A strange little side quest
If Grow Your Guarden sends you down a curiosity rabbit hole, start here. The word 'checkmate' is linked to the Persian expression 'shah mat', used when the king was trapped. It also connects to a different milestone: Pong was field-tested in California bars in 1972 and helped launch the modern arcade-game era. That history is one reason familiar mechanics can still feel new when they are recombined well.