A Brief History Of The Staunton Chess Set

Chess has always been a popular pastime, but it wasn't until the late eighteenth

and early nineteenth centuries that the game really came into its own in worldwide popularity. This increased interest led to the demand for a more standardised chess set rather than the huge variety of very different and sometimes decorative pieces which were the norm from the fifteenth century onwards.

These sets committed a multitude of sins against the game, not least of which was the variety of their designs - not being certain about which pieces were which in an opponents' chess set drastically altered the outcome of more than one game. There were also a lot of logistical issues with these pieces too: they were typically heavy and cumbersome and could easily tip over in play, which is again, something which could alter the outcome of a game - what if the king fell over, for example?

Consequently, by the early nineteenth century, there was a clear need for a standardised chess set with pieces which everyone would recognise and was logistically sound for play. The solution was found by John Jaques of Jaques of London, a manufacturer of fine games and sports equipment, who created a set of pieces which were easily recognisable, compact and well balanced and were ideal for regular gaming use, and thus the Staunton set was born, named after the Shakespearian scholar, author and world chess champion Howard Staunton. The Staunton sets were made available to the public on September 8th, 1849.

The Staunton chess set featured designs loosely based on positive aspects of Victorian Society, including a Bishop's miter, a king's crown and a classic stallion's head for the knight, and featured the advantages of being both easy and affordable to produce, meaning that everyone could have access to this new style of chess pieces. Not only were these pieces affordable and able to be produced without much difficulty, they were perfect for play. They were easily distinguishable from the player's angle, compact, well balanced and well weighted, meaning that toppling pieces were a thing of the past and there was no advantage to be gained by players not being familiar with their opponents' pieces.

To this day, the Staunton style of chess set is considered the standard throughout the world and is used in games of all kinds, from friendly matches in the park to world championships. In many ways it can be seen that the Staunton pieces helped bring the game to the degree of popularity it enjoys today and there is no reason to assume that this will not continue for many years to come.

by: Anna Stenning

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