 Sittuyin board and starting position | |
| Years active | 8th century to present |
|---|---|
| Genres | |
| Players | 2 |
| Setup time | < 1 minute |
| Playing time | From 20 minutes to several hours |
| Chance | None |
| Skills | Strategy, tactics |
| Synonyms | Burmese chess |
Sittuyin (Burmese: စစ်တုရင်), also known as Burmese chess, is a strategy board game created in Myanmar. It is a direct offspring of the Indian game of chaturanga, which arrived in Myanmar in the 8th century thus it is part of the same family of games such as chess, and shogi. Sit is the modern Burmese word for "army" or "war"; the word sittuyin can be translated as "representation of the four characteristics of army"—chariot, elephant, cavalry and infantry.
In its native land, the game has been largely overshadowed by Western (international) chess, although it remains popular in the northwest regions.[1]
- ^ Pritchard (1994), p. 31