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What was happening 4 years ago?
Http://www.chessvariants.org/index/displaycomment.php?commentid=18406,
Slide Shuffle.
40 years ago? Fischer defeated in different candidates' matches through
1971 Taimanov 6-0, Larsen 6-0, Petrosian 6.5-2.5.
400 years ago? Europe saturated with Christian culture, year 1611 appears
in common English translation commissioned by James I of 'Bible', text
replete with Greek and Roman images; drawings depict Pan and his flute,
Apollo chasing Daphne. Adorns the Bible by chapter ''Revelation'' and
before artwork depicting Poseidon god of sea and horses, drawn over water
trident-clasped. Evident respect for anciency 17th-century as in Carrera's
Chess (1617), http://www.chessvariants.org/historic.dir/carrera.html, chosen figures of Centaur and Nordic Champion for chess
pieces.
4000 yrs. ago? Unique hieroglyphic scrypt at Knossos Crete.
40,000 yrs ago?   
Http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/newsroom/newsreleases/Pages/Researchers-say-Neanderthals-interbred-with-modern-humans.aspx. Late scientific revision under way has homo sapiens and homo neanderthalenthis conspecific like for example Snow goose/Blue goose interbred to one species. European-extracted today can have 4, 5, 6% neanderthal genes of the 23,000. Peak amalgamation of the two strains, characterized bulbous head, dexterous hand, bipedalism, occuring after 40 millennia ago. Imagine, before the subspecies fully merged, what skill games unlikely chess-like could have been played then capable of. Apparently provisionally more mental Neanderthal contributed long-range planning, see the articles. 
Http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/newsroom/newsreleases/Pages/Neanderthalsmoreadvancedthanthought.aspx.
Http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110314152917.htm.