their books on shatranj. They used a monetary system to specify piece values. For example, as-Suli gives piece values in dirhem, the currency in use in his time: Mansubat Persian chess masters composed many shatranj problems. Such shatranj problems were called manṣūba (pl. manṣūbāt), . This word can be translated from Arabic as "arrangement", "position" or "situation". Mansubat were typically composed in such a way that a win could be achieved as a sequence of checks. One's own king was usually threatened by immediate checkmate. One Mansuba is the Dilaram Problem (see diagram). Black threatens immediate checkmate by 1...Ra2#, Ra8#, or either Rb4#. But White can win with a two-rook sacrifice: 1. Rh8+ Kxh8 2. Bf5+ Kg8 3. Rh8+ Kxh8 4. g7+ Kg8 5. Nh6 Note that the alfil (♗) moves two squares diagonally, jumping over intermediate pieces; this allows it to jump over the white knight to deliver the discovered check from the second rook with 2.Bf5+. It was said that a nobleman (playing White) wagered his wife Dilārām on a chess game and this position arose. She appealed "Sacrifice your two Rooks, and not me." See also Chess in early literature History of chess Tamerlane chess Timeline of chess References Bibliography Further reading External links Shatranj, the medieval Arabian Chess by Jean-Louis Cazaux Shatranj by Hans L. Bodlaender, The Chess Variant Pages The Time of Shatranj and the Aliyat by Miguel Villa ICC shatranj rules Chess in Iran History of chess Games related to chaturanga Persian words and phrases Sports originating in Iran Iranian inventions