From this "Sports-Science" I remember that in my childhood the legend was told that it was created for the comfort of a ruler who lost his son during a battle, when he received it he managed to recover by accepting that the loss was irremediable for the dress and wanting to reward the creator he asked for a payment in grains, but under a progression, in which based on 2 each grain was increased to that power for each of the pictures on the board.

The ruler thought it was very little, but when calculating he saw that it was impossible to pay, the debt was forgiven and the inventor warned him never to commit himself to a debt before calculating his true payment.

I know it was a children's story, but I always like to relate this memory to the chess board.