First attested in the 13th century (assederez, açedrẽche, xedrez). From Andalusian Arabic الشَطْرَنْج (aš-šaṭranj), from Arabic شَطْرَنْج (šaṭranj, “chess”), from Persian شترنگ (šatrang), from Middle Persian 𐭰𐭠𐭲𐭫𐭠𐭭𐭢 (ctlng /čatrang/, “chess”), from Sanskrit चतुरङ्ग (cátur-aṅga, “four parts" of an army: king, elephants, horses, foot soldiers”). Cognate with Portuguese xadrez and Spanish ajedrez.