From Middle English ches, chesse, from Old French eschés, plural of eschec, from Medieval Latin scaccus, from Arabic شَاه ("king [in chess]"), from Persian شاه ("shah, king"), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠, from Old Persian 𐏋.
Compare German Schach and Italian scacchi. Compare French échecs ("chess") and its descendants: Catalan escacs and Dutch schaak. More at check and shah.
Origin uncertain; perhaps linked to Etymology 1, above, from the sense of being arranged in rows or lines.
Compare French châssis ("a framework of carpentry").
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