“Gens Una Sumus” – What the Three Latin Words Under the Chess Logo Taught Me About the World | Chess News

My earliest memory of chess is when I was seven years old.Walking into the venue where I played my first international tournament, I paused under the FIDE (International Chess Federation) sign with my hand tucked into my mother’s. Three words printed in a language I didn’t understand caught my attention. Gens Una Sumus.As I stood there trying to understand them, my mother gently held my hand and reminded me that the game was about to begin.Later, I found her waiting in a quiet corner of the restaurant and asked her what she meant. She searched on her phone and told me they were Latin for: “We are family.”Since then, I’ve seen these words spoken at competitions around the world.

Most players walk beneath them without noticing. I still do. They remind me that every time I enter a tournament lobby, I enter a community bound by shared values.Years later, I learned that this phrase predates modern chess by more than fifteen centuries. It comes from the Roman poet Claudian, whose words were later adopted by the chess community. Their meaning continues to evolve – from describing a person to reminding us that, through chess, we become a family.That sounds like an ambitious motto for a sport. But after years of participating in tournaments, I’ve come to believe that it reflects the reality of chess.Chess is one of the few sports where almost anyone can compete on equal terms. You don’t need expensive equipment or a special physique. The board in Reykjavik is the same as the board in Chennai. Competitions were held in big hotels, school halls and community halls, but the rules never changed. At most open events, anyone can participate.This means a kid who just learned the game a few years ago can be paired with someone who has been playing it for decades.

I experienced this when I was eight years old in a small town in the Austrian Alps. My opponent is a man in his fifties. Our match lasted over five hours, lasting until well after midnight. The organizers waited patiently for us to finish, as none of us were willing to give up a position or agree to a draw.Overall, age is no longer an issue. Neither does reputation. There are only two players trying to solve the same position.More than most sports, chess also brings people closer together. We sat across from the chessboard for hours. We notice the slightest change in breathing, the time a hand hovers over a chess piece, the sudden stillness after a mistake, or the calm confidence after a good move.Then the game ends. We shake hands. We reset the fragments.Often, we sit down again—this time next to each other rather than across from each other—to analyze what happened.“I should set up camp here.”“No, I think the problems started early. Look at your knight.”It wasn’t that long ago that we were trying to outdo each other. Now we’re working together to understand the game.This has always fascinated me.While the clock is still running, wins and losses matter. But once the clock stops, curiosity usually takes over. Adversaries become collaborators. Together we look for game-changing moments and help each other discover what we’re both missing.Maybe that’s what Gens Una Sumus means to me.Chess does not erase differences. The tournament halls are still filled with competition, disappointment, ambition, and sometimes genuine disgust. This is far from a perfect world.But it constantly brings strangers face to face and demands that they respect each other. For a few hours, the person sitting across from you cannot be reduced to nationality, age, class or stereotype. Every move requires you to take them seriously.When I first saw these three Latin words when I was seven years old, I knew nothing about their history. I had no idea they had traveled through the centuries to find a home in the world of chess.All I know is they told me to stop.Today, after years of sitting with people older and younger than me, from countries I have never visited and cultures I know little about, I understand them differently.Each game begins with sixty-four squares.Many people end up with one more relationship.Gens Una Sumus.We are a family.(Arav Dengla He is the 93rd Grand Master of India. He is a keen observer and student of world history (especially chess history)