Play Shatranj online free — the authentic 7th-century Persian chess that gave birth to modern chess. Chaturanga.online is the only dedicated Shatranj game on the internet, powered by the AI engine Arteshtār (ارتشتار). Challenge the AI at 10 difficulty levels, play Shatranj online against human opponents in real-time multiplayer, or solve 200+ historical Mansuba puzzles from medieval Arabic manuscripts.
Shatranj (شطرنج, also spelled shatrang, shatranj chess, or şatranj) is the direct Persian descendant of Indian Chaturanga and the immediate ancestor of European chess. It flourished across the Islamic world from the 7th century through the 15th century, producing a rich tradition of theory, composition, and grandmaster play under the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad.
The pieces of Shatranj are: Shah (شاه, King), Firz or Wazir (وزير, Minister — moves one square diagonally), Fil (فيل, Elephant — leaps exactly two squares diagonally), Rukh (رخ, Chariot — moves like a modern Rook), Faras (فرس, Horse — moves like a modern Knight), and Baidaq (بيدق, Pawn — promotes only to Firz). Key differences from modern chess: no castling, no en passant, no double pawn push, stalemate is a defeat for the stalemated player, and the Bare Shah rule — reducing the opponent to a lone Shah while retaining two or more pieces is an immediate victory.
The greatest Shatranj masters — as-Suli (أبو بكر الصولي), al-Adli ar-Rumi, al-Lajlaj — composed Mansuba puzzles (مَنْصُوبَة) that remain among the earliest recorded chess compositions in history. As-Suli's Diamond, a King+Firz versus King+Firz endgame, went unresolved for over 1,000 years until proven by retrograde analysis. It is playable in full on this platform.
Shatranj openings (ta'biyat, تعبية) are documented in 9th-century manuscripts. This platform implements the complete historical ta'biyat book: the Mujannah (مجنح), Sayyala (سيالة), Mashaikhi (مشايخي), and 13 other formations described by al-Adli and as-Suli — the only complete digital implementation of historical Shatranj openings.