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A brief history of chess - Alex Gendler

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TEDEd Animation

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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.

Where is chess believed to have been invented?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Alex Gendler
  • Director Remus Buznea, Kyriaki Kyriakou
  • Narrator Adrian Dannatt
  • Animator Remus Buznea, Kyra Kupetsky
  • Art Director Remus Buznea, Kyra Kupetsky
  • Sound Designer Stephen Eugene Larosa
  • Composer Stephen Eugene Larosa
  • Music Stephen Eugene Larosa
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Fact-Checker Brian Gutierrez

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