Chess History and Reminiscences is a book about the history if chess by English chess player Henry Bird. The author's goal is to trace the ancient origins of the game of chess, beginning with what is known from India, Persia and China. He tracks the changes that happened in the game of chess into the final modifications in the mid-15th century and surveys the rise of interest in chess in England and other parts of the world. The book provides a historical look at some of the earliest games notated.

This historical work presents a concise record of the evolution of chess. The book covers everything from the ancient roots of the game, starting from India, Persia (Iraq) and China to the 1880s, including mentions in the poetry of the Middle Ages. The book's author, H.E. Bird, was an extraordinary chess player with an opening named for him and was also considered a historian of chess origins. In this work, he delivered authentic information about chess from his 19th Century point of view. Bird precisely tracks the changes in the game into the final modifications in the mid 15th century and then looks at the rise of interest in chess in England. He also provides some valuable insights about Phiidor, LaBourdonnais, and many other chief personalities in chess from the middle to late 1800s. This well-written account of the history of chess holds the attention of every reader throughout and is of special interest to all chess enthusiasts.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1884.