A strange little side quest
Mess on the Ranch belongs to a much longer story of play than a browser tab might suggest. Modern chess traces back to the Indian game chaturanga, recorded around the sixth century and built around pieces representing parts of an army. A second detail makes the picture even better: The first crossword puzzle book appeared in 1924 in a cautious initial printing of 3,600 copies, complete with a free pencil. Grombi files that under: small game, surprisingly large backstory.
