Read the text and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE word in each space.
THE ORIGINS OF CHESS
A great (9) .................................... has been written about
the origins of modern chess, and there is still considerable debate
about the subject. (10) .................................... theory most
widely accepted is that its earliest ancestor was Shaturanga, a game
played in India from around AD 600. (11) .................................
with modern chess, Shaturanga was played on a board with 64 squares.
Pieces such as Kings, Queens and Knights were able to move in
different ways with (12) .................................... aim of
capturing other pieces and, at the end of the game, the opponent’s King. Unlike chess, it was played by four
people, (13) .................................... with their own army. And the other main difference is the use of
dice to decide which piece moved each turn. Some chess historians believe that the game in fact derives (14)
........................... a Persian game, Shatranj, the first references to which also (15) ..............................
from the sixth century. In Shatranj, the powers of the King to move and capture pieces (16)
.................................... more limited than in Shaturanga. (17) .................................... there may
be disagreement about its origins, it is generally accepted that chess in essentially the form it is played today
appeared in southern Europe around the end of the fifteenth century and quickly spread (18)
................................. the continent. (19) .................................... this time, the Queen had become
the most powerful piece of all. Today, chess has become one of the world’s (20) ....................................
popular games. It is played by millions of people both informally and in tournaments, and the number of people
playing online is increasing with access to the Internet.
