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Kevin McSpadden

There is no game quite like chess, which is so beloved and intricate that millions of people around the world dedicate their lives to mastering its strategies.
The history of chess stretches back thousands of years to ancient India and has seen various relatives emerge over the centuries across the globe.
One such counterpart is Liubo, or “six sticks,” a Chinese board game that enjoyed widespread popularity during the Western Han dynasty (202 BC–9).
Recently, the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology announced the discovery of a 2,000-year-old “chessboard” unearthed during a 2023 excavation that also revealed exquisite figurines, according to the Global Times.
Though the exact rules of Liubo were lost during the Tang dynasty (618–907), it is believed to have been a two-player game in which each participant controlled six pieces that they manoeuvred around the board.

Historians consider it to be a predecessor of Chinese chess, and some wonder if the game was eventually overshadowed by the rise in popularity of Go, which remains one of the most iconic board games in contemporary China.
While Liubo reached the pinnacle of its popularity during the Western Han period, its legend traces back to King Jie of the Xia dynasty (2070 BC–1600 BC), a tyrant said to have ruled during a period of the traditional Chinese historical timeline that some question ever existed.
The earliest concrete evidence of Liubo in Chinese culture dates to the Warring States Period (475 BC–221 BC), when it was mentioned in a king’s speech as an example of the pastimes enjoyed by a prosperous society.
Historians believe Liubo players would toss six sticks to determine their moves. The boards, often carved on both plain and patterned bricks, typically featured a symmetrical design with a central square.

This central square resembles a “fish pool,” likely signifying a reward or causing exciting moments in the game.
Much like chess, Liubo held particular significance because it transcended the social classes of the Western Han era. It began as a popular children’s game before adults developed an affinity for it due to its intellectual rigour. At its peak, it was played by everyone from common peasants to the highest members of royalty.
The game was taken very seriously, much like modern chessmasters. Historians believe elite Liubo players emerged during the Han period (202 BC–220).
For a game that once enjoyed such immense popularity, Liubo became irrelevant in Chinese society relatively quickly. No Liubo artefacts have been found dating beyond the Jin dynasty (265–420), and it is mentioned only in passing in some Tang dynasty literary texts.

Historians assert that all knowledge of specific rules was lost by the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). We only grasp the basics of the game thanks to the rise of archaeology in the 20th century, which prompted a reevaluation of Liubo.
In the early 1970s, archaeologists unearthed a sealed Liubo box set that included the complete set of 12 pieces, six bamboo sticks, and some accessories. This discovery not only advanced our understanding of Liubo but also served as a delightful reminder that the essence of board game sets has remained remarkably consistent over thousands of years.


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Chinese scientists unearth 2,000-year-old cousin of chess played by royals and commoners

Archaeologists in northwest China made a striking discovery: ancient Liubo chessboards dating back more than 2,000 years. Photo: Courtesy of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology

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Street-side Xiangqi by Beijing’s Houhai Lake — a living testament to China’s cross-generational national pastime. Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images

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Cast masterfully into the bronze, these ancient inscriptions served to communicate directly with ancestral spirits. Photo: Cambridge University Press

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Designed to represent “Great Good Fortune,” the Huishan Da A Fu figures draw from Buddhist imagery. Photo: Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images

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A young Qianlong Emperor during the first year of his reign (r. 1735–1796), captured in a hanging scroll painting. Animal—and historically human—sacrifices were once foundational rituals for ancient Chinese emperors to secure their divine mandate. Photo: History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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The five-clawed dragons are clearly visible on this blue-and-white bowl, showcasing intricate dragon motifs. Photo: Wikipedia

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Unlike Western spirits consumed for personal relaxation, baijiu operates as a communal and relational medium, serving primarily to solidify social bonds and networks. Photo: Shutterstock

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News

People & Culture

Universally loved across Western Han society (202 BC–9), Liubo grew from a children’s game into an elite intellectual sport


Universally loved across Western Han society (202 BC–9), Liubo grew from a children’s game into an elite intellectual sport.


Chinese history

Global Times

Chinese scientists unearth 2,000-year-old cousin of chess played by royals and commoners

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Universally loved across Western Han society (202 BC–9), Liubo grew from a children’s game into an elite intellectual sport

Universally loved across Western Han society (202 BC–9), Liubo grew from a children’s game into an elite intellectual sport