Trace the storied history of the game of chess, from its origins in 7th century India to the computer software we use today. -- The attacking infantry advances, their elephants already having broken the defensive line. The king tries to retreat, but the enemy flanks him from the rear. Escape is impossible. This isn’t a real war— nor is it just a game. Over the 1,500 years of its existence, chess has been known as a military strategy tool, a metaphor for human affairs and a measure of genius. Alex Gendler shares its history. Lesson by Alex Gendler, directed by Remus & Kiki. Sign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletter Support us on Patreon: bit.ly/TEDEdPatreon Follow us on Facebook: bit.ly/TEDEdFacebook Find us on Twitter: bit.ly/TEDEdTwitter Peep us on Instagram: bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/a-brief-history-of-chess-alex-gendler Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! zjweele13, Anna-Pitschna Kunz, Edla Paniguel, Elena Crescia, Thomas Mungavan, Alejandro Cachoua, Jaron Blackburn, Yoga Trapeze Wanderlust, Sandy Nasser, Venkat Venkatakrishnan, Nicolle Fieldsend-Roxborough, John Saveland, Jason Garcia, Robson Martinho, Martin Lau, Senjo Limbu, Joe Huang, SungGyeong Bae, Christian Kurch, Begum Tutuncu, David Matthew Ezroj, Sweetmilkcoco, Raphaël LAURENT, Joe Meyers, Farah Abdelwahab, Brian Richards, Divina Grace Dar Santos, Jessie McGuire, Abdullah Altuwaijri, Sarah Burns, Clement, Hadi Salahshour, FAWWAZ GHUWAIDI, Dino Biancolini, Reagen O'Connor, Nicu Boanda, Cindy O., Karla Brilman, Jørgen Østerpart, Sergi Páez, rakesh Katragadda, Carolyn Corwin, Charlene You, Boris Langvand, Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Carsten Tobehn, Kin Lon Ma, Katie Dean, Ezgi Yersu and Eunsun Kim.