SHAH (ŞAH) is a term used in many Slavic languages for chess. The German word “schach,” French “échecs,” and English “chess” are all phonetically derived from the word “shah.” The term “ŞAHΔ as an adjective means royal or specific to the shah. It is also used in literary texts to mean strong and magnificent.
The ŞAHÎ cannon, designed by Hungarian engineer Orban, played a pivotal role in breaching the massive walls and towers of Constantinople during the 1453 siege led by Fatih Sultan Mehmed, symbolizing a revolutionary change in siege warfare.
Three centuries after the conquest of Istanbul, during the Dardanelles operation in 1807, another centuries old ŞAHÎ cannon was fired at British ships, causing significant casualties. Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz gifted this cannon to Queen Victoria in 1866. The above ŞAHÎ cannon photo is from Fort Nelson in UK.
The name ŞAHÎ symbolizes the evolution of the rook piece in different languages from war chariot to tower, from cannon to ship, reflecting the evolution of chess.
The ŞAHÎ chess set was designed by Tamer Karatekin, a former first board player of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s chess team and an experienced chess educator. It elegantly represents the history and evolution of chess and is crafted for both educational and tournament use. It is designed to be culturally and spiritually inclusive. The production was supported by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the European Union Erasmus+ Youth program.
Learn more about the ŞAHÎ design story at: www.shahimasterset.com
Also, check out our related projects:
Chess-based AI curriculum: shatranj.ai
Historic mind games exhibit: shatranj.art
