Until recently the academic search for the origin of chess was mainly based on literary sources and only now and then the examination of statuary counters was of interest. Starting with Joseph Needham´s work written in 1962 for the first time the game itself and its structure were brought into the focus of attention in the search for its origin. In 1994 Hans Holländer put forward the suggestion that neither the names and forms of the counters nor history should be analyzed with priority but the structure of the game of chess itself.

This suggestion is what is being pursued here. An analysis of all variants of chess shows that its structure is based on three main elements. The element of hunt games is represented by the central figure, the element of variation of counters by the officers and the element of race games by the pawns.

Based on this observation the first thesis proposed here is that chess was created through the unification of these three elements. Games or related techniques, which certainly preceded the invention of chess and which contain these elements in an isolated form, can be found in the entire area along the Silk Road. The whole process of unification, however, still raises some questions.

Considering the geographical, historical and cultural conditions, which are relevant as matters stand, in the second thesis put forward here, the actual process of unification is being ascribed to a civilization which died out long ago. An important hint concerning this thesis was given by Isaak Lindner in 1975: The Kushan Empire. On the one hand there are accounts of intensive contact between this empire and its contemporary political neighbours from the Near East to India and China, neighbors which did not only take over the inheritance of this empire - but claim the invention of chess for themselves nowadays. On the other hand this empire is characterized by a harmonious melting of motives and elements of various cultures and artistic traditions, excellent conditions for the process of unification, which was necessary for the invention of a game like chess.

These theses were developed solely on the basis of an examination of the structure of the game of chess. Only academic verification through literary and further archaeological sources can show their validity.