The Staunton chess set is composed of a particular style of chess pieces used to play the game of chess. According to the rules of chess, this style is to be used for competitions. The journalist Nathaniel Cook is credited with the design, and they are named after the English chess master Howard Staunton. The first 500 sets were hand signed and numbered by Staunton. This style of set was first made available by Jaques of London in 1849, and they quickly became the standard. They have been used around the world since.
The increased interest in the game of chess, particularly in international play during the late 18th century and early 19th century, brought about a renewed demand for a more universal model for the chess pieces. The variety and styles of the conventional form, begun in the 15th century, had expanded tremendously by the beginning of the 19th century.
Conventional types popular during the period included the English Barleycorn chess set, the St. George chess set, the French Regence chess set (named after the Cafe de la Regence in Paris) and the central European. Most pieces were tall, easily tipped and cumbersome during play, but their major disadvantage was the similarity of the pieces within a set. A player’s unfamiliarity with an opponent’s set could alter the outcome of a game.
By the early decades of the the 19th century, it was all too clear that there was a great need for a chess set with pieces that were easy to use and universally recognised by chess players of diverse backgrounds. The solution, first released in 1849 by the purveyors of fine games, John Jaques of London, sport and games manufacturers, of Hatton Garden, London England, was to become known as the Staunton chess set after Howard Staunton (1810-1874), the chess player and writer who was generally considered the strongest player in the world from 1843 to 1851.
This metallic set is something to behold. Cast in metal and stone crushed resin with a unique copper and silver metallic finish, these chess pieces feel and look superb.
King Height 90mm (3.5″) King Diameter 40mm (1.57″) King Weight 140g (4.9 oz)
Recommended Board Match:-