Makruk, or Thai chess, is one of the most popular indoor games among Thai people. It is played on a board between two people or two sides, who have to think strategically to defeat their rival. The player with the better strategy will win the game, unless, of course, a player intentionally holds back to let the other side win for the sake of friendship.
A translation of a historical book from English into Thai by Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, a son of King Mongkut (Rama IV), states that makruk had its origin in India thousands of years ago. The Ramayana epic has it that Rama led an army to lay siege to the city of Langka, ruled by the demon-king Ravana (Thotsakan).
Montho, Ravana's wife, was concerned that her husband was so engaged in the struggle to protect the city that he had no time for recreation. Realizing that her husband would not easily turn away from thoughts of battle, she invented a chessboard representing a battlefield and armies maneuvering.
The Indians called it "chaturong," with four military corps used as chessmen. They included the elephant (khon), the horse (ma), the navy (rua), and the infantry (rap or bia). Raja, or king (khun), is the most important piece on the chessboard.
What does "struggle" mean?
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