For many years, since 1966, July 20 has been celebrated around the world as International Chess Day. This holiday was established by the International Chess Federation (Fédération Internationale des Échecs, FIDE), which was founded on this day in 1924.

Chess is one of the oldest intellectual games, combining sport, scientific thinking and elements of art. The name of the game comes from the Persian language: shah mat means ‘the ruler is dead’. The birthplace of chess is India. In the 5th century, the predecessor of chess appeared — the game of chaturanga. The name ‘chaturanga’ is translated as ‘four-components’ and is presumably explained by the fact that it was originally played by four people. Chatrang, and later Shatranj, was the name given to the game when it appeared in Persia around 600 AD. It then spread along the Silk Road to other regions, including the Arabian Peninsula and Byzantium. By the year 1000, chess had become popular both in Europe and in Russia, where it came from the Great Steppe.

The first international tournament in the history of modern chess took place in London in 1851, and was timed to coincide with the World Industrial Exhibition.

Chess is a table-top game played on a 64-square board with 32 pieces (16 white and 16 black). Two players compete against each other. The aim of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king. It is believed that playing chess helps develop memory, mental abilities, creative and logical thinking.

In Russia, almost every city has a chess club where fans of this sport gather. On International Chess Day, these clubs hold tournaments, entertainment events, and amateur lectures on sharing gaming experiences.

Today, our traditional column ‘Exhibit in Detail,’ features an item from the museum collection section ‘Amusing Automata’:  a picture clock with an half-hour grande sonnerie chime and automaton, created in the second half of the 19th century in Prague, Austria-Hungary.

This unique item was created by craftsmen having various specialities. The clock was made in the Carl Suchy & Söhne workshop, the musical mechanism – in the Willenbacher & Rzebitschik workshop, and the paintings were created by artist J. Kraupa.

The picture is mounted in a wooden frame with ornamentation; it is attached by hooks and fasteners to wooden case containing the clock and musical mechanisms. On the right side of the case There is an opening for winding the mechanism and a cord with a ball at the end on the case right side. Two chess players, the devil and a young man, are depicted on metal sheet; a guardian angel under the vault is behind them. The arch is formed by two lizards with crisscross tails sliding down the columns and resting on their claws. The chessboard stands on the sarcophagus cover with carvings in the form of skulls and bones. The devil's chair is decorated with the ominous roaring lion head, its paw rests on the human skull. The devil is wearing red cloak, a hair cover with green feather from a cock's tail, he holds white chess piece in his hands. The angel looks sadly at the position in the chess game that personifies the struggle between Good and Evil. Black clock face with golden Roman numerals is in upper part of the painting.

The clock mechanism is pendulum, with lever escapement, three spring motors, half-hour grande sonnerie chime on two gongs. The musical mechanism with pinned metal cylinder, sound comb and spring motor. The clock chime and musical movement are turned on or off by the cord on the case right side.

The scene depicted in the painting, entitled ‘The Chess Players,’ was painted in oil on canvas by the renowned German academic artist Friedrich Moritz August Retzsch (1779–1857) in 1827. Some critics identify the players as Mephistopheles and Faust. There are numerous copies of the painting from the second half of the 19th century. The original work is known to have a clock inserted into its frame, and the devil's eyes move with the help of a special mechanism. This work is in the collection of the honorary president of Chess Collectors International (CCI), Dr Thomas Thomsen.