A version of the game of chess in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh And its comparison with other versions

By reviewing the classical texts, we come to find certain new information and expressions that acquaint us with various aspects of the life of previous generations. The Shahnameh, as one of the principal fountain heads of our ancient culture, is an invaluable source respecting this question. To avoid repetition and, for that reason, to prevent boredom of speech, and, of course, to display their merits, poets benefit from topics and ideas in line with their own aims and objectives. To enhance his memorable work, Ferdowsi also made use of the most thought-raising game, namely, the chess, which has direct relevance to epic and evokes war scenes. By applying a inductive method and a close reading of the story of “Gu va Talkhand” from the Shahnameh and investigating into the main sources on elm-e mala’eb (knowledge of games and entertainment), the present article intends to find out whether or not the arrangement and manner of playing this kind of game existed in the ancient version of the chess. What are the differences and similarities? The result of the investigation shows that, in this story, Ferdowsi has produced a new unprecedented variety of the game, which greatly differs from the versions mentioned in reference sources. Even the appearance of the Rook (castle) in this game is totally different from other kinds, something most probably disregarded by the commentators of the Shahnameh.