| I wonder if Nathaniel Cook and John Jaques ever | | | | have a secret weapon to overcome the |
| realized that the staunton chess design would be | | | | dampeners placed upon us, the binding upon our |
| so dominating as 'the' style of chess sets and 'the' | | | | imagination and the rules restricting our |
| design chosen for global chess tournaments. What | | | | expression. Here horsey horsey... let's make you |
| would Bill Gates have done? Sold a license for | | | | pretty! With some occasional diversion, the Knight |
| each set, and each game played? The re-boot | | | | has become the focus of chess design such that |
| functionality would be useful for my poorer | | | | it stands out in many luxury chess sets as the |
| games - a handy technique for "Doh! We'll have to | | | | end result of a craftsmans (sorry ladies...) thought, |
| start the game over again". I bet Bill plays a mean | | | | talent and skill. And there are many outstanding |
| game in practice, no doubt with many similarities | | | | examples of chess set design that enable the |
| to a computer.Before the days of Cook and | | | | modern craftsman to regard the Knight as his |
| Jaques the design of chess sets was rather | | | | palette with awe inspiring results. Wanna see |
| different than todays. Whilst weighting has been | | | | some?Here's a design called the Ultimate Knight. |
| the predominant improvement since those days, | | | | And what about this bespoke design - this belongs |
| previously there was a wonderful array of | | | | in a museum display huh?. The third example is |
| resplendent design, unharnessed by the | | | | one where the craftsmen take two days to |
| restrictions messers Cook and Jaques imposed. A | | | | create just one single Knight - the Bridled Knight - |
| look at those designs gives an insight into the | | | | also known by other names.Tournaments |
| imagination of our ancestors. And why not? What | | | | worldwide use the staunton design for matches |
| a perfect medium for expression. The church | | | | using the most traditional of designs. Can't have |
| could provide Biblical figures, the Romans could | | | | our little chess prodigies mistaking a pawn for a |
| add their political and military heroes, the Eastern | | | | bishop - can we? Don't know about you - but I |
| empires could design chess sets based on their | | | | can't warm to theme sets: mickey mouse, star |
| rich heritege and monarchies. The Cook Jaques | | | | wars, lord of the rings, etc. Staunton has fulilled a |
| duopoly put a dampener on all this. Now we have | | | | need, just like Bill's operating system, Henry's car |
| to have the Knights with a strong horse | | | | and my litte pink pencil sharpener. Thank you |
| metaphor, the Bishops have to have their mitre, | | | | guys. But thank you also for leaving us a little |
| the Queen has to have her Coronet and the King | | | | area for expression. Now, where's my riding |
| his cross. The pawns are plain the rook is | | | | saddle...? |
| dominated by it's distinctive ballistrade.But we | | | | |