By Mesut Varol and Ali Ihsan Ozturk
VAN, Turkey
Asked about Turkey’s “ancestral sport”, Turks often talk wrestling or archery, along with some others.
But there is a different kind of “ancestral” activity in a remote village of eastern Van province with a centuries-long past: chess.
Located 75 miles (120 kilometers) off Van province and surrounded by colossal mountains, Bahcesaray district goes through harsh winter conditions leaving people trapped indoor, which might sound like a downer for many, but the locals there see this as an opportunity to battle on chess board.
The history of chess in the district goes back
