Meditation around Mint Tea

Chess game around Mint Tea

For some, the game of chess is a fulfilling pastime… Around Mint Tea , we enjoy this game which reflects the admirable efforts of the human spirit.

For us, like the Arabs who popularized it all over the world, the game of chess is an artistic and intellectual game, which we like to compose while sipping a Mint tea .

The history of chess artistic composition goes back to the origins of the game, to Shatranj, the ancestor of chess. Central Asia is the land where the art of playing chess was cultivated.

Indeed, the Arab-Muslims were the first to study this game in a scientific way. "Chess researchers" all agree that its history can only be reconstructed from Arab-Muslim sources.

The Masters of the Chessboard

The earliest work on the game dates back to the 9th century, when Al-Ádlí ar-Rúmí wrote “ Kitab Ash-Shatranj ” (The Book of Chess). This legendary Chess Master had compiled the history of chess, including information on Chaturanga - the Indian version and possibly the origin of the game. He had also recorded openings and endings, and Mansubat (chess problems).

The Mansubats mark the birth of the art of composition. These are truly the ancestors of modern problems and studies. They were intended for a mat combination and were completed by a poetic title or caption.

Long before the great Russian Masters, the Arab Muslims dominated the world stage and their players were the best in the world, for a very long time. Among them, the confirmed Masters of Shatranj - the Aliyat - are called Al-Adli, As-Suli, Na'am, Zabrab… < / p>

During this period, a good number of caliphs became devotees of the game of chess, and they were often the patrons of these great Masters.

The mat of Dilaram and the last Mint Tea

Between two glasses of Mint Tea , we will unveil the legend that presides over the most famous Mansubat - « Le mat de Dilaram ":

“An Arab prince loved to play chess, and bet money… One day he lost all his possessions and ended up betting his own wife - the beautiful Dilaram - on his last game played. Princess Dilaram watched the game intently. When she saw that the situation was becoming critical for her unfortunate husband ... and especially for her fate ... She cried out, "Sacrifice two Towers and save me!" ". The prince ends up finding the combination of mat… in order to savor his Mint tea in the company of his faithful and reckless wife ”

In conclusion of this meditation around Mint tea , you can remember that the expression “ checkmate ” finds its origins in the Middle East … The term “ Al Sheikh mat ” translates to “ the king is dead ” in Arabic. The term “ Shah mat ” literally means “the king is defenseless” in Persian.

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