Section 1
Stressing the Social Historic Backcloth.
An explanation of the content of De Ludis Orientalibus the "Bible" of all chess historians written by Sir Thomas Hyde, 1694, Oxford. Professor of Hebrew and Arabic; Curator of the Bodleian Library.
The full translation is with margin notes indicating derivation of phraseology.
Weaves the progress of the route of chess history. Chess in the Talmud written before the end of the 5th century in Aramaic and references to 3rd century Aramaic, reference to chess in early times under the Parthians whose written language also Aramaic. Chess in its social and historic setting.
Its development in Persia during the Sassanid dynasty which ended about 562 AD.
The Arab invasion of Persia and subsequent establishment of the Moslem Abbasid Dynasty. Suhl of Tabaristan 10th century writing about chess is cure to psychological melancholy etc.
The "new scene" of chess across the Khazar Sea (now the Caspian Sea) to the land of the Khazar Khanate (the Tatar Huns who became Jews). This concurrently with the spread of chess throughout the Moslem empire. The connection with trade which flowed up the rivers Volga and Dneiper etc, to north Russia and the back door of Europe through Eastern Europe, Poland and the north and resultant spread of chess.
