Before chess.

Chess is a long history gameboard. It has developing in long time. In origin it wasn't called "chess" and playing's rule was different.

Chess is told to have originated in Gupta empire, North-West India , in the 6th century, called as caturanga which have four divisions (infantry,cavalry,elephant,chariotry that represented by pawn, knight,bishop,and rook respectively.) From that time it was spread into persian kingdom , and this caturanga was known in new name "chatrang". Later Persia was conquested by Islamic about 633-644 . Caturanga was known in new name again ,"Shatranj". Shatranj was called as ajedrez in Spanish, xadrez in Portugrese, zatrikion in Greek, and shan in the rest of Europe ,check is rendered as immediately capture the King, later check is sound like chess that is a name of game.

This game is spread into Europe by Muslim merchant who travel by sea. That was origin of chess game later.
It was believed this game reach Western Europe and Russia in three ways in 9th century. Spread throughout Europe before 1000.
In addition to , Some believed that chess was developed from chinese chess that called xiangqi.