Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

The Story of Chess Lyrics by Chess in Concert Cast

Chess In Concert (Live)

2009

[THE ARBITER]
Each game of chess
Means there's one less
Variation left to be played
Each day got through
Means one or two
Less mistakes remain to be made
[SOLOISTS 1 & 2]
Not much is known
Of early days of chess
Beyond a fairly vague report
[SOLOIST 3]
That fifteen hundred years ago two princes fought
Though brothers, for a Hindu throne
[SOLOIST 4]
Their mother cried
For no one really likes fheir offspring fighting fo the death
She begged them stop the slaughter with her every breath
[SOLOIST 5]
But sure enough one brother died
[SOLOISTS 4 & 6]
Sad beyond belief
She told her winning son
[SOLOIST 6]
"You have caused such grief
I can't forgive
This evil thing you've done"
[SOLOISTS 3 & 7]
He tried to explain
How things had really been
[SOLOIST 7]
But he tried in vain
No words of his
Could mollify the queen
[SOLOIST 8]
And so he asked
The wisest men he knew
The way to lessen her distress
[THE ARBITER]
They told him he'd be
Pretty certain to impress
By using model soldiers
On a checkered board
To show it was his brother's fault—
[THE ARBITER & SOLOISTS]
They thus invented chess
[MALE SOLOISTS]
Chess displayed no inertia
Soon spread to Persia
Then west
[FEMALE SOLOISTS]
Next the Arabs refined it
Thus redesigned, it
Progressed
[SOLOIST 9]
Still further yet
And when Constantinople fell in 1453
One would have noticed every other refugee
Included in his bags a set
[SOLOIST 10]
Once in the hands
And in the minds of leading figures of the Renaissance—
[SOLOIST 2]
The spirit and the speed of chess made swift advance
Through all of Europe's vital lands
[FEMALE SOLOISTS & MALE SOLOISTS]
Where we must record (Each game of chess)
The game was further changed right (Means there's one less)
Across the board the western touch (Variation)
Upon the pieces ranged (To be played)
[ALL SOLOISTS]
King and queen and rook
And bishop, knight, and pawn
All took on the look
We know today—
The modern game was born
[THE ARBITER]
And in the end
We see a game
That started by mistake in Hindustan—
And boosted in the main by what is now Iran—
Become the simplest
And most complicated
Pleasure yet devised
For just the kind of mind
Who would appreciate this
Well-researched and fascinating yarn
Credits
Chess in Concert Cast

Chess in Concert Cast

About “The Story of Chess” by Chess in Concert Cast

Read the complete lyrics to "The Story of Chess" by Chess in Concert Cast from the album "Chess In Concert (Live)" in 2009. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Musicals, Pop.

"The Story of Chess" is performed by Chess in Concert Cast. from the album "Chess In Concert (Live)" in 2009 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Story of Chess", explore more songs by Chess in Concert Cast using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Chess in Concert Cast · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"The Story of Chess" is credited to Chess in Concert Cast. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Story of Chess" appears on "Chess In Concert (Live)" in 2009.

Visit the Chess in Concert Cast artist page at /artist/chess-in-concert-cast for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.