Ancient chessboard in secret room in 13th century castle

Nine generals chessboards were found in the underground room connecting the castle on the Russian island to the nearby city of Vyborg.

Archaeologists discovered a medieval chessboard in a secret room beneath the castle in Russia, Newsweek yesterday reported. The manager at the local museum said the room could connect the castle on the small island to the nearby city of Vyborg.

Nine-player chess game.(Photo: Newsweek).

According to Vladimir Tsoi, director of Vyborg Museum-Reserve Museum, the chess board from fired bricks may be a version of the nine-player chess game , a strategy game in which the player fights with pieces called "generals". .

The two-player version of this game has circulated around the world for centuries. Similar games were found in ancient relics from India and China to the Roman Empire. Nine chess pieces are played on a chessboard with a grid intersecting. Each player will find a way to win the opponent's champion. When placing three generals in a row, they won one of their generals. Any player with only two generals left and unable to form a third will lose.

Tsoi said the chessboard may be the most interesting discovery by archaeologists in recent excavations, next to the coin collection.Vyborg Castle was built in 1293 on the island near the Finnish border and has undergone several renovations. The large domed tower of the castle is nearly 50 meters high.