Articles by Dr. Elena Vasquez
- Yut Nori: Korea’s New Year Race Game of Sticks and HorsesYut Nori is Korea’s 1,500-year-old New Year race game: four throwing sticks, four horses, captures and shortcut routes. Rules, history, and how to play.
- Ancient Chinese Dice and Board Games: From Liubo to Sic BoFrom Shang oracle bones and Han Dynasty Liubo to Tang dice gambling and Macau Sic Bo - the 3,000-year story of Chinese dice and board games and what survived.
- Liubo: The Lost Han Dynasty Board GameLiubo was the prestige board game of Han China - played by emperors, depicted on tomb murals, and now extinct. What the Mawangdui set tells us, and what is lost.
- Chess vs Shogi vs Xiangqi: Three Paths from ChaturangaChess, shogi, and xiangqi all descend from Indian Chaturanga. Side-by-side comparison of rules, boards, pieces, and the cultural forces that split one game into three.
- Games of the Silk Road: How Trade Routes Spread Ancient GamesDiscover how the Silk Road transmitted chess, backgammon, mancala, and playing cards between civilizations. The untold story of game migration along trade routes.
- Sugoroku: Japan’s Ancient Race Game and Its Many FormsDiscover Sugoroku, Japan's beloved race game with roots in ancient China. From Buddhist moral boards to backgammon variants and modern adaptations.
- When Was Chess Invented? A Complete TimelineChess was invented in India around 600 CE as Chaturanga. This complete timeline traces the game through Persia, the Islamic world, and 15th-century Spain to the modern rules.
- Lacrosse: The Creator’s Game of the HaudenosauneeDiscover the indigenous origins of lacrosse, known as the Creator's Game. From Haudenosaunee sacred ritual to modern Olympic sport.
- Board Games in Ancient Art: Visual Evidence of Play Across CivilizationsExplore how ancient artists depicted board games in tomb paintings, pottery, sculptures, and manuscripts. Visual evidence of gaming culture from Egypt to Rome.
- Oware, Bao, and Kalah: Regional Mancala Traditions Around the WorldExplore the diverse Mancala traditions from West African Oware to East African Bao and American Kalah. Discover how this sowing game family spans continents and cultures.
- Moksha Patam: The Spiritual Origins of Snakes and LaddersDiscover how Moksha Patam, an ancient Indian game of karma and salvation, became the beloved children's game Snakes and Ladders. A journey through Hindu philosophy and British colonialism.
- Shogi: Japan’s Unique Evolution of ChessExplore the history of Shogi, Japan's distinctive chess variant where captured pieces switch sides. From ancient origins to modern professional tournaments.
- Pachisi: India’s Royal Game That Conquered the WorldPlay Pachisi, the Indian race game and ancestor of Ludo and Parcheesi, free in your browser - authentic cowrie-shell dice and the history from Akbar's court at Fatehpur Sikri.
- The History of Playing Cards: From Tang Dynasty to Modern PokerTrace the complete history of playing cards from Tang Dynasty China through Mamluk Egypt to European courts. Discover the origins of card suits, Hanafuda, Tarot, and the modern 52-card deck.