俄罗斯棋

刚从俄罗斯回来的Don带回手信给我，哇！好精致的俄罗斯棋，虽然我不会下，但是，单是看这些精致的棋子，就让人爱不释手，我会把它当成摆设品，有空时欣赏它们，相信心情也会开朗。为了想知道更多有关俄罗斯棋子的讯息，于是上网去找。感谢Don让我拥有这赏心悦目的礼物，同时也知道了一丁点俄罗斯棋的讯息。人生好比下棋，得步步为营，以免遗憾。

Chess in Russia goes back more than a thousand years to the Byliny, the ancient heroic epic poem period. It seems to have been introduced from the East, as distinct from the Arabic influence in Western Europe, and was favored by all classes and was even played by Peter the Great who carried special soft-leather Chess-boards during military campaigns, one of which has survived and is on show at the Hermitage museum in Leningrad.

In Russia, Chess is regarded as a noble profession and many write short stories and poetry about the game. The Russian school of traditional Chess has been distinguished from other styles of play by its rigorous use of scientific methods of experimentation and systematic analysis. For those interested in developing artificial intelligence, Chess provides the raw material for serious scientific investigation into the nature of human intelligence.

In the former Soviet Union Chess was supported by the government. During Stalin’s time victories were used in international Chess tournaments to propagandize the notion that the best minds flourish under the Communist system. Top players had the assistance of 40, sometimes 50 aides. They analyze positions, perform physical therapy and provide sophisticated psychological profiles of opponents.

In Russian folk poems Chess is mentioned as a popular game. The Vikings carried the game to north-western Europe via the Baltic. Chess arrived in Germany around the 11th century, with the earliest reference to Chess being made by a monk ‘Froumund von Tegermsee’. Chess spread to Italy from Germany and later on to England and Ireland. Chess also reached Scandanavia by the 11th century and Bohemia from Italy. The growing popularity of Chess is proven by the vast amount of literature that has been printed over the last few centuries.