English Chess Forum

I have recently been searching the Internet for an in-depth aacount of how the rules of chess developed. All I have managed to find is really quite basic, and I was more interested with some detail of how and why certain rules were introduced. Can anybody recommend any articles or links ?

Many of the moves that developed later, such as castling and en-passant seem to me to be based on quite logical and beneficial ideas.

I have often wondered when the procedure of giving "Check" and the King being forced to move came about. Was it a rule that came about after people often lost their King due to very basic blunders, and not seeing a simple tactics ?

I also have often wondered if the concept of stalemate actually makes the game better. Sure, there are extra tactics that one or both players must consider, but doesn't this rule do the most to make the game "drawish" ?

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Chess Amateur.

In Persia the Shah ruled, who had divine stature. When the game migrated to Persia from India, the king accordingly became an absolute piece, while the Shah was an absolute and divine ruler. In medieval times the king had the right to jump two steps, but only once during the game. This later became the castling move. The stalemate is connected with the king's property as an absolute piece, i.e. its noble nature is such that it cannot be captured. In Chinese Chess it is even more secluded from the ignoble pieces. It cannot move outside its nine square enclosement, just like the Chinese empereor could never move outside his palace.
An interesting book about the introduction of the queen, and other historical aspects, is 'Birth of the Chess Queen' by Marilyn Yalom.
/Mats