The Eastern origin of Chess is undisputed
The Eastern origin of Chess is undisputed, but when and by whom it was introduced into Europe is unknown. According to Herodius, the Lydians suffered from a long and severe famine in the reign of Atys, and in order to forget their misery, invented many games, particularly dice. Previous writers attribute the invention of games of chance to the Greeks during the siege of Troy, and Cicero mentions games in the camp; but it does not follow that these games were either chess, cards, or dice. They may have been knuckle-bones or jack-stones, as that game was known in very early days, and pictures representing persons playing with them have been found among Egyptian antiquities.
The Devil’s picture books by Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer
See: https://rhianna.tumblr.com/post/687722220959711232/the-devils-picture-books-by-mrs-john-king-van
