Why does smart card antenna follow a "snake" pattern when approaching the chip?
The module is connected to the antenna using conductive adhesive. At the backside of the module there are two pads that are glued to the antenna. For this reason the antenna needs some pads as well or a meander-shaped region that serves the same purpose.

A more detailed discussion can be found here: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1507.06427.pdf.