It is generally accepted that chess originated in India in the 5th or 6th century A.D. The oldest known form of chess is two-handed chaturanga, Sanskrit for "the four branches of the army."  Like real Indian armies at that time, the pieces were called elephants, horses, chariots and foot soldiers.  Unlike modern chess, chaturanga was mainly a game of chance; how you did depended on how well you rolled the dice.

From India, chaturanga quickly spread to Persia, going by the name "chatrang."  When Arabs conquered Persia in the 7th century, they called it "shatranj" and popularized it throughout the Arab world.  Chess made its way to Europe in the 10th century as a result of Arab expansion.  It was initially popular among the upper class, as they were the only ones with the luxury of time and money.  In the late Middle Ages, the merchant classes took up the game and made it available to everyone.