Size and Weight
It’s common to come across size specifications, typically measured in inches, attached to each chess set. In a standard tournament chess set, the king's height is set at 3.75 inches. If you're considering a purchase for tournament play, aiming for this 3.75-inch king size is the recommended choice.
Chess sets featuring kings of 4 inches or larger are often striking as decorative items, and it's worth noting that as the pieces get larger, their price quickly increases. This is because larger pieces are typically more intricately carved, especially evident in the craftsmanship of the knights. Knights often demand more skill and attention to detail in their carving compared to the other pieces, which are generally symmetrical and can be produced using a lathe. Oftentimes the knight's intricacy can serve as a good indicator of the set's overall expense.
When purchasing a chess set, it's important to consider whether or not the pieces have sufficient weighting. Unweighted pieces can feel too light and are susceptible to tipping, particularly when used on uneven surfaces or roll-up boards. Since the mid-19th century, premium chess pieces have been weighted with lead. Many sets feature a discreetly carved hole at the bottom of each piece where the weight is inserted. This hole is typically covered with felt to prevent damage to the board. In some budget-friendly sets, you may find this hole, but no actual weight added, necessitating that you add the weight yourself.
Staunton Style
The Staunton chess set, introduced in the 19th century by British chess player Howard Staunton and chess piece manufacturer Nathaniel Cook, revolutionized the world of chess by establishing a standardized and easily recognizable design for chess pieces. Prior to the Staunton design, chess sets were diverse and often confusing, leading to disputes during games.
The Staunton set featured distinct and elegant pieces, including a king with a cross atop its crown, a queen with a coronet, rooks resembling turrets, knights as horse heads, bishops with mitres, and simple, rounded-top pawns. This design quickly gained widespread popularity and became the global standard for tournament and professional chess, ensuring clarity and consistency in chess play and making it accessible to players from all corners of the world.
Since its introduction, the basic characteristics of the Staunton style have endured, while various interpretations and artistic variations have been introduced. The Staunton chess set remains an iconic and timeless symbol of the game, appreciated for its aesthetics, practicality, and role in promoting international chess competitions.
Zagreb and Dubrovnik
The Zagreb style, along with its influential counterpart, the Dubrovnik style, represents unique mid-20th century Eastern European interpretations of the traditional Staunton chess pattern. These styles offer a smoother and more rounded aesthetic compared to most Staunton sets. Notably, these chess sets often showcase distinctive finials in different colors, such as a black orb atop the white queen and vice versa.
One of the key features setting these sets apart is the knight's design, characterized by its gracefully curved, S-shaped neck and a downward-facing face. In contrast, the Dubrovnik style distinguishes itself by featuring a king's crown topped with a simple orb, rather than a cross.
Northern Upright
Also recognized as the Edinburgh Upright style, these chess pieces served as one of the immediate precursors to the iconic Staunton design. They gained popularity during the early to mid-19th century, particularly among the European aristocracy. These pieces are distinguished by their resemblance to tall, slender columns, adorned with simple motifs.
The queen, crowned with an orb, almost appears as a considerably tall pawn, while the bishop's split mitre reflects the design trends before the Staunton era. Like many sets from that period, these tall and slender pieces had a tendency to tip over during play, a drawback that the robust Staunton pieces, which eventually succeeded them, did not share. Nevertheless, the Upright style maintains its remarkable and elegant design, making it a valuable addition to any chess enthusiast's collection.
See an example here: Northern Upright Chess Set (House of Staunton)
English Barleycorn
The English Barleycorn style emerged as one of the most favored chess piece patterns in 19th century England. These pieces were typically crafted from bone, a departure from the more common wooden sets of the era, and a distinctive characteristic was the black pieces often being dyed red. These pieces had relatively slender stems rising from a flat base, with the larger ones featuring ornate central 'drums' as a prominent feature.
One notable aspect of this design was the flagpole-style finials adorning the rooks, although not all sets included this feature. However, from a practical gameplay perspective, these pieces had their drawbacks; they were fragile and prone to toppling or breaking with rough handling, and their ornate decoration could be visually distracting. Nevertheless, they maintained their popularity throughout the 19th century, even though, like many other styles, their appeal waned with the advent of the Staunton pattern.
Selenus
The Selenus chess set, much like the English Barleycorn style, was commonly crafted from bone and leaned towards slender and intricately designed chess pieces. This particular style gained popularity in Germany and Northern Europe and derived its name from the author of a 17th-century chess book, Gustavus Selenus, a pen name used by the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
Selenus's book featured illustrations of the pieces in use during that era, making the Selenus style one of the oldest discussed in this article. The tall and ornate pieces often showcased floral motifs, with upward-pointing petals radiating from the central column. In England, this style earned the moniker 'Tulip Chess sets' due to their resemblance to tulip blossoms. Selenus pieces retained their popularity in Germany until the early 20th century when, much like many other styles, they were overshadowed in popularity by the more robust Staunton pieces.
French Regence Pieces
The French Regence chess pieces derive their name from the renowned Café de la Régence in Paris, a pivotal hub of chess activity during the 18th and 19th centuries. This café was frequented not only by great chess masters of the era but also by illustrious figures such as Voltaire and Napoleon. The Café de la Régence held such a prominent place in the world of chess that the pieces used there, which followed a common European pattern of that time, became synonymous with its name.
These pieces are characterized by their appearance, resembling stacked orbs and discs. Similar to many other sets in use during that period, the queens, bishops, and pawns bore a striking resemblance to one another, differing mainly in height. This resemblance often led to confusion for players unfamiliar with the pattern, which eventually contributed to the widespread adoption of the Staunton pieces. Nevertheless, French Regence pieces continued to be in use well into the 20th century.
See an example here: French Regence Chess Set (House of Staunton)
Lund Pattern and English Sets
The Lund pattern belonged to a group of similar English chess sets that were available in the late 18th and early 19th century, alongside designs like the St George, Calvert, and Merrifield patterns. Much like the French Regence set, these patterns shared a common feature—a balustered and ribbed column that resembled a stack of orbs and disks. However, they incorporated the mitred bishop from the Upright style, and the queen typically featured a pointed or coronet top, making these sets more distinguishable compared to the French style.
The standout characteristic of the Lund style was the tower-like structure of the rook, often adorned with a flagpole, akin to the Barleycorn design. These sets were designed with serious competitive play in mind, and their popularity only began to decline with the introduction of the Staunton pattern.
See an example here: Lund Chess Set (House of Staunton)
Isle of Lewis
Also known as Lewis Chessmen or Uig Chessmen, this style of chess set is based on a collection of 12th century pieces found in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. They were discovered by a man named Malcolm Macleod, who, according to one story, was searching for a lost cow at the time. Most of the pieces are now in the British Museum, along with a number of other game pieces found in the same cache. It is believed they were made by a master craftsman in Trondheim in Norway, around the late 12th century, and were lost or buried on their way to Norse settlements in Ireland.
The detailed figurines were originally carved in walrus ivory, and are notable for the expressions on each character's face - the queen looks bored, the king stern, and some of the rooks appear to be gnawing furiously on the rim of their shields. While the designs may be a little distracting for practical play - although the pieces are very solid and stable - they have been popular display pieces and even made an appearance in the Harry Potter movies.
Collector's Editions
Collector's edition chess sets are also quite popular among chess enthusiasts and collectors alike. These unique sets come in various forms, with some representing historical significance while others are limited editions inspired by popular themes. One example of a historical significance is the Lewis Chessmen set, a group of intricately carved chess pieces dating back to the 12th century and discovered on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. These pieces offer a glimpse into the medieval world and some are on display in both the British Museum as well as the National Museum of Scotland.
On the other hand, contemporary limited edition chess sets, many based on popular media franchises like the Game of Thrones and Legend of Zelda chess sets, have captured the attention of fans of the series. This set brings the characters and elements of the show to life on the chessboard, with each piece meticulously designed to reflect a key character or symbol from the series. Such sets are not only a delight for fans but also a testament to the fusion of pop culture and the timeless game of chess.
Collector's edition chess sets, whether of historical importance or inspired by contemporary pop culture, provide a captivating and artistic twist to the classic game. They serve as both a piece of history and a unique collectible, attracting passionate chess aficionados and fans of various themes, making them cherished treasures in the world of chess collecting.