (1/2)

Hints:

Arab

"check mate"

Persian

"Shah mat"


The following monologue is about chess. Chess may be one of the oldest games in the world. An Arab traveler in India in the year 900 wrote that it was played long, long ago. It was probably invented in India, and it has been played everywhere from Japan to Europe since 1400. The name "chess" is interesting. When one player is attacking the other's king, he says, in English, "check". When the king has been caught and cannot move anywhere, he says, "check mate". These words come from Persian. "Shah mat" means "the king is dead". That is when the game is over, and one player has won. Such an old game changes very slowly. The rules have not always been the same as they are now.