The king also represents the largest figure on the field and its height is used as a measure of proportion for the size of the chess piece set. This is intended to emphasise the bond between the monarchy and Christianity, which in turn is historically based on the legitimisation of the monarchy through the divine grace. He presents himself in his eponymous role as king and accordingly uses as symbolism the shape of a crown with a cross reaching upwards. This is reflected above all in his movement pattern, which is only very limited and if so, then only promising with the support of his subordinates. The king is the most important and at the same time the most helpless chess piece on the board. In addition, each piece had individual characteristics, which I would like to explain in the following. Towards the top, the pieces usually became somewhat narrower in order to make them easier to grasp and guide. The chess pieces no longer stood on pillars, but instead had a broader, more stable base. ![]() But how do you depict a social status or a political area of responsibility in a wooden piece? In addition, in a form that is as simple as possible and cheap to produce? For the design of the Staunton chess pieces, Jaques and Cook reinterpreted existing piece designs on the market, minimising their ornamentation while placing greater emphasis on the features with the greatest power of differentiation. Every chess player, regardless of his status or background, should be able to recognise and interpret the social structures in the game. This personification is also a major reason for the popularity of chess. With the exception of the pawns, the symbolism of the individual pieces is aimed at the elevated society of the Victorian era and is meant to symbolise political as well as social dignitaries. Moreover, since many architects of the time drew their inspiration for the neoclassical movement from Greek and Roman architectural styles, the origin of the Staunton design can be traced back to these eras. For this reason, the pieces appear statuesque and bear a strong resemblance to historical scenes of ancient building facades. The design of the Staunton chess pieces is closely based on the neoclassical architecture that became popular from the middle of the 18th century. These have both a historical and symbolic background, which is expressed in the appearance of the individual pieces. Since Staunten chess pieces come in a wide variety, there are some characteristics that allow identification of the design styles. In 1924, even the World Chess Federation FIDE officially chose Staunton chessmen as the tournament standard for all future chess competitions. In addition, Staunton himself was very committed to using his fame to praise the chess pieces named after him beyond all measure, while always denigrating other pieces on the market.ĭue to the cheaper production costs and lower prices as well as the resulting wider availability, Staunton chess pieces became famous worldwide and also helped chess as a game to become even more popular. He signed the certificates of authenticity for the chess piece sets and helped the pieces achieve a breakthrough with his naming. To promote the chessmen, Cook enlisted the strongest chess player in the world at the time for his venture: Howard Staunton. He transferred his talent and experience in working with ivory to woodworking to create a chess piece design that had simpler shapes and was easier to produce. Jaques was also a businessman and very experienced in the field of ivory turning, which is why the complaints of the chess players had also reached his ears. ![]() Entrepreneur Nathaniel Cook saw the business potential and applied for a patent on a chess piece design created by John Jaques in the spring of 1849. ![]() However, as chess remained popular at the tournament level, the demand for more competitive and robust chess equipment increased. Names of Some of the Chess Piece Designs of the Timeīarleycorn chess pieces from the early 19th century The decorative properties of the pieces prevented them from being suitable for use as competitive pieces, as a good grip had to give way to aesthetics. ![]() Players, on the other hand, who attached more importance to the handling of the pieces, complained that they were fragile, often difficult to distinguish from one another and unwieldy to move on the chessboard. This art form made chess pieces a valuable and thus also highly priced pleasure in which only wealthy citizens could participate. In the mid-19th century, common chess pieces had elaborate hand-carved ornaments and were highly decorative. The Staunton chess piece design, which is now widespread all over the world, originated in England in 1849.
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