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Staunton Chess Origin
How did the Staunton Style Arise?
Introduction
The increased interest in chess in social and
international play during the late eighteenth and early
nineteenth centuries, brought about a consistent demand
for a more standard universal model for chess pieces.
The variety and styles of the conventional form begun
in the fifteenth century had expanded tremendously by
the beginning of the nineteenth century. Some of the more
common conventional types popular during the period included
the English Barleycorn, the St. George, the French Regence
( named after the Cafe de la Regence in Paris ) and the
central European Selenus styles. Most pieces were quite
tall, easily toppled and cumbersome during play. But their
largest problem was the uniformity of the pieces within
a set. A player's unfamiliarity with an opponent's set
could tragically alter the outcome of a game. By the early
decades of the nineteenth century, it became very clear
that there was a great need for a playing set with pieces
that were easy to use and universally recognized by players
of all 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 the Shakespearean scholar, author and the current
world champion, Howard Staunton ( 1810 - 1874 ).
Staunton Chess Origin - Jaques
and Staunton
 Nathaniel
Cook has long been credited with the design,but it may
have actually been conceived by his brother-in-law and
owner of the firm, John Jaques. The first theory is Mr.
Cook had used prestigious architectural concepts, familiar
to an expanding class of educated and prosperous gentry.
London architects strongly influenced by Greek and Roman
culture were designing prestigious buildings in the neoclassical
style. The appearance of the new chessmen was based on
this style and the pieces were, in reality, symbols of
respectable Victorian society: a distinguished bishops
miter, a queen's coronet and the king's crown. Then there
was a knight carved as a stallion's head from the ancient
Greek Elgin Marbles and a castle streamlined into clean
classical lines, projecting an aura of strength and security.
The form of the pawns was based on the 'Freemasons square
and compasses', however; another theory reflects the pawns
form is derived from the balconies of London Victorian
buildings. There were also practical innovations that
failed to stick: for the first time a crown emblem was
stamped onto a rook and knight of each side, to identify
their positioning on to the king's side of the board.
A second theory is Jaques, a master turner, may have been
experimenting with a design that would not only be accepted
by players but could also be produced comparitively economically.
In the end, he most likely borrowed and synthesized elements
from sets already available to create a lasting design
of sheer brilliance. The key was the use of universally
recognizable symbols atop conventional stems and bases.
Moreover, the pieces were compact, well balanced and weighted
to provide a playing set that was as useful as it was
understandable.
Staunton Chess Origin - Marketing
Staunton
Many chess historians believe that it was a combination
of both theories with the synergy of Mr. Cook the entrepreneur
and Mr. Jaques the artisan. See our article on
staunton chess design
with some humour attached! Now, moving on, further to the design, and
to add finesse, the ebony and boxwood sets were weighted
with lead to provide added stability and the underside
of each piece was covered with felt. This afforded the
players the illusion that the chessmen were floating across
the board. Some ivory sets were made from African ivory.
The king sizes ranged from 3.5 inches to 4.5 inches and
the sets typically came in a caron-pierre case, each one
bearing a facsimile of Staunton's signature under the
lid.
Then Jaques approached his brother-in-law for advice.
At the Patent Office, on March 1, 1849, Nathaniel Cook,
198, Strand, London, England, registered an Ornamental
Design for a set of Chess-Men, under the Ornamental Designs
Act of 1842. At that date, there was no provision for
the registration of any design or articles of ivory, registration
was limited to Class 2, stipulating articles made chiefly
of wood. Mr. Cook was the editor for the Illustrated London
News where Howard Staunton published chess articles and
he convinced the champion Staunton to endorse the chess
set - a marketing move that would be the envy of marketing
companies then and now. The advertisement possibly written
by Mr. Staunton published as follows:
"A set of Chessmen, of a pattern combining elegance
and solidity to a degree hitherto unknown, has recently
appeared under the auspices of the celebrated player
Mr. STAUNTON. A guiding principle has been to give by
their form a signification to the various pieces - thus
the king is represented by a crown, the Queen by a coronet.
The pieces generally are fashioned with convenience
to the hand; and it is to be remarked, that while there
is so great an accession to elegance of form, it is
not attained at the expense of practical utility. Mr.
Staunton's pattern adopts but elevates the conventional
form; and the base of the Pieces being of a large diameter,
they are more steady than ordinary sets." Illustrated
London News, September 8, 1849.
Staunton Chess Origin - Entry
into the mainstream
Staunton not only endorsed the product for Jaques
of London but aggressively promoted it including the derision
and lambasting of any other design of chess pieces then
proposed. This may have been the first time that a celebrated
name was used to promote a commercial product. The Staunton
as it became known, became available to the general public
on September 29, 1849. The Staunton style, was soon the
standard on which most tournament playing pieces have
been made and used around the globe ever since. The low
cost to produce the Staunton set allowed people of most
economic circumstances to purchase sets and helped to
popularize the game of chess.
The Staunton set obtained the stamp of approval of the
World Chess Federation in 1924, when it was selected as
their selection of chess set, for use in all future national
and international chess tournaments. For over a century
and a half, this style has been cherished by players around
the world. The superiority of the design lay in its well-balanced,
easily recognized pieces. Such was its success that it
will surely be the style of choice for tournament play
to this day and many to come.
Further Reading...
Chess
History
Wikipedia
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