Staunton Chess Set
The Staunton Chess set is a type of chess set with a unique design used to play the game of chess. This is the standard style of chess sets that is used to play during official chess competitions. The person that is credited with the design of this chess set is Nathaniel Cook, who named it after Howard Staunton, an English Chess master who was born in 1810. The first 500 Staunton Chess sets were hand signed by Staunton himself, and the first time this chess set was available was in 1849 in London, quickly making it the standard for normal play. It was not long before this style of chess sets spread across the world.
Chess is a board game that is played between two players with a chess board. The chessboard is square-shaped and contains 64 squares arranged on an 8 by 8 grid. Each player during a chess match starts with sixteen different pieces. Each player has one king and queen, two rooks, knights, and bishops, and eight pawns. Every unique piece on a chess board has unique ways of traveling up and down the chessboard. Both player in a game of chess has the goal of using the pieces to checkmate the opponent’s king. This means that the king is under attack, and there is no possible move that will deem the king safe from the attack. If a king is in check, it means it is being attacked, but there is a move that will keep it safe, either by moving the king or another piece to block the attack.
Chess sets were demanded to become more standardized as the popularity of chess increased in the later part of the 18th century and early 19th century. The 15th century was the time when the standard modern chess set began to take form. Other chess sets that were popular during this time were the English Barleycorn chess set, St. George chess set, the French Regence chess set, and the central European Selenus chess set. The reason why chess sets design are important is because it was found that if a player used an unfamiliar chess set during play, it can easily alter the results of a game. This is one of the primary factors for the eventually standardized competition chess set.
The Development of the Staunton Chess Set:
Cook developed the chess set in the neoclassical style and was based on the respectable Victorian society. The bishop was fitted with a mitre that was easily recognizable, a queen had a coronet and the king’s crown was designed to be easily recognizable. Also, the knight was carved as a stallion’s head, while the rook had a simple design, projecting a feeling of security. The pawns are thought to have been derived from the balconies of Victorian buildings. While these theories are not proven, this is the general theory about the design of the chess set. In addition, the underside of each piece is fitted with felt and weighted with lead to provide comfort and stability.